Warren sheaf., 1899-02-09
ENTER THEIR PROTEST.
Petition to the senate Against Ac-
QuirinE New Territory Signed
by Eminent Citizens.

| II &
by Eminent Citizens.
New York. Feb. 6.-The following petit
ton, signed by "a citizens of the United
States and addressed to "The Senate of the
United States" ID made public. The sign
| ers are:
| Charles Francis Adams, Boston; Felix
Adler; George s. Boutwell,. ex-secretary of
the treasury; John q. Carlisle, ex-secre-
tary OF the treasury; Andrew Carnegie;
Grover Cleveland, ex-president of the
United States; Theodore L. Cuyler; Charles
~ Eliot. president Of Harvard University;
samuel Gompers. president Of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor; John B. Hender-
son. ex-United States senator from Mis-
souri,; William B. Hornblower; W. H.
Palmer, president Of the Rio Grande West
ern railway; Wheeler II. Peckham Sher-
man s. Rogers. Buffalo; Carl Schurz, ex-
secretary of the interior: Edward N. Shep-
ard; Edwin Burritt Smith,. Chicago; Moor
held Story. Boston: William G. Sumner,
Yale university; Rev. Henry Vandyke;
Herman Won Hoist. University of Chicago;
William L. Wilson, x-postmaster-general,
now president of Washington and Lee uni
versity, Virginia; Theodore S. Woolsey, of
Yale university: Henry C. Potter. bishop
of New York. Eq y ~ r. rs~g :,
ITO the Senate of the United States: The
undersigned respectfully submit that the
treaty between the United States and the
kingdom Of Spain, now before your hon
cradle body. ought not to be ratified until
provision shall be inserted is part Of it's
text, to the effect that the United States
shall not annex the Philippine islands or
Porto Rico, or permit their inhabitants to
become citizens, or compel them to become
subjects of the United States without their
free consent and the further and express
authority of congress- There seems to he
no reason to doubt the entire willingness
OF Spain to modify the treaty in these re-
~ 10 Ia 49, v~PS S%cs
ratification for this purpose involves the
slightest renewal of.hostilities. So
We submit that every constitutional
treaty when ratified becomes part. of the
supreme law of the land CONSTITUTION.
article 6) If the United States accept abb
solute cession of the Philippines and Porto
Rico under the treaty, it will be claimed
with force perhaps Irresistible that the
acceptance will of itself make the territory
ceded part of the United States and give
to their Inhabitants (who shall not elect to
retain Spanish citizenship and to their
descendants the rights of American citi-
zens. .s.' ~.
:. we submit that the treaty, unless modi-
fed, will introduce changes Of q far-reach-
ing character into both the foreign and do
mestic policy Of this republic. The late
war was undertaken with our distinct as
surance that we did not look toward for
e1gn conquest or the acquisition of terri
tory. 1t was undertaken, and to this we
pl1ghted the honor Of the American nation,
In the cause Of humanity and liberty and
for no other purpose.
"As result of the war, Cuba, Porto Rico
and the many hundred islands near the
coast of Asia. known as the Philippines,
have fallen more or less under the control
of this country. Spain abandons her SOW
ereignty over all of them. But in addition
the treaty purposes that, as to the Philip
pines and Porto Rico, an absolute cession
shall be made to and accepted by the United
States. Over the Philippines and Porto
Rico. therefore, should the treaty be con-
firmed the United States will acquire pre-
cisely the sovereignty which Spain has en-
joyed. The president has on various occa-
sions indicated disposition on the part Of
the executive to hold the Philippines and
Porto Rico as part Of the United States,
and, as, has been pointed out, that may we'll
be the effect Of the treaty in its present
form. Such. at any rate, is. the intention
Of most of those who are now crowding
upon us the plan Of expansion. II
1.-The public sentiment of our country is
not ready to endure the concession of
American citizenship to the Fiipinos and
Porto Ricans. But the effect will, for a
time at least, no doubt, be to hold their is
lands under revenue, tariff navigation and
other laws very different from those in the
United States The Philippines and Porto
Rico would. at least at the outset be
separate dependencies under an extra-ter-
ritorial and extra-constitutional sover-
eighty not provided for in the constitution
of the United States and grossly incon-
sistent with its entire spirit and intent.
That this sovereignty in the case of the
Philippines is extra-territorial is the more
apparent from the fact that the constitu-
tipn was ablished for the United States
of America and not for the United States of
America and Asia. That the transfer pro-
posed is transfer of sovereignty is OBJ
vious from the fact that the consent of the
people Of the Philippines and Porto Rico is
ignored In their transfer from Spain to the
United States. and is hereafter to be con-
sdered only so far as the United States
shall see fit to give it consideration.
1--WE respectfully submit that. according
to the principles upon which our republic
was founded, we are in duty bound to
recognize the rights of the Inhabitants Of
the Philippines and of Porto Rico to in
dependence and self-government, precisely
al we have recognized that right in the
case of the Inhabitants Of Cuba: that if, as
President Mckinley declared 'forcible an
nexation cannot be thought of in the case
of Cuba because it would. by our code Of
morals, be criminal aggression the forci-
BILE annexation of the Philippines will be no
less criminal aggression according to the
same code Of morals. The Philippines have
a more settled government and control
Of their islands more extensive than the
Cubans when we took up arms in their be-
half. But we declared as to Cuba that 1t is
and of a right ought to be free and inde-
pendent Why ought we not, then. frank
ly and generously, to say of the Philippines
that they are and of right ought to bn
free, independents Since their popula-
tion has. as an unforeseen, incident Of the
war, waged by the United States for the
liberation of the Cubans, fallen more or
less under the control or influence Of this
republic, should we not, instead of an effort
to subjugate them which would most prob
ably be bloody and long continued. aid
them to assume the functions Of inde-
pendent government In good faith and with
all possible expedition? Will not this be
the surest, as well as the only just and
righteous way to avoid conflicts with them
and to maintain with them friendly rela-
ttons fruitful to both sides? Ought we not
in their case follow the precedent set by us