New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-26

NJ these new possessions remains so frowning thee
are faint hearts ready enough to say that the
| Peace Commission IL In position to be receiving
| condiments Does protection protect? Is an OLD
question that used to be thrown In our races
! though believe even the questloners hnaHy Haue
up their minds that II did Does peace paclfy! IL
the question OF the hour. Well as to our great
antagonist historic courageous Spain there seems
ground to hope and believe and be glad that u does
| not merely toward us. but within her own por-
dcrs When she jettsoned cargo that had already
shifted ruinously, there Is reason 10 think that
! she averted disaster and saved the ship Then as
! 10 Porto Rico there Is no doubt Of peace and a.
| 10 cuba very llttc,-although It would be too much
| 10 hope that twelve years OF civil war could be
! followed by absolute calm, without disorders.
As to other possessions I'm the farther East. We
may as well recognize ut once that we are dealing
now with the same sort Of clever barbarians as In
the earlier days Of the Republic. when, on another
ocean not then less distant. we were compelled TO
| encounter the Algerian pirates. But there Is TINS
J difference Then merely chastised the Aigerians
| into letting ~ and our commerce alone. The per-
manent policing Of that coast OF the Mediterranean
was not imposed upon MS. by surrounding circum-
stances or by any act Of ours.--t belonged to
nearer nations Now Il war made has broken
down the only authority that existed 10 pro-
tcct the commerce OF the world I'm one or lts
greatest Eastern thoroughfares and to preserve
the livos and property Of people OF all nations re-
sorting To those marts. We broke IT down. and
we cannot dare not display the cowardlce and
sclhshness Of failing to replace II. However men
may differ az future policy In those regions,
| there can he difference as 10 our present duty
| II is as plain that Of putting down riot In
| Chicago or New ork-all the palmer because we
have until recently ourselves been taking the very
course and doing the very things to encourage the
rioters.
WHY TAKE SOVEREIGNTY IN THE
PHILIPPINES?
A distinguished and patriotic citizen said to me
| the other day In Western city, You might nave
avoided this trouble In the Senate by refusing title
| IN the Philippines exactly as in Cuba and simply
| enforcing ronunciation of Spanish sovereignty.
| WHY didn't YOU do ~" The question s important
| and the reason ought to be understood. But at
the outset It should he clearly realized that the cir
cumstances which made 1t possible to take that
course as to Cuba altogether exceptional
For three-quarters of a century we had asserted
special interest and right OF interference there as
| against any other nation. 1t is directly on our
| coast and no one doubted that at least much
order In the past would be preserved there even
| II we had to do It ourselves. There was also the
positive action Of Congress- which on the one hand
| gave us FOR refusing sovereignty our high
! est legislative authority had disclaimed and on the
other formally cast the shield Of our responsibility
| over the island when left without government or
| a sovereignty. Besides there was a people there
| advanced enough sufficiently compact and homo
| geneous In religion. race and language sufficiently
| used already to the methods OF government 10
! warrant our Republican claim that the sovereignty
was not being left in the ar;-that 1t only left
| where in the last analysis and In civilized COM
munity IT must always reside, in the people them
| selves
And yet. under all these conditions. the most
| difficult task your Peace Commissioners had
| at Paris was TO maintain and defend the demand
for a rcnunclation Of sovereignty without anybodys
acceptance OF the sovereignty thus renowned. In
ternational law has been so taught or practsed
| abroad; and it may be frankly confessed that the
| Spanish arguments this point were learned.
acute sustained by the general judgment OF Europe.
and easy 70 refute.
| 4 similar demand concerning the Philippines
neither could ought to have been acquiesced In
| by the civilized world Here were ten millions Of
people on a great highway OF commerce. some semi
| civilized some brrbarous. Others mere pagan saw
| axes. but nothing Ike a majority or even q re-
spectacle minority Of them accustomed TO self
government believed to be capable Of II. Soyer-
eighty over such a congomeraton and in such
! world would not recognize It's transfer, nhies unless
| transferred 10 somebody Remuneration under such
| ternational law TO abandonment, and that would
| have been equivalent to anarchy and a race Tor
| seizure among the nations that could get there
We could. Of course. have refused to accept the
obligations OF a civilized. responsible nation After
| breaking down government in those commercial
in lis stead and simply washed our hands Of the
whole business; but to do that would have been 10
! than II we had restored them outright 10 Spain
HOW To DEAL WITH THE PHILIPPINES.
| Well II the elephant must be on hands.
| what are we going TO do with III That Is the next
| question. | venture to answer that first W. must
| put down the riot. The lives and property OF Ger
| man and British merchants must be at least as
safe in Manila they under Spanish rule
| before ready for any other step whatever.
| Next ought we not to try diagnose our case
| before turn every quack doctor among us loose
| on it;-understand what the problem IS, before be-
ginning heated partisan discussions "a to the
easiest way Of solving it? And next. we will prob
| ably fare best I'm the end If try 70 profit Some
| what by the experience others nave had IN IKE
nation whose people and institutions are nearest
like our own. Illustrations of her successful meth
DDS may be found in Egypt and In many lritish
dependencies but FOR cur purposes Prooaoy pe ne
north coast Of BOrneO. where she has had the
happest results in dealing with intractabe types OF
the worst Of these same races Some rules. drawn
from this experience might be distastefu people.
who look upon now possessions as merely SO much
TO the noble army Of Office seekers but they surely
The first is 20 NEEDLE at the outset as little as
possible with every native custom and institution
and prejudice. The next is TO use every exist
ing native agency you can. and the next 10 employ
In the Government service Just as few Americans ans
as you can ana only OF the best ronVnre inc
cxorabe purpose; then Of your desire to be abso-
as you cah At the outset you will doubtless find
your best agents among the trained officers OF the
Navy and the Army, particularly the FORMER. On
the retired list Of both but again particularly Of
the Navy. ought to be found just the experience. In
contact with foreign races the moderation, wide
views. Justice. rigid method and inhexible integrity
you need. Later on should come real civil ser
vice with such pure and efficient administration
abroad might help us ultimately to conclude
that ourselves deserve as well "a the heather,
and induce rs to set up similar standards for our
service at home. Meantime. If we have taught
the heather largely to govern themselves. without
being a hindrance and menace to the civilization
ami the commerce Of the world. so much the bet
ter. Heavel speed the day. II not must
| continue 70 be responsible for them ourseves-a
duty dd not seek but should be ashamed to
shrk
WHAT GOVERNOR BUSHNELL SAID.