Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-19

OF, us all and the great Republic which
is alike our honor and our safety, and
our glory. (Applause.
h have had, as you know, the great
honor of having been sent by the Presi-
dent of the United States as one of the
commissioners to negotiate and con-
clude a treaty of peace with the King
dom of Spain, a treaty, which, if rati-
fled, will restore peece between those
two countries and go far towards max
ing secure the peace of the world, as
believe. We are now in crisis of
our national history, and your hearts
and mine, as patriotic citizens of this
great country, are full of anxiety as to
the proper settlement of the momentous
issues which have resulted from the
war with Spain. While we were at
war with Spain, wo were ready to
make, L know, every sacrifice to bring
victory and suceess to American arms,
and bring victory and honor to the
American flag. And now that We have
achieved all and more than we started
to do, | believe the patriotic instinct
of American citizenship demanded, as
your patriotic President enjoined upon
us, that we should exhibit niagnanim-
ity in the hour of victory and be mod
crate in the hour of success, as we had
faced the war with steadfastness and
courage. In the first place, / want to
say to you that it was my pleasure,
as well as what | conceive my duty,
to endeavor to carry out this instruc-
tion, SO creditable to us as nation
and SO worthy of the high civilization
of which we profess to be leaders. ]
crave for our nation to be q leader in
peace rather than o leader in war.
The acquisition of territory by the
United States was not the object OF
war, and we solemnly declared in the
resolutions of Congress that our only
object in demanding the relinquish
ment of the sovereignty of Cuba by
Spain, was not to hold ii ourselves, ex-
cept that we might pacify it and fit il
for self-government by its own people.
But in this, as in all else, MAN pro-
poses and God disposes, and it is one
of the things that make Thoughtful men
desire to avoid war where it can be
avoided, for no one can tell what its
consequences may be. | ardently de-
sired that we might escape the necess
ity of taking the Philippine Islands,
and assuming the burden that their
taking will impose upon, us, and / know
that the President of the United States
was equally anxious to the same end.
But it became apparent that without
our seeking, unexpected conditions
had been created, and out of those con
ditions, unquestionably, duties had
sprung which could not be avoided or
evaded by the United States.
Commodore Dewey had brought
Il L., 1.
ership and the encouragement of the
American fleet, the embers of the in
surrection which had nearly died out
were rekindled into a flame, and the
assistance of the insurgent forces was
gladly aVailed of by our commanders.
1t then came to be thought that in our
settlement with Spain, we could not
honorably leave the inhabitants OF
these islands to the merciless vengeance
of Spain, those allies of ours, and hand
over brave men, who had assisted our
fleets and armies in the hour of need,
to Spanish dungeons, or to the firing
line of Spanish execution. know
that that situation appealed to the
heart of your President, and that he
believed he was representing American
manhood and American character when
he said, as finally he did, that what
ever becomes of these islands and these
people,, it is not in our blood to hand
them back to Spain. Ii was feeling
of this kind, know. that animated
the government of Mr.. Mckinley in
coming to this important conclusion.
Recognizing the burden, appreciating
the responsibility, not ignoring the
perils that possibly confronted us, he
said, and know he felt, that whatever
else might be the fate of these islands
and of this people, he could not put
our country in the attitude of deserting
those whom no had placed in now
position of antaeonism to their rulers.
We would do our duty and leave the
consequences to the Supreme Ruler of
the Universe.
COULD NOT LEAVE THEM DERELIcT.
1t was argued that the performance
of duty is sometimes not only unpleas-
ant but has dangers attendant upon it
nevertheless, u brave man and q brave
nation will not shrink from it on that
account. On the other hand, il Alneri-
can sentiment did not Justify the re-
turn of these islands to Spain, no more
could it Justify leaving them deralict
in tho Eastern Ocean, the prey of the
first occupant and of European rapa,
city. The Powers of Europe would
acquiesce in our taking them, but they
would not stand by and see them iii
their helpless condition of anarchy
and disorder, without seizing tho op-
portunity to aggrandize themselves
and SO it was thought best by the
President and his advisers to take the
cession of their sovereignty from Spain,
and hold 1t in trust, to be administered
in conformity to those high ideals and
liberty loving traditions which ami
mate and glorify the history of our
country.
Duty cannot honorably be avoided
because it may bring pain or danger.
Nor can responsibility always be
evaded because of its burdens.
That sought in Paris by ali honor
able mems this responsibility, does
not matter now. 1t came to point at
last that we must either leave the is
lands to Spain, take them as we did,
or break OIL negotiations and come
home without treaty of peace. In the
last event, the truce would he broken,
and state of active war would have
been resumed. We would have had no
cession of the sovereignty of the Phil
ippines, and none of Porto Rico, and
no .relinquishment of the sovereignty
Of Cuba. II is true that in the proto-
col of August 18th Spain had definitely
promised that she would cede Porto
Rico and relinquish Cuba, but without
a treaty of pence that promise would
not be performed. What would then
have been the exigonce of the situation9
Undoubtedly, we would have been
strong hand, and by military power,
poep tSe Graner ng nnd fsser Antas shu
ing by ruthless conquest what it was