The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-07
LODGE ON EXPANSION.

AOO0G ON LAX ANO4ON.
What the Senator from MASSACHUSETTS Has
to Say on the Subject.
Constitutions do not make people;
people make constitutions. Our con
stitutiOn is great and admirable; be-
cause the men who made it were so
and the people who ratified it and lived
under it were and are brave, intelligent,
and lovers of liberty. There is higher
sanction and a surer protection to life
aud liberty, to the right of free speech
and trial by jury. to justice and human
ity. in the traditions, the beliefs, the
habits of mind. and the character of
the American people than any which
can be afforded by any constitution, no
matter how wisely drawn. If the
American people were disposed to
tyranny, injustice, and oppression, a
constitution would offer but temper
airy carrier to their ambitions, and the
reverence for the Constitution and for
law and justice grows out of the fact
that the American people believe in
freedom and humanity, in equal justice
to all men, and in equal rights before
the law, and while they so believe the
great doctrines of the Declaration of
Indepdence and the Constitution will
never be in peril.
Holding these views as to our consti-
tutional powers, the great question now
before the American people resolves
itself, in my mind, to one of policy
purely. There is only one question de-
manding actual and Immediate de-
cision now before Congress and the
people, and that is whether the treaty
with Spain shall be ratified or not. The
discussion of the treaty is being con
Quoted, and to my mind properly con-
Quoted, behind closed doors, for there
is much that must be said affecting
other nations and other people which
could not with propriety be said in
public; but the treaty itself has been
made public, and the debate upon these
resolutions, taking wide range, has
covered, so far as could be fttingly
done in open session. the broad quest
ton of policy involved in the ratitica-
ton OF the treaty.
desire to state very briefly what, as
| understand 1T, that question is.
have heard no opposition expressed to
any part of the treaty except such por
ton Of 1T as relates to the Philippines,
and that, therefore, is the sole point
upon which l desire to touch. In our
war with Spain we conquered the Philip
pines, or, to put it more exactly, We
destroy ed the power of Spain in those
islands and took possession of their
capital. The treaty cedes the Philip
pines to us. 1t is wisely and skillfully
drawn. 1t commits us to no policy, to
no course of action whatever in regard
to the Philippines. When that treaty
is ratified. we have full power and are
absolutely free to do with those islands
as we please; and the opposition to its
ratification may be summed up in a
single sentence, that the American
people and the American Congress are
not 10 be trusted with that power and
with that freedom of action in regard
To the Inhabitants of those distant is
/ lands. Every one OF the resolutions
j thus far offered on this subject is an ex
preston Oh distrust in the character
ability, honesty and wisdom of the
American people and an attempt tt
make us promise to be good and wise
and honest in the future and in oul
dealings with other people. 1t is we'll
meant effort to make us give bonds tt
fate by means of a Congressional reso
iuiion.
We must TIER ratify the treaty OF
reject 1t, for cam vt SUPP e that
anyone would seriously advance the
proposition that we should amend the
treaty III such way as TO make pledges
Ito Spain, and TO Spain alone. and te
! give bonds TO Spain, and to Spain alone
for our good conduct in matter which
will be wholly our own to decide. Let
us look. then, at the two alternatives.
Suppose we ratify the treaty. The is.
lands pass from the possession of Spain
4 into cur possession without committing
us to any policy. believe we can be
Trusted as a people to deal honestly and