New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-16
our hands. Doe. anybody doubt what n. Amer.

fortnight ago. were ready 70 break OF their Jo.r.
Commission with Great Britain ard take "a.
chances, rather than give up few square r,e,
Of worthless land and a harbor Of which yea,
ago they scarcely knew the name on the rsrno..
coast Of Alaska. Plainly IL II idle now in q xov.
eminent 40 purely dependent on the popular VII
TO scheme or hope for giving the Philippine ,s,s
over 70 other hands soon as order is restored
We must then be prepared with policy FOR main
tanning II ourselves.
OF late years men have unthnkinSly assu-.S
that new territory was. IN the very nature OF a.,
Government. merely and necessarily the raw IA.
teral for future States in the Union. coonie. a..
dependencies II Is now said essentially ineo~
sistent with system. But II any ever en,..
taned the wild dream that the instrument WIS.
preamble says IT Is ordained for the United s,s,.,
OF America could be stretched 70 the China s.,
the first Tagal guns fired at friendly soc,er, 20
the Union and the first mutiation Of American ce,s
that ensued ended the nightmare Of States Pro.
Asia admitted 10 the American Union For ia,
relief. at least we must thank the uprising OF ia
Tagalogs. II a Continental Union u trs.
pendent sovereign States our Fathers plane.
Whoever proposes 20 debase II with adnixture. q.
States made up from the Islands Of the sea IN ar,
archipelago. East West II a bad friend 10 -.
Republic We may guide protect. elevate then
and even teach them. some day. 10 stand aIo,..
but II invite them into our Senate a.
House 20 help rule US. are the mos, imbeel. q,
all the offspring OF time.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL OBJECTION -
Yet We must face the fac, that able and ,,,-
sclent.ous men believe the United States IA. "a
constitutional power 10 hold territory tina, 4, "a.
to be erected into States in the Union or 10 xov.
ern people that 10 be made citizens Th.,
able 10 cite great names in support OF ,hs,,
contention: and IL would be an ll-omen to- -.
freest and most successful constitutional govern.
ment In the world Il constitutional oh,ec,,o,
thus fortified should be csrelessly considered a,
hastily overridden.
This objection rests mainly on the a.sunpt,o,
that the name United States" as used IN ~.
Constitution necessarily includes all territories n.
Nation owns. and on the historic fact that larx.
part Of It's territory. on acquiring sufficient popu.
lation. has already been admitted az State. and
has generally considered such admission 10 Be
right. Now Mr. Chief Justice Narshal-,han whom
no constitutional authority carries greater weight
certainly did declare that the question what wa,
designated by the term United States" IN N.
clause OF the Constitution giving power 20 levy
duties on mposts admitted o. but one answer
II designated the whole OF the American emplrs
composed Of States and Territories" II that 10
accepted final. then the tariff must be applied
in Manila precisely as in New-York and goods from
Manila must enter the New-York Custom House a.
freely as goods from New-Orleans. Sixty millions
would disappear instantly and annually from the
Treasury. and revenue system would be revo-
utionzed by the free admission Of sugar and other
tropical products from the United States OF Asia
and OF the Caribbean Sea On the other hand the
Philippines themselves would be fatally hsndi-
capped by a tariff wholly unnatural 10 their To-
callty and circumstances More II that be final.
the name United States" should have the same
comprehensive meaning IN the clause as 10 citizen
ship. Then Aguinaldo IS to-day citizen Of the
United States and may yet run for the Pres'-
dency. Still more. The Asiatics south OF the
China Sea are given that free admission 10 the
country which We so strenuously deny TO Asiatics
from the north side OF the same sea. Their goods
produced on wages OF a few cents day. come
into free competition in all our home markets With
the products OF American labor. and the cheap
laborers themselves free 10 follow whenever our
higher wages attract them. More yet. II that be
final the Tagaogs and other tribes OF Luzon the
Visayas Of Negros and Cebu, and the Mahometan
Malays OF Mndanao and the Sulus. having each fer
more than the requisite population. may demand
admission next winter into the Union as free ana
independent States with representatives In Sen
ate and House. and may plausibly claim tnat they
can show better title TO admission than Nevada
ever did or Utah or Idaho.
Nor does the great name Of Marshall stand alone
in support OF such conclusions. The converse theory
that these territories not necessarily included
in the constitutional term the United States"
makes them our subject dependencies asd al ore
the figure Of Jefferson himself Is evoked. with al
the signers OF the immortal Declaration grouped
about him. renewing the old war cry that govern
ment derives its just powers from the consent OF
the governed. AT different periods in our history
eminent statesmen have made protests on grouncs
OF tina; sort. Even the first bill for MI Jenersons
own purchase OF Louisiana denounced BY Mr..
Macon as establishing species OF government IN
known 10 the United States; By Mr.. Lucas IS
establishing elementary principles never previous
~ introduced in the government OF any territory
Of the United States" and by Mr.. Campbell IS
really establishing a complete despotsm. IN
1923 Chancellor Kent said with reference 10 Coium-
b,a River settlements that "a government by Con-
gress as absolute sovereign. over colonies absolute
dependents was ao' congenial 10 the free ana IN
dependent spirit OF American institutions. IN ss
John c. Calhoun declared that the conquest ana
retention OF Mexico province Wouo De d &C.
nartura from the settled policy CT the Government.
In conflict with its character and genius ana IN 'he
end subyersive OF our free Institutions In lsS'
Mr. Chief Justice fancy said that "a power 10 rue
territory without restriction as a colony OF oe-
nendent province would be inconsistent with the
nature Of our government" And nov" following
warily in this line, the eminent ana trusted eu''
cate OF similar opinions to-day, senator h0aI' u
Massachusetts, saws: The making OF new states
and providing National defence are consutuuoha1
ends SO that we may acquire and hold territory
for those purposes The governing OF SUBJECT Peo'
niles is not a constitutional end. and there j. mere
fore no constitutional warrant for acquiring anu
holding territory for that purpose
PROOF OF AMPLE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER
We have now as is believed. gathered together AZ
absolutely fair summary OF the varied asfeo.s "
which the constitutional objections rneh'0ne' 90.
been presented | would not underra,e by haii
breadth the authority OF these great names '1'
weight OF these continuous reassertions OF P'-
clple the sanction even OF the precedent aho seH-
eral practice through a century. And YET Ne"'-'s
10 think that no candid and competent nan %.
thoroughly investigate the subject IN the Hsh' ~
the actual provisions Of the Constitution 80.
avowed purpose OF its trainers tneit o"" p'S -,
and the practice OF their successors. without 80
absolutely convinced that this whole fabric OF W
position on constitutional grounds Is as niinsy -"
cobweb This country OF our love and price
| nalformed congenital cripple OF a Natlon, ~