The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-25
WHAT is TREASON p?

y MERICANS have profound respect 1or their
| \ Government as created and supported by the1n
This generates in the feeling that il the prin-
cipes OF the constitution enforced the Govern
compes respect for the popular rights which are
secured by law
The anti-imperialiSt sentiment OF the country has
its origin in this regard of the people for the prn
ciples OF their Government and their fear that those
principles may sustain deathly shock by the exer
else OF powers beyond continental borders which
the constitution does permit to the Government
within those borders
When major general in the United States army
said last January that it makes difference If i'm
periaism is violation of the constitution, for the
republic has outgrown that instrument and it is no
longer worth discussing, he not rebuked by the
Government, nor his destructive utterance dis
avowed by imperalists Others, prominent in civil
life, have entered upon a regular campaign, as they
declare to teach the people the absurdity OF the
Declaration of independence and the nonsense of the
statement therein that Governments derive their just
powers from the consent OF the governed
The course followed these two lines has seemed
to large number of thoughtful people as leading to
the destruction OF our institutions.
The effect OF the policy it is intended to justify has
developed quite rapidly. Within ten day an imperial
ist organ in this city has declared that must pro-
coed without mercy the subduing of the rebellion
of our subjects" in the Philippines and the term
Subjects OF this country in the same connection has
appeared twice since in dispatches in which the
matter has been discussed
There men and patriots in the country who be-
lieve that subjects" and Citizens cannot long exist
under a Government which derives all of its powers,
and all of its sovereignty and all OF its jurisdiction
from the constitution They believe that the tendency
OF events will be to make all under that sover-
eighty Subjects Filpinos Citizens" and they re-
gard either as disastrous to our institutions
In order to discredit these sentiments which year
ago universally held by the American people, it
has become necessary stamp them treason to the
Government, and this is being done by charging the
ant-mperiaists with sending dispatches to troops in
the Philippines advising against their re-enlistment in
the hard service in which they have borne themselves
CALAMITY for the last two months It sprobabytr
that parents of volunteers whose enlistment has ex
pired have exhorted them to come home but it is
probably untrue that other parties, not in the pa
rental relation to volunteers moved by domestic
affection, have used the cable the mail for any such
purpose The last form of the story that cablegrams
have been sent signed committee is still less prob
able for any one with intelligence and resources
enough to send lengthy cablegrams knows that the
cable to the Philippines is in possession of our mill
reach the men in the camps or the field The state
has been propagated that these dispatches have
changed the spirit OF the volunteers and that they
longer desire to re-enlis and at the time it
declared that the dispatches seized and held by
the military authorities The two statements are in
consistent and destroy each other.
The censorship at Manila is unleakably strict and
public nothing passes that is not agree
able to the military censor
AS far developed, the anti-imperial sentiment in
this country is unaffected by war peace in the Phil
ippines The complete pacifcation OF the islands
morrow would in way change it. 1t is a sentiment
held from the point OF view OF welfare at home
and arises in a desire for the perpeuty OF our free
institutions and the peaceful development OF our re-
sources by a free people.
In its essence this sentiment is not partisan. Il
has sympathy with Mr. Bryan's labored effort to
make politics out OF it With Senator Morgan the
Democratic leader OF the Senate advocating expan-
sion, standing for the killing OF all the Samoans and
Filpinos as necessary precedent to the introduction
of civilization, and Senator Hoar, the Repubica
leader OF the Senate opposing expansion imperialism
and slaughter, and supported by Republicans like
Governor Boutwell,, ex-Attorney General Pisbury.
John Sherman, Senator Mason, William E. Dodge
and the President OF the United States who has de-
nounced conquest criminal aggression" the issue
is not partisan and anti-mperalists do not need to
resort to unsigned kilograms or covert devices II
committees" have been sending costly cablegrams to
be pocketed by General Otis it is far more likely that
they are composed of men who are out for annexation
by conquest and criminal aggression and war for what
there is in it for them.