The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-06

The rebuke of friend is kind, and we desire to de-
velop his view of the issue which he joins with us.
He says: Il cannot conceive how any who is
loyal to the Government OF the United States can
antagonize the administration in its efforts to put
down instruction and those who are waging war
against the old flag that floats over the Philippine
Islands"
We have not antagonzed nor DISTRACTED the adj
ministration in its military operations anywhere The
Call has in many ways, some known publicly and
some not SO known held up the hands and cheered
the hearts OF the soldiers and sailors who fight afar
off and obey orders as is a soldiers duty.
AS for the policy OF permanent imperialism,
ndorse the only official utterance OF President Nc
Kinley on that subject In his message to Congress
one year ago he said Il speak not of forcibe annex
ation for that according code of morals would
be criminal aggression" That is utterance that
circumstances can change.
We did not take the Philippines by arbitration OF
the sword. When the Paris Commission met to
range the treaty of peace with Spain all of the Philip
pines except few localities on Manila Bay
cupied by the natives, who had wrested them from
Spain before flag went there, and under the law
OF nations and by arbitration OF the sword they
the sovereigns OF the land as we'll the in
fee simple of the territory.
We paid Spain twenty millions to reinqush her
sovereignty. There is every evidence that when this
President Mckinley and his administration to treat
the Filipnos allies, protect them into full
tonality and after arranging recoupmen OF
to withdraw and leave them with friendship and
our warning to the world to let them alone, to the
happy realization of the hope OF self government and
independence, for which they had fought Spain for
century. We have published so much testimony to
show that this the intended attitude of Gov
eminent that to repeat it would be tedious Begin
ming with the Presidents declaration in his message
OF last year the. evidence accumulates When the
treaty of Paris pending before the Senate the
Presidents personal organ said that Senator Hoar
and those who stood with him agitated by
groundless apprehension that it was not among
the purposes OF the administration hold permanent
y either Cuba or the Philippines The same identical
assurance was given to Senators at the White House
The testimony OF dozen army and navy officers
among them a brigadier general all of whom were
present in Manila is that the Americans began the
fight and the Filpinos did not All this we have pub
lished with the names OF the witnesses. After the fight
loaded editorial said: 1--WE want no more repettons
OF this latest battle OF Manila The people of the
United States have neither the bloodthirstness nor
the land hunger that will tolerate OF conquest
whose battlefelds are shambes and whose victories
butcheries. The conscience OF the American peo-
pie will tolerate the slaughter of Filipnos in
war OF conquest We do not seek their land. We do
wish replace the yoke OF Spain with one bear
ing the more merciful and just label OF the United
States. Let the President announce that have no
intention to annex Asiatic territory and that the
pledge of Congress as to Cuban independence will be
the pledge OF the American nation to the Philip
pines"
If reader friend and critic can find any opinion
we have uttered in antagonism to the Presidents Of
fetal utterance and to these several expressions of his
personal organ and to the given Senators
at the White House prior to the ratification of the
treaty OF Paris we will be glad to have him do so.
Let us turn his attention now to the expressions
OF the imperial party which has been manufacturing
policy and pretending that it is the Presidents
General Merritt, in speech at the New England
dinner in New York last January said What if ex-
panson is unconstitutional? This republic has out
grown the constitution, and that instrument is no
longer worth discussing Does our critic approve of
that?
Whtelaw Reid, at speech to the Marquette Club
in Chicago Lincolns birthday said: st is time to
teach the American people the absurdity OF the
ment in the Declaration OF Independence that govern
ments derive their just powers from the consent OF
the governed"
Rev. P. S. Henson of Chicago, in sermon in favor
of Imperialism and expansion month ago, said: Gas
for the Declaration of Independence and its state
ment that governments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed the devil invented
a ro'e damnable lie with which to deceive the world"
Abraham Lincoln said: "The doctrine OF self-gov-
eminent is right absolutely and eternaly right When
white governs himself that is self government
but when he governs himself and also governs an
other man, that is more than sefgovernment-that is
despotsm. What I do say is that no man is good