The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-04-20

authority were destroyed by Our
Ships.
In order to get an intelligent
understanding of the following article
it should be read in connection with
the anti-Imperialists' address pub
lished in the GOLD LEAF last week
under the heading Against Ex-
pansion." The article which follows
is an editorial in the Outlook in reply
to the address,.
The Address to the American peo-
pie which we reprint on another page
is well worthy the serious considera-
ton of all who are perplexed by our
present National problem, and es-
pecially by those who have believed
in and are giving their support to
the present policy of the Admins
tration. The Address is weighty be-
cause of the names attached to it,
the reasons adduced in it, and the
fact that it proposes a definite alter
native policy to be pursued. 1t
should be read and pondered with
care by all who wish to come to a
wise conclusion respecting. the Ma
TONS duty in the present crisis.
The names speak for themselves;
there is scarcely one which has not a
deserved National reputation. At
the same time, the careful student of
public opinion will note the fact that
there are many names conspicuous
by their absence. DR.. Jordan is the
only college president who signs this
Address; it is well known that DR..
Low and DR.. Schurman are supporters
of the present policy of the United
States, and there is good reason to
believe that this policy is approved
by other educators equally eminent.
DR.. Bacon and DR.. Cuyler are both
retired from the active ministry, so
that DR.. Parkhurst is the only clergy
man in active service who has signed
this Address; and though it may be
assumed, from their past utterances.
that Bishop Potter and DR.. van Dyke
sympathize with it, with these ex-
captions the clergy have been nearly
unanimous in supporting the policy
of the Administrations; so much so
that the clergy have been jeered at
for the supposed variance between
their present position and that which
with equal unanimity they assumed
at the time of the Venezuela dispute.
Samuel Bowles is an eminent jour-
nalist, and it must be due rather to
accident than to any lack Of sympathy
that E. L. Godkin's name is not
added; but it would not be easy to
recall the name of another eminent
journalist who interprets current
history and reads present duty as
they do. Thomas Wentworth Hig-
ginson is the only eminent man of
letters who signs this Address; and
Andrew Carnegie is almost alone
among the great merchants and
manufacturers of America. On the
whole, this list is chiefly significant
as indicating that the protest against
the policy of expansion has been and
is sufficiently weightv to compel a
careful consideration by the country
of the change which is taking place
in it's National policy. In short, the
influence of this Address must and
will depend on the value of the rea-
sons adduced, not ON the weight of
the names attached to it.
And the reasons, though vigorously
and effectively put, will not, we are
persuaded, convince the reflective
reader. They assume that Aguinaldo
and his forces represent the inhabi-
tants of the islands; that he and his
forces constitute Government with
the will and the power to exercise
the functions for which governments
are organized among men-the pro-
lection of persons and property and
the administration Of Justice; and
that our resistance to his attack
upon us and our endeavor to dis
perse his armed forces constitute a
war of subjugation waged against the
inhabitants of the islands. If this be
true, if the Filipinos possess the in
tellectual and moral capacity to pro-
tect "life, liberty, and the pursuit Of
happiness;" if the Malolos Govern
ment has been duly organized by
them for this purpose, and if we are
endeavoring to destroy this Govern
ment and take possession OF the land
for our own benefit, we are guilty OF
crime not without parallel, I'M
happily, in the history of other ma
tions, but without parallel thus far
in the history of our own. But there
is no evidence to warrant any such
conclusion, and it is not to be as
sumed without evidence. 1t has
been repeatedly declared officially
that the conduct of affairs has beer
left by the President, as it must
necessarily be left, to the represent
alive of the United States Govern
ment in the Philippines. The Presi
dent has explicitly declared that i'm
perial designs ''are alien 10 American
sentiment, thought, and purpose,
and that ..our priceless principle:
undergo no change under a tropica
sun" To assume what the writers
of this Address assume, that the OBJ
ject of our army in the Philippines i:
not to preserve order and protec
person and property from lawles
and dangerous because barbara
forces, but to overthrow constitu
tional and Legitimate government
} that we may substitute one Of on
J own. is to impute to Admiral Dewe.
and General Otis either ignorance o
! the facts, which they have every mean
of knowing while we have none, or
, tyrannous purpose absolutely aliel
: to American character and habit.
, There are three, and, so far as W
can see. only three, grounds on whic
| the President can be asked to orde