The times., 1899-02-23

suppose IL dOeS entail upon tne nation an
incalculable expenditure of blood and
money, it is destiny and we must submit
The people have not voted for impe
rialism; no national convention has de-
clared for it; no Congress has passed upon
it. To whom. then. has the future been
revealed? Whence this voice OF authority?
We can all prophesy. but our prophecies
are merely guesses, colored by our hopes
and our surroundings. Mans opinion of
what is to be is half wish and half envi-
ronment Avarice paints destiny with a
dollar mark before it; militarism equips
it with a sword
He is the best prophet who, recognizing
the omnipotence of truth, comprehends
most clearly the great forces which are
working out the progress, not of one party,
not of one nation, but of the human race.
History is replete with predictions
! which. once wore the hue Of destiny, but
which failed of fulfillment because those
who uttered them saw too small an arc OF
the circle of events. When Pharaoh pur-
sued the fleeing lsraeltes to the edge of
the Red Sea he was confident that their
| bondage would be renewed and that they
would again make bricks without straw,
| but destiny was not revealed until Moses
and his followers reached the farther shore.
| dry shod and the waves rolled over the
horses and chariots of the Egyptians.
! when BelshaZzar. on the last night of
| his reign. led his thousand lords into the
| Babylonian banquet hall and sat down to
a table glittering with vessels Of silver and
| gold he felt sure of his kingdom for many
| years to come. but destiny was not re-
| vealed until the hand wrote upon the wall
| those awe-inspiring words. Meme. meme,
| tekel upharsin. When Abdertahman swept
northward with his conquering hosts his
| imagination saw the crescent triumphant
throughout the world. but destiny was not
| 1,J taI thn
cross above the battlefield of Tours and
saved Europe from the sword of Mohamme-
| danism.
When Napoleon emerged victorious from
| MarengO from Ulm. and from Austerlitz
| he thought himself the child of destiny,
| but destiny was not revealed until Blu
| cher's forces joined the army of yelling
ton and the vanquished Corsican began his
melancholy march to St. Helena. When
/ the red-coats of George III routed the New
| Englanders at Lexington and Bunker Hill
| there erose before the British sovereign
| visions of colonies taxed without repre-
| sentation and drained of their wealth by
| foreign made laws, but destiny was not re-
veaed until the surrender of CORVALLIS
completed the work begun at Independence
| Hall and ushered into existence govern
ment deriving its just powers from the
| consent of the governed
I'VE have reached another crisis. The
| ancient doctrine of Imperialism, banished
| from our land more than a century ago.
| has recrossed the Atlantic and challenged
| democracy to mortal combat upon Ameri-
can soil. Whether the Spanish war shall
| be known in history as a war for liberty
| or as a war of Conquest; whether the prin-
| ciples of self government shall be
| strengthened or abandoned; whether this
nation shall remain homogeneous Re
| public or become a heterogeneous empire
these questions must be answered by the
| American people. When they speak. and
not until then will destiny be revealed
Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is
a matter of choice; it is not thing to be
waited for, it is thing to be achieved.
No one can see the end from the beginning,
but everyone can make his course an hon.
| orable one from beginning to end, by ad-
herring to the right under all circum
stances. Whether a man steal much or
little may depend upon his opportunities.
but whether he steal at all depends upon
his own volition.
80 with our nation. If we embark upon
a career of conquest no one can tell how
| many Islands we may be able to seize or
how many races We may be able TO subju-
gate; neither can anyone estimate the cost,
immediate and remote. to the nations
| purse and to the nations character. But
whether we shall enter upon such a ca
reer is a question which the people have
| right to decide for themselves.
Unexpected events may retard or ad-
vance the nations growth, but the ma
| tion's purpose determines its destiny.
What is the nations purpose? That pur
pose is set forth clearly and Enthusiastically
| in the first sentence of the Constitution:
We. the people Of the United States. in
| order to form more perfect union, estab-
| lish justice. ensure domestic tranquility,
| provide for the common defence, promote
| the general welfare. and secure the bless
| ings of liberty to ourselves and to our pos
| terity, do oriain and establish this COnsti
tuition for the United States of America
"It will be seen that one of the main
| purposes of the founders of our Govern
ment was to secure for themselves and for
| posterity the blessings of liberty.
That purpose has been faithfully fol-
| lowed up to this time. Our statesmen have
| opposed each other upon economic ques-
| tions, but they have agreed in defending
| self government as the controlling national
idea. They have quarreled among them
selves over tariff and finance but they
| have been united in their opposition to an
| entangling alliance with any European
| power.
Under this policy our nation has grown
| in numbers and in strength. Under this
policy its beneficent influence has encir
| cled the globe. Under this policy the tax
|
| the menace of large military establish
ment and the young men have been taught
| the arts of peace rather than the science
of war. On each returning Fourth of July
our people have met to celebrate the sign
| ing of the Declaration of independence:
| their hearts have renewed their VOWS to
| free institutions and their voices have
| praised the forefathers whose wisdom and
courage and patriotism made il possible for
| each succeeding generation to repeat the
| words: My country. 'tis of thee sweet land
of liberty. of thee | sing.
| This sentiment was well universal until
| year ago. II was to this sentiment that
the Cuban insurgents appealed it was this
| sentiment that impeled our people to enter
| into war with Spain. Have the people so
changed within few short months that
they are now willing to apologize for the
| War of the Revolution and force upon the
| Filipinos the same system of government
against which the colonists protested with
! fire and sword?
| The hour of temptation has come but
| temptations do not destroy. they merely
| test the strength of individuals and ma
| tions; they are stumbling blocks or step
ping stones; they lead to infamy or fame
according to the use made of them.
Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen serv-
| ed together in the Continental army and
both We're offered British gold. Arnold
| yielded to the temptation and made his
name synonym for treason Allen resist
ed and lives in the affection of his coun-
| trymen.
Our nation is tempted to depart from
| its standard of morality and adopt
policy of criminal aggression But will it
yield?
| "If | mistake not the sentiment nf tho