The National tribune., 1899-10-19
WE HAVE EXPANDED,

| Ex-Secretary Days letter to Hon. D. K
Watson shows how wearisomely futile is al
this clamorous drivel against Expansion
There is absolutely no such a question be
fore the American people as to whether W,
shall or shall not expand. That We:
settled for all time when the Treatyof Peace
was signed We then acquired the Philip
pine Islands and Porto Rico by purchase
precisely as We acquired the Louisiana
Territory, Florida, California, New Mexico
and Alaska. One is just as much az
integral and inseparable part of our terri
tory as the other. The incidents of the
transfer We're Identical in character with
those by which We acquired California and
New Mexico. In both instances We had our
enemy prostrate and could dictate what
terms we pleased. Instead, we acted mag
unanimously, and by the Treaty of Paris
paid Spain S20,O00,oOo for the cession of
her sovereignty over the Philippines, justas
by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo We
paid Mexico SIS, 900, 900 for the cession of
her sovereignty over California and New
Me lico. In both cases the territory was
really lost to the former possessors, and
never could have been recovered, but we
paid large sums for the legal title. There
is no doubt that Mexico made good bar
gain in selling us California and New
Mexico for S15.000,O0O, and we made a
h,-, in, hot r,rioo Tho
money was very welcome to the depleted
Mexican treasury, and by no probable turn
of affairs could Mexico have realized any
thing like that sum from the country. We
got territory that We have made a thousand
times more valuable than it ever could have
been to Mexico.
Precisely the same statement is appli
cable to the Philippines. If Dewey, after his
victory, had sailed away, Spain never could
have recovered possession of the Philip
pines. The turbulence, spoliation and
murder which would have reigned would
have demanded that some stronger hand
than Spain's intervene in the interests of
humanity and civilization. England,
Germany, Russia or Japan would have
attempted this, and would have fought
Aguinaldo as We are doing, only the situ-
alton would have been intensely aggravated
by the influence of jealous rivals.
We have made the Philippines part of the
United States, and are endeavoring TO sup
press turbulent and predatory tribe in
that section Of our country-just as we
fought the Seminoles in Georgia and
Florida, the Cherokees and Creeks in Ala
bama and Mississippi, the Comanches and
Apaches in Texas and New Mexico, the
Modocs and Klamaths in California and
Oregon, the Sioux in Dakota, and so on.
There can be no doubt that in the very
near future the Philippines will be as yalil-
able and necessary parts of the United
States as California and Oregon and
Florida are today. The establishment of
peace will be followed by rush of Ameri-
cans to develop the unsurpassed riches of
the islands. All that they need to become
a garden spot of the world is an influx of
American business capacity and energy.
Within few years Americans will more
than duplicate there the marvellous per-
of the Dutch of Java, where in
three-quartcrs of a century people Of tho
same blood as the Filipinos have been
raised from murderous, rapacious barbarism
to high degree of civilization, the popula-
ton sextupled, and the island covered with
farms, school-houses, churches, comfort
able homes and good roads. The man who
denies the possibility and probability of
this. simply ISLANDERS his countrymen by
attributing TO them less capacity, honesty,
and humanity than the Dutch. He belongs
to that despicable class which is perpetually
his own people, and compar-
ing them disadvantageously TO Europeans.
And the man who gives Aguinaldo aid
and comfort is a traitor, upon whose head
must be the blood of every American killed
in mostrighteous war to bring civilization
to part Of the earth cursed by barbarism.