The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-11

who are looking calmly, and through |
the windows of reason, at the RESPONSE
bilities that have devolved upon the
government of the United States in
consequence of the issue of the war
wi h Spain.
For example, here is Senator Caffery
of Louisiana, speaking on the Vest
resolution denying the power of the
United States to acquire territory to be
governed as colony, declaring that
"people of such territory cannot be
held despotically by Congress-" and reit-
Grating, in varying phrases, through a
long speech this idea Of "yokes" and
"despotism' in the sovereignty the
United States will exercise over the
people of the Philippine archipelago, If
the treaty with Spain shall be ratified.
II the case was reversed, and the stars
and stripes were coming down in
Porto Rico and the Philippines and
the banner of Spain we're going up,
the language these men might employ
in characterizing the change could not
be stronger seasoned with the idea of
cruelty and tyranny aud oppression and
everything that is abhorrent to human
ity.
To no one else but these abnor-
mally sensitive champions of the rights
of men is the idea of despotism suggest.
ed by any sort of sovereignty the Amer
can Congress would elect to exercise
over the people of the islands Spain
has coded to this government. Any
form, civil or military, under which the
United States shall decide to exercise
its sovereignty over these islands will
be benefcent in comparison with
the control under which they have been
held for centuries. 1t will be not only
relatively benefcent, but will be bene-
6cence itself-such practical benef-
cence as Gen. Wood has employed in
ruling Santiago; such as will be appear
ing in every other community this war
has released from the thraldom of
Spain. And it will be benefcence with
back bone of steel, if needed to make
it effective against any unwashed bar
barian who may be kicking against the
moral and political renovation of his
country. The islands will not be
allowed to continue, under their own
blind leaders, and out of Difference
to distractions about the consent of
the governed, along the downward
course they have been travelling I'M
der Spanish dominion. Americ an
soveringty will be intensely practi-
cal, rational and business-like; it will
be uplifting and Christian-not ,beoret-
ical and as nerveless as jelly fish. A
certain sailing with despotism is neces-
sary for the preservation of govern
ment. This preservatory and Christian
izing tyranny, inseparable from the en-
forcement of law and the preservation
of order, these frantic statesmen are
trying to persuade the people, is indis-
tinguishabe from the despotism one
instinctively associates with the rule of
Spain, or Austria, or Russia. 1t 10
great business for American Senators
to be engaged in.
The last resort of factional opposi-
ton is often the cry of unconstitution-
atty. The present debate in Congress
is over Senator Vests joint resolution
declaring that under the constitution
of thf United States no power is given
to acquire territory TO be held and gov.
erned permanently as colonies. Did
Senators Hoar, Hale, Caffery, Vest and
others get this idea from the consttu-
ton or did the constitute n get the no.
ton from the Senators? The feeling is
quite general among the people that in
raising this constitutional question the
senatorial jockeys have hilched up the
team of their reasoning with the gig
before the horse. "Do you think the
law is constitutional" was an inquiry
once addressed to an eminent lawyer
of Vermont, respecting an important
measure of the Legislature. "Consti-
tutional as helll' was the judicial re-
ply, and this is probably about the size
of this great constitutional question
Senator Hoar and his confederates are
70; oOoinat Tho troatu