The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-22
THE PHILIPPINES.
Onr Moral Obligations Are Dwelt
Upon at Length-"Free Can Con.
quer But 10 Save.''-IIe Reviews
Events of Year Just Ended aud
Deals With Outlook Mt This Time

Home Market club at banquet in his honor
1T Mechanics hall. Messrs Long, Alger, Bliss
Gage, and Smith, of his cabinet. accom- mpaned
him together with Congressman GroSvenor
of Ohio. The arrival of the train at South
Terminal station at 10 O'Clock was the occa
sion OF a general outburst OF enthusiasm
| from the thousands who lined the streets on
| the line OF the procession from the station 10
the hotel. The remainder Of the day after
the arrival at the hotel was spent in quietude
by the president until at 4l5 when he was es.
corted to Mechanics hall TO participate in the
club.
The president tomorrow will visit the 9. A.
| r. encampment dine at the Algonquin club,
| hold a reception there drive from the club to
the South Union station and leave Boston at
$40 p. IN.
| The crowning event of the day and the
principal feature Of the presidents visit to
! Boston was the banquet rendered TO him by
the Home Market club at Mechanics hall to:
night. The presidential party left the Hotel
Touraine under a cavalry escort at 20 and
proceeded through an immense cheering
crowd direct TO Mechanics hall.
| The reception was held In Paul Revere hall
and for over three.quarters OF an hour Presi-
dent Mckinley and other distinguished guests
stood in line and were introduced to and
shook hands with fully $500 persons.
At6 o'clock the buge sounded, announcing
that the banquet was ready to be served and
the immense company marched into the hall,
while the band played. The presidents table
was made conspicuous by IN meuse bouquets
the stage were large portraits of Washington,
| Lincoln and Mckinley, and underneath vas
the word "Lioerator" in large letters. Upon
the balcony was picture OF Admiral Dewey
with the motto "To the captain Of q German
Snip; You must not sail by the United States
flag without seeing it," and his famous com.
mand at Manila: You may fire. Gridley'
when ready"
president Mckinley sat at the front of the
platform and among those at his table were
Mayor Quincy, Of Boston; Secretary Long
Secretary Alger, Gov. Wolcott, Secretary
Gage, Postmaster General Smith and Secre
tary Bliss.
There was great enthusiasm when Presiden,
Mckinley was introduced. He spoke as fol
MIR. Toastmaster and Gentlemen The
years 60 quickly. 1t seems not 80 long, but II
| Is in fact six years since 1t was my honor To
be guest Of the Home Market club. Much
has happened in the intervening time. Is
sues which we're then engaging us have been
settled or put aside for larger and more alb
sorbing ones. Domestic conditions have Inn
proved and are generally satisfactory. We
realized the prosperity for which we have
been striving. We had four long years ol
adversely, which taught us some lessons
will be valuable in guiding our future action
We have not only been successful In our
financial and business affairs, but we have
| been successful in war with foreign power
which added great glory to American arms
|
| do not know why In the year 1898 this re-
public has uneX pectedly bad placed before II
mighty problems which 1t must face and
meet. They have come and are here, and
they could not be kept away. Many who
were impatient for the conflict year ago
apparently needless of Its larger results, were
the first TO cry out against the far.reaching
consequences OF their own act. Those o. US
who dreaded war most, and whose every ef.
fort was directed 10 prevent 1t, had fears ol
new and grave problems which might follow
| - o.,
which no man could control has brought
| these problems upon US. Certain 1t Is that
they have not come through any fault on our
own part but as high obligation, and we
meet them with clear conscience and unset.
fish purpose and With good heart TO resolve to
undertake their solution.
War was declared in APRIL 1880, with practi.
cal unanimity by the congress-, and, ouce up
on us, was sustained by like unanimity
among the people. There are many who have
tried TO avert 1t, on the other hand there
are those who would have preclpitated IL at
an earlier date. In It's prosecution aud con
clusion the great majority OF our countrymen
of every section believed they were fighting
in a just cause. and at home or on sea or In
the I'D they had part In It's glorious
triumph. 1t was the war OF an undivided ma
| ton.
Every great act In It's progress, from Manila
| 10 San tiago, from Guam TO Pana, met univer.
sal and hearty commendation. The protocol
commanded practically the approval OF the
| American people. 1t Is welcomed by every
| lover of peace beneath the flag. The Philip
pines, like Cubs. and Puerto Rico, were en-.
great trust, under the providence Of God and
| In the name of numan progress and civliiza-
| ton, we are com mittLl.
1t is trust We nave not sought; it is a
| trust from which VIC will not finch. The
American people viii hold up the hands OF
| their servants at home 10 whom they commit
| its action, while Dewey and OTIS and the
brave men whom they command will have
the support OF the country In upholding our
flag where 1t now floats, the symbol and as
surance of liberty and Justice.
| What nation was ever able to write an
accurate programme OF the war upon which
! IT was entering, much less decree In advance
the scope OF It's results? Congress can declare
war, but higher power decides Its bounds and
fixes its realities and responsibilities The
president can direct the movements OF sol.
ders on the field and fleets upon the sea, but
he canIot foresee the close OF such move
ments and prescribe their limits. He cannot
anticipate or avoid the consequences, but he
must meet them. No accurate map of ma.
tions engaged In war can be traced until the
war iG over, nor can the measure Of RESPONSE
bility be fixed until the last gun js fired and
the verdict embodied in the stipuations OF
peace,
We hear no complaint OF the relations Great.
ed by the war between this government and
the islands Of Cuba and Puerto Rico. There
are some who regard the Philippines in a
different relation, but whatever variety OF
views there may be on this phase of the ques.
tion, there is universal agreement that the
Philippines shall not be turned back to
Spain. No true American consents to that
Even II unwilling to accept them ourselves, II
| would have been a weak evasion of manly
duty TO require Spain to transfer them 10
some other power or powers and thus shirk
our own responsibility. Even If we had had
as we did not have the power to compel such
a transfer, II could not have been made with.
out the most serious International complica.
tionS.
| Such q course could not be thought Of And
yet had we refused to accept the cession OF
them we should have had no power over
them, even for their own good. We could not
discharge the responsibilities upon us until
these islands became ours, either by conquest
or treaty. There was but one alternative and
that was either Spain or the United States in
the fhilipplnes. The other suggeStion--f1rst, t,
that they should be tossed into the arena OF
contention for the strife Of nations; or, second
TO be lett 10 the anarchy and chaos OF no pro.
tectorate at all, were too shameful TO he con
sidered. The treaty save them to the Unit
ed States. Could we have required less and
done our duty? Could we. after freeing the
Fillpinos from the domination of Spain, have
left item without power to protect life and
property or TO perform the international obIi-
cations essential TO an independent state /?
Could we have left them In a state OF anarchy
and Justified ourselves in our own conscience
or before the tribunal ofmankind? Could we
have done that In the sight OF God and man /?
Our concern was not for territory, or trade,
orr empire, but for the people whose interests
anu uenlinS > Wltnout our Wiling IL, nau peen
put In our hands. 1t WAS this feeling from
the first day 10 the last one; not one word or
line went from the executive in Washington
TO our military and naval commanders at
Manila or 10 our peace commissioners at
Paris that did not put as the sole purpose to
be kept in mind first after success OF our arms
ami the maintenance Of our own honor, the
welfare and happiness and the rights Of the
inhabitants of the Philippine islands. Did
we need their consent to perform a great act
for humanity? We had it in every aspira-
tion OF their minds, in every hope of their
hearts. Was 1t necessary to ask their con-