Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-02-27

to determine what is best to do, and
the best thing to do is often times the
hardest. The prophet Of evil would
do nothing because he finches at sac
rifice and effort, and to do nothing is
easiest and involves the least cost. On
those who have things to do there
rests a responsibility which is not on
those who have no obligations as
doers. If the doubters were in ma
jority, there would, it is true, be no
labor, no sacrifice, no anxiety, and no
burden raised or carried; no contribu-
ton from our ease and purse and
comfort to the welfare of. others, or
even to the extension of our resour-
ces to the welfare of ourselves. There
would be ease, but alas! there would
be nothing done. But grave problems
come in the life of nation, however
much men may seek to avoid them.
They come without our seeking, why,
we do not know, and it is not always
given us to know; but the generation
on which they are forced cannot avoid
the responsibility of honestly striving
for their solution. We may not know
precisely how to solve them, but we
can make an honest effort to that end,
and if made in conscience, justice, and
honor it will not be in vain.
The future of the Philippine islands
is now in the hands of the American
people. Until the treaty was ratified
or rejected, the executive department.
of this government could only pre-
serve the peace and protect life and
property. That treaty now commits
the free and enfranchised Filipinos to
the guiding hand and the iberalizing
Influences, the generous sympathies,
the uplifting education, not of Amer
lean masters, but of their American
emancipators. No one can tell to-
day what is best for them or for us. I
know no one at this hour who is wise
enough or sufficiently informed to de-
termine what form of government Will
best subserve their interest, their and
our we'll being. This whole subject is
now with congress, and congress IS
the voice, the conscience can we not
rely? believe iu them, trust them.
I know of no better or safer human
tribunal than the people. No imperial
designs turks in the American mind.
they are alien to American sentiment,
thought and purpose. Our priceless
principles undergo no change under a
tropical sun. They go with the flag.
have no light or knowledge not
common to my countrymen. l do not
prophesy. The present is all absorb
ing to me, but cannot bound my vi
sion by the blood stained trenches
around Manila, where every red drop
whether from the veins of an Amerl-
can soldier or misguided Filipino, is
anguish to my heart; but by the broad
range of future years, when that
group of islands, under the impulse
of the year just past, shall have be-
come the gems and glories of those
tropical seas; land Of plenty and OF
increasing possibilities; people re-
deemed from savage Incidence and
habits, devoted to the arts of peace.
in touch with the commerce and trade
of all nations, enjoying the blessings
of freedom, of civil and religious lib
erty, of education and of homes, and
whose children and children's chill
dren shall for ages hence bless the
American republic because it eman-
cipated and redeemed their father
land and set them in the pathway Of
the worlds best civilization.