The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-13
MCKINLEY DOUBTS NOT
SPEAKS ON NEW POSSESSIONS
AT MINNEAPOLIS.
PORTO RICO, HAWAII, THE PHILIPPINES
He Says the Philippines VIII be Retained
Under the Benign Sovereignty of the
United States" Greets Re-
turning Volunteers.

Mlnneap0llS, MIMI, Oct. lZ.-PreSl-
dent Mckinley and party arrived in this
city at II o'clock today. Carriages in
net to the home of Mr.. Thomas Lowry.
Here a light luncheon was served.
Meanwhile, the train bearing home the
Thirteenth Minnesota volunteers from
the Philippines arrived and was greeted
with tremendous cheering. The regi-
ment formed in line at the head of
Nicolet Avenue. Carriages bearing
President Mckinley and his Cabinet,
drew up and took their positions at the
head of the column.
The procession moved shortly after l
o'clock, passing down Nicolet Avenue
to the centre of the city. At Tenth
street, the President entered the review
ing stand, the Philippine veterans pass
ed before him.
As the rear guard passed the review
ing stand the President entered his car
riage and drove by shorter route to
the exposition building. Here the prin-
cipal events of the day took place. With
in the building, in which the Republican
convention of 1892 nominated Benjamin
Harrison for President of the United
States, under the chairmanship of VIII
liam Mckinley, was spread feast for
the Thirteenth Minnesota volunteers.
At the conclusion of the banquet,
President Mckinley was introduced by
President Cyrus Northrup, of the Uni
versity of Minnesota. He said in part:
Il nave come from the Capital of the
Nation that | might give the Nations
welcome to a regiment of the Nations
defenders. l have come to speak the
voice of love and gratitude which comes
from every American heart today that
loves the fag. / have come to bid you
welcome because you did your duty, and
that is the highest tribute that can be
paid to any soldier anywhere, and /
do not think the members of this regi-
ment, or the regiments constituting the
Eighth army corps in the Philippines
realize the Importance and heroism of
their action after the treaty of peace
was signed and ratified.
Il sometimes think we do not realize
what we have and the mighty trust we
have committed to our keeping The
study of geography and history have now
more than a passing interest to the
American people. 1t is worth reading
that when the Federal Union was form
ed we had 909,7 ,765 square miles of terri
tory, and in less than one hundred years
we have grown to 3,S45,515 square
miles,
President Mckinley then recounted the
acquisitions to the Union of the different
sections of the country, beginning with
fha
to the absorption of Hawaii.
Continuing, he said:
I'm the last year we. have added to
the territory of the United States the
territory of the Hawaiian Islands, one of
the gems of the Pacific ocean, contain
ing 6,424 square miles; Porto Rico, con-
tanning 5000 square miles; Guam, con-
tanning 90 square miles, and the Philip
pine archipelago, embracing approXi-
mately 143,000 square miles. This latest
acquisition is about one-sixth the size
of the original 13 States. 1t is larger
than the combined area of New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia., Nolth
Carolina, South Carolina and the Dis
trict of Columbia. 1t exceeds in area all
of the New England States. 1t is al.
most as large as Washington and Ore
gon combined, and greater than Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois united. Three
times larger than New York and three
and one-half times larger than the State
of Ohio.
''The treaty of peace with Spain which
gave us the Philippines, Porto Rico and
Guam, met with some opposition in
the Senate, but was ratified by that
body by more than a two-thirds vote,
while in the House the appropriation of
twenty million dollars was made with
little or no opposition. As in the case
of the Louisiana purchase and Alaska,
the opponents of the treaty were in the
and the star of hope to an OPP
pressed people was not extinguished. The
future of these new possessions is in the
keeping of Congress, and Congress is
the servant of the people. That they
will be retained under the benign SOW
ereignty of the United States / do not
permit myself to doubt. That they will
prove a rich and invaluable heritage,
feel assured. That Congress will pro-
vide for them a government which will |
bring them blessings, which will promote
their material interests, as well as adj |
vance the people in the path of civiliza-
ton and intelligence, | confidently be- |
lieve. They will not be governed as vas
sails or serfs or slaves-they will be given
a government of liberty, regulated by |
law, honestly administered without op-!