The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-11

oerfs, have the Kiahts OF such. N
But . .rspublic ean have no subjecta
Its people must b either oitisens, slaves.
or aliena II sliens. thsy are the "a jects
or cittsens Of soma other power, which "
bound 10 protect them. The transfer.
therefore, OF tins Sovereignty Of SPAN over
the Philippines 10 the United states
makes all her SUBJECTS 81 once citisens OF
II sitissns Of the United states, they
have ali ths riehts that belong ., other
citizens In the territories, whe her ON the
mainland or on islands OF the SEA
Neither geography nor distance has any
thing to DO with IL.
The consultation Of the United States
provides for the government OF territories
Is we'll as for government within tns
stntes In the ststes the autonomy Is
fired In respect Of ell the three depart
ments Of the Legislative,
executive, and judicial. In the territor-
les Conarsss 10 left free TO regulate, sub
ject TO the constitution, the meaps OF
government according to lie discretion.
But fundamental and ether pr'vate rights
Are, and always have teen % secure under
and by foroe Of the same contribution In
the territories IS In the states. The con.
stitution settles both, only by different
% 3thods Of exertion. Congress may Seet
the political government OF n territory In
a single person IL 1t chooses, and conhde
the judicial power to single 10 .ge II IT
likes, but 1t cannot authorize the political
Governor TO make Law that ipjuriously
Affects personal rights differently from
such laws rs Congress may originally
make for the citizens OF q state.
IL cannot authorize . territorial Judge
to condemn O man unheard or TO deal
with Bis person or property otherwise than
by that due process OF law which the con.
o~s nlIeuta pce m tho Cuitad States ar arr,
within It's sovereign power. 1t cannot
say that no citizen residing In state
shall migrate to territory, or that
citizen or some particular class OF citziens
residing In . territory shall not migrate
TO . state. In short, the constitution
territories in the respects that affect the
personal and civil rights OF all.
This fundamental principle tself-eyi-
dent on our republican theory Of govern.
ment) has been constantly recognized
and acted upon by the Supreme Court of
the United States Congress, therefore,
any citizen residing in the Philippines
land every Spanish subject therein be-
comes one by force of the treaty. to our
states any mere than 1t can lawfully pre-.
vent the migration Of citizens OF the
States to the Philippines. 1t 10 not well,
then, to shut our eyes to dangers Of this
character tnht atteuu sucu ncquieition Oh
territories fully populated by such peoples
MS those Of the Philippines are known to
be.
There are other considerations both
humane and financial, that cannot be
ignored II the people Of the Philippines,
both civilized and savage, must be SUBJ
mitted to our Christiah government by
force of arms, how many American lives
and how much American treasure ought
to be sacrificed to that ends Rapidly de-
vsloping events seem 10 show that mill
tary force of at least 80. 600 men must be
kept on land in those islands In order to
our obtaining an enectual supremacy.
And this force must be supported by
many naval vessels with their ere VS. ctr.
ev dent from the experience OF Spain. and
from that Of other nations carrying on
such tperations in the tropics. that con-
slant current of supply and reinforcement
both Of material and men, must 10 on.
Besides the casualties of battle with foes
(some OF whom Spain has not been able
to subdus in 20 years of effort) there is
also the constant and unconquerable foe
Of the tropical climate and the diseases
always present in 1t. And besides this,
no troops from the temuernte zones can
long endure the effect Of such q climate,
and they must therefore, b withdrawn to
some cooler latitude at vary sort periods
to recuIerate. The English In India
happily have the Himslayan hills within
their troops are seut at frequent intervals
to escape the exhaustion Of the tropical
But our troops in the Philip
pines must be transported by seq four or
I'VE thoutand miles to reach the salubri
GUS shores Of California and Oregon.
To accomplish all this the annual and
expenditure OF millions upon
millions Of the earnings Of our people
must 60 on indefinitely.
But we sre now confronted with both
n condition" and theory" The tx
pcutive has concluded treaty by which
Spain has ceded the sovereignty OF the
whole Philippine group Of which she had
actual possession OF only small fraction
and In many parts Of which her domin'
ION had been absolutely overthrow, and
In other parts of which she never had any
dominion at all, many Of the islands
having from the first until today been In
bahited by independent tribes over which
Spain never had any actual donipion.
In dealing with this treaty the Senate
Is supposed to be as free TO act according
to it's own Judgment as the President was
Tree to oct according to bis in negotiating
It. The Senate may decline to ratify the
treaty, which in the present state of
Affairs would produce a situation extreme
" embarrassing But II the Senate be-
leVes. tne treaty 70 Dc WrOu IL Will uouDt-
less have the courage to rsject 1t and TO
face the consequences.
The Snate, however, may consider that
while Spain ought to depart from the
Philippines and renounce her dominion
there, the U nited States ought not TO as
sumo her sovereignty, such as IL was,
against the express will Of the people of
,he islands. Aud in view OF the evils
likely to follow even II those people do
sired to become part Of the United
States, the Senate can amend the treaty
10 as to provide substantially, as the
scheme has been as to Cuba, that the peo.
pie of those islands should be left to gov
I'm themselves as best they may, with
'uoh guarantees for order and personal
,sfety of the inhabit,nts as shall De ade-
luste to the preservation Of order Such
guarantee can be presently enforced at
infinitely less cost Of blood and treasure
than our undertaking to assume and ex-
srcise sovereignty over the Islands.
In such case every material benefit OF
rsde, commerce. and of political expedi-
,ncy can be attained.
make no comment In respect OF the
,rice OF SEQ. 900. 900 provided by the treaty
10 be paid to Spain for the islands. In