Warren sheaf., 1899-06-15
IS OUR COUNTRY RIGHT?

Commencement Grafton by Edward H. Ben
newitz, June 2, 1899.)
The birth of the American Repub-
lie was a protest against despotism.
1t was proclamation to the world,
that all men are created equal. It
was a declaration, that the tyranny
of kings and queens over the minds
and hearts Of men is wrong. It was
the beginning of that great march,
the end of which shall be free institu-
tions throughout the world.
On account of these principles the
United States declared war against
Spain. The Puritan Fathers, before
they landed on Plymouth Rock,
formed on the deck of the Mayfower
single compact of government.
Their sons broke the chains of slav-
cry and now they vindicate the prin-
ciple of human equality before the
world.
Now as the outcome of this policy
we have a conquered people on our
hands. What shall we do? Shall
we return them to Spain or give them
into the hands of some other country,
or shall we hold them in some way?
It will never do to return them.
Have we not seen the cruelty of
Spain? Take any territory she has
had under her rule. Is it not the
most pitiful story of wrong, of out
rage and of murder in all the annals
OF time? We cannot give these lands
and these peoples into the numbering
hand of Spain. Nor can we turn
them over to some other nation. If
any nation can handle them properly,
the United States is the one. Can
these people govern themselves, if
allowed to form republics under the
protection of the United States?
We have been told, that to extend
our possessions, would be tending to-
wards "imperialism," and this would
be dangerous to our form of govern
ment. The extension of free institu-
tions, surely, is new form Of i'm
perialism Were not the same rea-
sons presented at the time of the
Louisiana purchase in 1903 and when
we bought Florida in 1919? When
Texas was admitted, the pessimists
were certain that the doom of the
republic had been sounded. When
California was admitted, many
thought that so much unwieldy terri
tory would fall to pieces. The same
cry was heard when Alaska was pur-
chased in 1867. The croakers, like
the poor, we always have with us.
Has any of this country fallen to
pieces? On the contrary we are con-
graduating ourselves for having such
a splendid domain.
Anti-expansionists talk of distanc-
es. Why, in 1848, San Francisco
was farther from Chicago than
Manila is today. Steam and elec-
tricity are annihilating space and
time. This is the evening of the
nineteenth century and the dawn of
the twentieth is beginning to streak
the sky. Our forefathers, who laid
the foundation of this republic, peer
ing into the future, little dreamed
what a century would bring forth.
They knew nothing of the railroad,
the telegraph, the steamship and the
modern battleship. Should we not
with this civilization and advance
ment make use of our good fortune?
Now as to our constitutional power.
Judge Taney says: "There is GER
tainly no power given by the consti-
tuition to the federal government to
establish or maintain colonies border
ing on the United States or at dis
tance, to be ruled and governed at it's
own pleasure; nor to enlarge it's
territorial limits in any way except by
the admission of new states" It is
true that heretofore our policy has
been to develop territory before we
admitted it as a state. But this has
been policy, not constitutional
necessity. And to receive new terri
tory, in any form whatever, would
not be violation of the constitution.
Some people say that the expan-
sionists have a solid reason for what
they are trying to accomplish but it
is bad one. They are after vulgar
gain. They want the territory for
the money there is in them. They
want to increase the amount of poll
4;oo1 ,>o%ronooo o,,l l., .xx..1l IL =