The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-17

g trust we have not sought; It is not
trust from a wheh We ho WI ,n me- hands
of their servants at home to whom they
commit its execution, while Dewey anu
mand, Will have the support or the co o1nl,,
try in upholding our flag where At now
floats. the symbol and assurance OF ND
erty and justice.
What nation was ever able to write an
accurate programme of the. war upon
which 1t was entering, much less less dt Islt,
in advance. the scope of. its results Con-
gress can declare war, but a. higher ,p t,!ei
DEGREES its bounds and fixes Its reiatl Sl.
and response bilitfes. : The president Gd da
direct the movements of soldiers; on NY
field and fleets upon the sea; but: ne can
not f9resec the close of such InoNeit I :,
or prescribe their limits: He cannot az Re
must meet them. No accurate map o. ii 81
tons engaged in war: can be 'tIaI Su ~
the war IS oyer, nor can the II "a ct gun
responsibility be fixed till ,tns the ia a., The
is fired and the verdict emboQleu IL ''f
stipulatiopS. of peace. t.,,t,
I'VE hear no complaint of the reI lsa i4 tei
created by this Government am ~ ~ =, 70
ands of Cuba and Porto Rico: iiG pIiiiIi
some, however, who regard the , maj
pines as in a different RELATION, p ne an this
ever variety of views there may pc 81 rsa
phase of the question there IS u UNI " r o9
agreement that the philippines sla AIoa aiJ.
be turned back to SPAIN NO - u ,TTrrIIling
to accent them ourselves, it would nave
been a weak evasion OF manly au ~ come
quire Spain TO: transfer tn mem sfSjrlr orr
other power or powers and thus SHE IN o 9e
own responsibility. Even II we hsi ni,.,,t t1
we did not have; the power 10 coi hlon
such a transfer, il could not n a9,s interl
made without the most serious lntet-
national complications: Sucn Con- ,, sc
could not be thought Of. Ana yer, rt tt,e W.
refused to accept the cessd0i 90, "a tbeIn
we should have had no power over in l,eIi
even for their own good. we could not
discharge the responsibilities upon US I'M
I'll these islands became ours el the o ny
conquest or treaty. There was put olIs
alternative, and that was either SPAN OF
the United States in the Phllpplnes Inc
other suggestions showed, nrst. tHat tH NY
should be tossed into the: arena Tor me
strife of nations, or, second, be lost 10 the
anarchy and chaos of no protectorate at
all, and were too shameful to be consid,
cred, The treaty gave them to the Onitea
States. Could we have required less ana
done our duty? Could we. after freeing
Spain; have: left them without govern:
ment and without power to protect life
and property OF: TO perform the interna-
uonal obligations essential to an inde-
pendent state? Could we have left them
in 81 state of anarchy: and justified our
selves in our own .consciences or before:
the.trbunal of mankind? Could we have
done that in the sight of God and man? g..
Our concern was not for territory or
trade '6r=en1pire,- but for the people whose
interests and destiny, without our willing
II, had been put In our hands. 1t was
with: this feeling that from the first day
to the Hast not one word: or line went from
the EXECUTIVE in Washington to Our mill
tarx ard naval commanders at Manila or
TO. cur Peace. Commissioners at Paris that
did*not put as the sole purpose to be kept
IN mind first, after the success. of our
honor; the welfare and happiness and the
rights Of the inhabitants OF, the Philip
TO perform a great act for humanity2 We
had It in every aspiration OF their minds,
necessary to ask their. consent TO capture.
Manila. the capital: OF their isiands2 Did
we ask their consent to 'liberate them
Manila Bay and destroy.t the Spanish sea
power there2 We did not ask these; we
We're obeYing higher moral obligation
quire anybody S. consent. We were doing
our duty by them with the: consent. of our:
own .consciences and with the approval. of
civilization Every present. Obligation
has. been met and:fuIfilled IN: the expulsion.
of Spanish sovereignty: from their Islands,
and while. the war that destroyed 81. was
In progress we could not ask their views.
Nor can we now ask their consent.
indeed, can any one tell me In what
form it could = be :rnarshaled and :aseer-
% o Q o Q q @ o q 9 yatained until peace.
= Reign of Terror : essafys to a reign.
O. :. Not me Of reason, shall,
q Proper Rule. e es ,s Isl sd,'.or 4 4
. o o . not the. kind of.
rule under which the right action and.
deliberate. Judgnenl are :, Posstolf -: 70
not a good time for the lfberator to; sub
nit important questions concerning hb5
oTtv. and government !. TO be. liberated
while they are engaged in shooting down.
We We have now ended the war with Spain.
The treaty has been, ratified by more f,
than two-thirds or Inc se ma SI ti nf
iI 5i,tr of its people, No nation was
ever more fortunate in war or more hon
orabie In negotiations OF. peace. SPAN Is
mai to- ask what we shall do now?. I.
do otintrude upon the duties OF Congress
or seek to anticipate or forestall Its ao..
p rng .honorably secured having been
ratified by the United States, and, as we
confidently expect, shortly to be ratified
Al and I am sure the purpose, to do what
in good morals is. right and Just and
humane for these peoples IN distant seas
IT is sometimes hard to determine what