New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-22
abandon great possessions. to which HID count.

their obvious duty 10 hold what Dewey had u,,
at least III the American people had tim. .
consider nd decide otherwise.
Is thore any need 10 debate whether the Ava
lean people will abandon it now? Tho~. vb.
have a fancy for that species II dialectc. ~
weigh the chances. and evolve from oirc,,
stances 81 their own Imagination. and Canon. =.
national and international obligation n, ,h.,
own manufacture conclusions 10 their ov, IT,
ing I need not consume much u your I'm. !.
that improbable pursuit We may as veil b...
and now. keep our feet on solid ground ar.
deal With facts as they arc. The America,
people ie in lawful possession Of the Philinu,,..
with tho assent Of all Chrstendorn ,vi,,
title a. irdisputable IT'S title 10 California.
and though the debate vii lineer for a whrn
and perhaps drift unhapIily into partisan co,.
tention. the generation Is yet unborn that um
see them abandoned H. the possession - anv
other Power. The Nation that scatters pr,nc,
paities as a prodigal does his inheritance +. n,
sentimental and moonshiny for the nineteenth
century or the twentieth. and too unpractic.,
for Americans Of any period Il may flourish q,
Arcadia or Altruria. but 1t does not among n.
sons Of the pilgrims or on the continent thai
subdued by stern struggle :" The uses 81 oiylliza
ton
Nevertheless our people id stop 70 con.
slider very carefully their Constitutional powers
I believe We have reached point also when.
the result If that consideration may be safely
assumed The Constitutional arguments hav.
been fully presented and the expOsiii0ns ard
decisions marshalled. II is enough now 70 say
that the preponderance ~ Constitutional author.
tiles with Gouyerneur Morris. Danie Webster
and Thomas H. Benton their head and h.
unbroken tendency Of decisions by the Courts
Of the United States. for dt least the last fifty
years from Mr. chief Justice Watt and VI,
Justice Miller and Mr.. Justice Stanley Matthews
Of the Supreme Court down 10 thu very --latest
utterance on the subject. that Of NJ Iuftlc.
Morrow OF the Circuit Court Of Appeals sus.
tains the power 10 acquire TERRITORY n other
property anywhere and govern II as we please
Inhabitants Of such territory SECURE In n.
civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution: bu,
they have no political rights under Il save a,
Congress confers them. The evidence m supper,
. Of this view has been fully set forth examine
and weighed and. unless 7 greatly mistake
popular decision on the subject has hss-
reached The Constitutional power no orgs,
seriously disputed and even those who raise!
the doubt do not seem now 10 rely upon II.
settled. or disposed Of in our dealings With III.
questions Of the war I may b.
'CONTRIBC- permitted to pause for a mo.
TIONS TO IN rnent on the American con,r..
TERNATIONAL buttons It brought about, to
LAW AND international morality ana
MORALITY law. on N. day on which
the American Peace Commits.
s,oners to Paris sailed for home after the cer..
t-stt, icb bafr LIB
concluded the most authoritative journal In N.
world published an interview with the eminent
President of the corresponding Spanish Commits.
sion then and FOR soma time afterwarl pres.
dent also Of the Spanish Senate. in which he vas
reported as saying We knew in advance that
we should have to deal with an mplacable con.
aueror who would In way concern himself
With any pre-exstng international Law. but
whose sole object 70 reap from victory h.
largest possible advantage. This conception u
International Law Is absolutely new. II Is no
longer d case OF might against right, but n
might without right. The Amerlcansh have
acted as rdinquenrs pdrrrnns."
Much may be pardoned to the anguish Of an
old and trusted public servant over the mis-.
fortunes OF his native land. We may even IN
our sympathy endeavor to forget what country
the Conference OF Paris and the general uds'
ment Of Nations by resorting to Privateerlag' or
what country it was that preferred 10 risk b.
coming an asylum for the criminals OF CONT
nent rather than revive even temporarily that
basic and elementary implement Of modern 10
ternational Justice an Extradtion Treaty. which
had been in force with acceptable results tN
over twenty years. But when Americans ara
virtue Of mere strength violate international
Law against a PROSTATE foe. and when one OF
the ablest Of American critics encourages the
Spanish contention. by talking Of our bulldog
diplomacy at Paris" It gives US occasion 70
challenge the approval of the uord-as ns
facts amply warrant-for the sorurulous con-
formty to existing International Law. and tbs
important contributions 10 ts benehcent at'
vancement that have distinguished the action
Of the United States throughout these who's
transactions. Having already SET these ,or''
In some detail before a foreign audience
must not now do more than offer me briefest
summary.
The United States ended the liberation OF
Privateering. II was perfectly free to commits
sion privateers on the day war was declared
Spain was equally free and il proclaimsd
swarm with them. sweeping American commerce
from the ocean. Under these circumstances oh'
Of the very first and noblest acts of the Pres'
dent was TO announce that the United STATES
would not avail itself Of the right 70 send OF.
privateers. reserved under the Declaration q
Paris Tho fast thickenins Disaster q SPAN
prevented her from doing II. and thus sHps'a"
TALLY completed the practice or acQuiescenc' o.
h.. rf,
of a principle in International Law. Ii IS sal'
to assume that Christendom viii hencsfor'a
treat Privateering AS under international ban
Tho United states promoted the cause o. ger
nine International Arbitration by promptly and
emphatically rejecting an insidious proposal 'V'
A spurious one II taught those who deliberately
prefer war 10 Arbitration. and when. beaten -
IT, seek then 70 get the benefit Of n second rem