Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-04-20
CARL SGHuRz ON IMPERIALISM.

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Before the twenty seventh convoca-
tion of the University of Chicago, re-
Gently, Hon. Carl Schurz delivered an
address on American Imperialism. y
IL was an admirable deiiverance,
marked by the forceful sentiment and
clearness of expression that have ever
sienalized tho public deliyerances Of
that sturdy champion of the essentials
Of popular government Beginning
with reference to our break with Spain
over the Cuban situation he said:
"Then came the Spanish War. A
few vigorous blows laid tho feeble
enemy helpless at our feet. The whole
scene seemed to have suddenly changed.
According to the solemn proclamation
of our government, the war had been
undertaken solely for the liberation of
Cuba, as war of humanity and not of
conquest. But our easy victories had
put conquest within our reach, and
when our arms occupied foreign terri
tory, a loud demand arose that, pledge
or no pledge to the contrary. the con-
quests should be kept, even the Philip
pines ON the other side of the globe,
and that as to Cuba herself, indie
formality. Why not? was the cry. Has
not the career of the republic almost
from its very beginning been one of
territorial expansion? Has it not ac
quired Louisiana, Florida, Texas, the
vast countries that came to us through
| the Mexican War, and Alaska, and has
| it not digested them we'll? We're not
those acquisitions much larger than
| those now in contemplation? Ii the
republic could digest the old, why not
the new? What is the difference?
"Only look with an unclouded eye,
and you will 5000 discover differences
enough warming you to beware. There
are five of decisive Importance.
Il. All the former acquisitions were
on this continent, and, excepting
Alaska. contiguous to our borders.
so. They were situated, not in the
tropical, but in the temperate zone,
where democratic institutions thrive,
and where our people could migrate in
mass.
80. They were but very thinly peopled
i'm fact, without any population that
would have been in the way of new
| settlement. , =.
"A. They could be organized as ter
ritories in the usual manner, with the
expectation that they would presently
come into the Union as self-governing
States with populations substantially
homogeneous to our own.
'.5. They did not require material
increase of our army and navy, either
for their subsection to our rule or for
their defence against any probable
foreign attack provoked by their being
in our possession.
Compare now with our old acquisi-
tions as to all these important points
those at present in view.
"They are not continental, not con-
tiguous to our present domain, but
beyond seas, the Philippines many
and thousmiles distant from our coast.
They are all situated in the tropics,
where people of the northern races,
such as Anglo-Saxons, or, generally
speaking, people of Germanic blood,
have never migrated in mass to stay ;
and they are more or less densely popu
lated, parts of them as densely as
Massachusetts-th populations con-
sisting almost exclusively of races to
whom the tropical climate is congenial
Spanish creoes mixed with negroes
in the West Indies, and Malays, Iagals,
Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Negritos,
and various more or less barbarous
tribes IN the Philippines.
when the question is asked whether
we may hope to adapt those countries
} and populations to our system of
government, the advocates of annexa'
ton answer cheerily, that when they
J belong to us, we shall soon "Ameri-
canize'' them. This may mean that
Americans in sufficiently large numbers
will migrate there to determine the
! character of those populations SO as to
assimilate them to our own.
"This is delusion of the first mag
nitude. We shall, indeed, be able, if
we go honestly about it, to accomplish
several salutary things in those coun-
: tries. But one thing we cannot do.
We cannot strip the tropical climate of
those qualities which have at all times
deferred men of the northern races, to
which we belong, from migrating to
such countries in mass, and to make
their homes there, as they have
migrated and are still migrating to
countries in the temperate zone. This
is not mere theory, but fact of
! universal experience. .
1--WE are already told that we shall
, need a regular army of at least 100, 900
in our new possessions. Tho ques-
tion is whether this necessity is to be
, only temporary or permanent. Look
; at the cost. Last year the support of
tho army proper required about So, 600,
! 600. 1t is computed that taking the
I Increased costliness of tho service in
the tropics into account, the army
under the now dispensation will re-.
quire about $3.50, COO, 600; that is, SLIT.
, 600, 900 year more. 1t is also officially
admitted that the possession of the
Philippines would render Indispensable
a much larger increase of the navy
than would otherwise bs necessary,
! costing untold millions for the build
| ing and equipment Of ships, and untold
millions every year for their main
: tenance and for the increased number
of officers and men. What We shall
have to spend for Notifications and the
like cannot now be computed. But
s there is u burden upon us which in like
, weight no other nation has to bear.
Today, thirty-thre years after the
| Civil War, we have pension roll OF
: very nearly one million names. Ano
still they come. We paid to pensioners
$ over S145, 600, 900 last year, a sum Target
a than the annual cost of the whole mill.
tary peace establishment of the German
Empire, including its pension roll.
!, Our recent Spanish War will, according
! to q moderate estimate, add at least
$50, 000, 900 to our annual pension pay
ments. But if we send troops to the
: tropics and keep them there, we must
J | look for n steady stream of pensioners