The Irish standard., 1899-09-16
"A COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. FL


The people of the United States at the
opening OF the twentieth century are
confronted by problem upon whose
solution the perpetuity of the republic
may depend Next year the question
will be submitted to them to decide al
the ballot box whether they will depart
from their traditions and undertake to
govern other people beyond the con-
fines Of this continent against their con-
sent and under a colonial system oil
government enforced by military sa-
traps 1t is only century and quar-
ter since the fathers OF this republic
grew FESTIVE under colonial system
which they overthrow after seven
years war. with a firm reliance on
the protection OF Divine Providence
they mutually pledged to each other
their lives, their fortunes and their sa-
cred honor and resolved to have either
liberty or death. Right prevailed
against might, and Great Britain "by a
long train Of abuses" lost the most pre-
cious gems in her diadem-the thirteen
American colonies. Having achieved
their independence and drawn up con-
stitution to establish justice, promote
the general welfare and secure the bless
ngs OF liberty to themselves and their
posterity, the republic they founded
started on grand career which is I'm
paralleled in the history of nations since
the dawn of time. The thirteen orig
inal states which fringed the Atlantic
with their two or three million people
appear small today when the flag OF the
free floats over forty-fve states and
seventy-five million people. The re-
public which was once British colony
OF discontinued settlers is now a power
lul and prosperous nation, the like OF
which the world never saw before.
What has made it so? The principles
of liberty upon which it rests, and which,
attracted the oppressed Of Europe to its
shores. Here we have, theoretically
at least, "a government OF the people,
by the people and for the people," and
the question is, Shall it perish from the
earth?
For some years back an oligarchy Of
wealth has been governing this coun-
try and "the general welfare OF the
people has not been promoted. /"
Though the balance OF trade in favor
OF this country is unprecedented at the
present time, the people are not pros
porous despite all talk to the contrary
by the plutocratic press. The classes
and not the masses are deriving the
benefit. Not content with fleeing the
people at home the organized money
bags who control the Mckinley ad-
ministration are bent on robbing a
weak race in the Orient which has been
fighting Spanish oppression for many
years. The representative OF the money
power who occupies the presidential
chair is making war of determination
upon the Filipinos to establish a colo
NAL government in their archipelago.
How will this new departure affect the
American republic? The history of the
republics of the past goes to show that
it will eventually disgrace it. The fol-
lowing facts will bear us out in our as
sertion.
The classics have brought to us ora
tons. Cicero pleaded the cause OF
Sicily against the Pretor Verres, who,
in his government of that people, had
inaugurated systems of robbery and
tyranny compared to which their for
mer estate was infinitely preferable.
Tacitus stood in the Roman senate and
i'll fearful philippics assaulted the op-
pressors of Africa, who had gone thither
to give people already free Roman
liberty. Rome was the oppressor, not
the deliverer, to every colony she ac-
quired.
Spain, in her greed for colonial pos
session. sent Cortez to Mexico, osten-
t sibly to give freedom, enlightenment
and Christianity to semi-civilized peo.
pie. He murdered and destroyed, pill.
LACED and enslaved Pizarro went tc
Peru, the most amiable, prosperous and
contented people on the earth in that
age. He committed every crime known
to the calendar, and in the name of the