The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-01-04
Against imperialism.
Colonel W. J. Bryan Tells Where
He Stands.

gave out the following interview:
MY reason for leaving the army
was set forth in my letter to the adj
iutant general rendering my resigna-
ton. Now'that the treaty OF peace
has been concluded, I believe that 1
can be more useful to my country as
a civilian than a soldier"
Colonel Bryan then proceeded to
the discussion of public questions,
saying:
"The people Of the United States,
having rescued Cuba from foreign
control, may now resume the discus
sion of the domestic problems which
confront this nation and turn to the
consideration of the new questions
arising out Of the war.
II may be in error; but in my
Judgment, our nation is in greater
danger just now than Cuba. Our
people defended Cuba against foreign
arms; now they must defend them
selves and their country against a
foreign idea-the colonial idea Of
European nations. Heretofore greed
has perverted the government and
used it's instrumentalities for private
gain, but now the very foundation
principles of our government are
assaulted.
The imperislistic idea is directly
antogonistic to the idea and ideals
which have been cherished by the
American people since the signing OF
the Declaration Of Independence.
Our nation must give up any inten-
ton of entering upon a colonial pol
icy (such as is GOV pursued by Euro
pean countriesj, or it must abandon
the doctrine that governments derive
their just powers from the consent
of the governed.
I'VE may believe that governments
come up from the people, or we may
believe that governments come down
to the people from those who possess
the heaviest cannons and the largest
ships; but we cannot advocate both
doctrines.
"To borrow a Bible quotation, "A
house divided against itself cannot
stand;' psraphrasing Lincoln's decls-
ration, I may add that this nation
cannot endure half Republic and
half colony, half free and half vassal.
Our form of government, our tradi-
tions, u present interests and our
future welfare all forbid our entering
upon a career of conquest.
jefferson has been quoted in sup
port of imperialism; but u oppo-
nents must distinguish between i'm
perialism and expansion; they must
also distinguish between expansion
that involves us in the quarrels of
Europe and the Orient. They must
still further distinguish between ex-
pansion which secures contiguous
territory for future settlement and
expansion which secures US alien
races for future subjugation.
Jefferson favored the annexation
Of necessary contiguous territory on
the North American continent; but
he was opposed to var of conquest,
and expressly condemned the acquir-
ing of remote territory"
When aaked how the colonial pol
icy could be prevented, Colonel
Bryan said:
"Some think that the fight should
be made against the ratification of
the treaty, but I would prefer an
other plan. If the treaty is rejected
negotiations must be renewed, and
instead of settling the question &C
cording to our own ideas we must
settle it by diplomacy, with the pos
sibility of international complications.
It will be easier, I think, to end the
war at once by ratifying the treaty
and then deal with the subject in our
own way. The issue can be pre-
sented directly by a resolution of
congress declaring the policy of the
nation upon this subject. The pres
ident says in his message that our
only purpose in taking possession of
Caba is to establish a stable govern
ment and then turn that government
over to the people of Caba. C,n-
gress could reafGrm this purpose in
regard to the Philippine Islands and