The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-24
WINS THE DEFOREST PRIZE
(Continued from Ninth Page.)


 have been synonyms of liberty, self-sac.
 rifice and patriotic devotion. The foun- dation of our national character was
 laid broad and deep on these bedrock
 principles, and whatever beauty and
 symmetry there is in the superstructure
 is due to their patriotic precepts and
 examples. Now, for the first time, our | point of view is that of a colonizing na- | tion. Now for the first time, the sin
 cerity and consistency of the declaration made when we were colonies, are put to
 the test. Is this nation, under the temp
 tation of supposed self-interest, or a
 misconception Of national glory to
 stamp all it's earlier professions as thinly disguised hypocrisy?
 The government of the United States,
 presupposing intelligency, patriotism
 and respect for the rights of others, is
 immeaeurably far from being adapted to a successful colonial government. Hith- erto it has succeeded because of the
 love of liberty and justice which per- meates this whole land, and great will
 be the disaster to America when thiA spirit shall become so Malayized as not only to lose its individuality, but even to sink to an imitation of that of the European nations. Our motto is Liber- ty and Union: both are necessary and both will be fought for. But Union. nourished by contact and easy access, and strengthened by mutual respect and friendship, can never exist in widely separated colonies. even when favorably reopled.
 On December 2, 1923 in his sixth an- nual message to congress President Monroe voiced the sentiment of the American people in the announcement of the doctrine which bears his name, and which has ever since been clothed with the authority of interna- tional law on both sides of the Atlantic, He said: "We owe it therefore to candor and to the ami cable relations existing between the United States and those European pow CTS to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hem- isphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. The occasion has been judged proper for asserting, as a
 
 eIs of the United States are involved, that the American continents by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as sub jects for colonization by any European powers" Jefferson advised the princi- ples of this message, and three years later Daniel Webster affirmed that this countrys honor was involved in main- taining it. During the last administra- tion, in the so-called Venezuela affair, American statesmen asserted a claim which could only be brought within the Monroe doctrine by a forced construc- ton and yet England admitted its va lidity as a part of the unwritten law of There were two sides to this doctrine, "The abstention of the old world from interference in American affairs based on our abstention from in the affairs of the old world" Retention of the Philippine Islands in the old world as colonial pos- sessions involves not only a sacrifice of all the advantages which this nation and the political principles of which it is the champion, is supposed to have gained by virtue of the Monroe doctrine but also the sacrifice of the sincerity honesty and good faith which are more valuable to any ation than the possess sion of areas inestimably vast. Whence Is 1t better to inherit legacy of duty?" The guns of Manila and Santiago, or | he declaration made in our infancy and | always cherished and proudly called | It is as clearly our interest | 70 maintain the principles enunciated in ! .he middle period of our existence, and | affirmed In our later history, | IS it is our plain duty to stand by the pledges made at the time of the formal | of the war against Spain. Does the finger of national honor point oWard the abandonment of the territo- y which is to be governed against the of the governed, or toward the of the principles into which this republic was baptized by the blood of the Revolution, and the obliga- ions which it has undertaken in it's ma urity? Which is the more cowardly shrink from the acquisition if distant colonies, or to shrink from breaking the pledges which have been ,iven to the civilized world? Tt is owardice," whispers the tempter, "to etire from the Philippines" The high st courage is that which dares, for the ake of broad and far-signted expedien- y and statecraft, to face the charge of owardice.
 Better that we should not "build up UT power without our borders;" better hat we should not exert an influence I the management of the worlds af- airs; better that our voice should not