Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-19


ereignty over the Philippine islands
Mr.. Bacon is one of the orators Of the
Senate, and as he gave himself free
rein. not combining himself to notes, he
spoke strongly and effectively. His pc
roration, in which he pictured the hor-
rors OF some of Ingand's methods of
controlling her colonial subjects was n
beautiful and forceful bit of word
painting.
MIR. BACON'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Bacon said in part:
"Of all the great powers or The Garth.
the Government OF the United States
is the only one that contends for the
right, in all people. of self government
When they abandon In practice this
principle, when they impose their do
minion on an unwilling people, in the
majestic march of free institutions, the
hand upon the great dial of the clock
or the world will have been set back
an hundred years.
ut is not TO be believed that the Gov
eminent of the United States will, with
full appreciation of the nature of the
consequences of the act. thus violotc
the principle of the right Of self-gov-
eminent. 1t is incredible, nay impos-
sible. that the liberty-ioving people of
these United States will consent that
by power of arms the dominion of this
Government shall be enforced upon n
people who have owed us no allegiance
WHO are struggling to be free.
NONE WILL ADMIT.
There is not n civil official Of the
government who will admit that he
favors such an act. There is not n pub
lie man In the country who will al
NIT that he favors the ensavement OF
people. There is not a Senator who
would not repel the charge If made
against him. And yet there are many
VINO are advocating n course The in
cVltapie consequence OF which, if sue
cessfully pursued. is to accomplish tho
enslaNemcnt of the people OF the phil
ippine islands"
lie quoted from the speech OF Sena-
tor Foraker the statement that It was
not the purpose to hold the PHILIPPINES
permanently, and said:
u am especially glad to have tbc =
surance or the distinguished Senator
mat OF his own knowledge the posi-
tion thus stated by him is the positiou
OF the President of the United St,.os
II mat position can he assured as thn
one which this Government will take
ana adhere TO, there will be little dirrnr-
encc or contention between us. Tho
resolutions which I have introduced
ana the adoption of which I am nov
advocating agree substantially with
the position announced by the Senator
from Ohio. What desire. however is
that there shall be now an avowol n
ms position by the law-making nov.
cr or this Government in Joint reso-
luton of Congress approved Nv tbo
President.
, OBJECT OF TIE WAR.
hen we declared war against Spain
we also declared that we did not 60
20 war Tor our ACKNOWLEDGMENT or for
.he acquisition of territory. We said
that on the contrary we went to war to
make good to the people of Cuba the IT,
tie to the independence and freedom
winch all recognized that as a. peoule
they had already won, and to secure
Tor them the establishment Of n stable
government. The war has; passed ma
In n way almost miraculous we we're
shielded from the great sacrifice. There
mas been no foreign Intervention and
mere VIII be none. Not only has there
been no European Interference rs TO
Cubh, but 1t is a recognized and con-
coded fact that we may without hind
rance from European governments
work our own will with the Philippine
islands.
EQUAL RIGHTS.
Now. what | wish to accomplish by
these resolutions. is that the United
States shall in this hour of victory:
in this hour of undisputed physical
power. make substantially the same
declaration relative to the Philippine
islands that they have made relative
to Cuba"
Mr.. Bacon declared there was no diff
ference in the rights of the Cubans and
Fnipipos. and they should all be con-
sidered equal under the resolution
adopted by Congress. although the
Philippines were not in mind at the
time OF the declaration Of war He said
our obligations to the Philippines rest
ed upon the alliance of the Americans
with the Filplnos during the war. and
added:
But that alliance and cooperation
did put MS under q strong moral obli-
cation not to make Il peace with Spain
which did not include in it's terms the
sundcring of the bonds which bound to
her the Philippine islands. That obliga-
ton did not grow out of the fact alone
that the Philippines were in rebellion to
Spain, because we did not declare war
to correct all the wrongs inflicted by
Spain on her colonies. We declared war
only on account of Cuba, and our obli-
CATION to the Philippines grew solely
out of the accident of war which threw
us Into co-opera ton and alliance with
these insurgents against the dominion