Washington sentinel., 1899-07-22
oues,ion OF National Honor.

| nODlCl 1lllls (OulllAOOOiN ~ NN' "a
at banquet at Norfolk, in 1916
gave his famous toast: sou
countryl in her intercourse will
foreign nations may she always b'
in the RIGHT; but our country .igh
or wrong" Then the soldier
spoke. Hon. Carl Schurz, in thC
United States Senate, in 1872
said: Our country right or wrong
When right, to be kept right
w len wrong to be put right!
Then the statesman spoke.
Some men never see the truth IN
its highest form. Their mIscalled
practical wisdom is too short
sighted to discover it, 1t lies just
beyond the contracted circle OF
their vision.
Judging from articles, editorial
and otherwise, in the daily press
one would infer that there are
many people in the United States
who view the acquisition of the
Philippines as parallel in political
significance to the acquisition Of
Louisiana. No half truth could
be farther from the whole truth,
The taking OF that vacant domain
in the temperate zone represented
genuine American expansion, be-
cause American citizens could
make homes there, rear families,
and develop the same sturdy
civilization, based on equality OF
rights, that existed in the Older
States. But our American citi-
zens-Our white race-cannot
make pe-nanent homes as far
down in 'Na r------ - the ....r
pine Islands, already thicklY pop
ulated with an acclimated race,
nor have our imperialistic politi-
clans any intention OF giving the
Filipinos the full and equal rights
OF other American citizens.
In other words, we Americans
will not concede to the Filipinos
the rights that pertain to American
independence, nor will permit
them to have their own independ-
ence; which, being further trans
lated into plain words, means the
Philip inc Islands are to be neither
States nor Territories, but colonial
dependencies, governed, in def
ance of our own Constitution. by
a military sairsp at the will Of an
alien power. Evidently this is not
the extension Of Americanism, but
the adoption OF a new policy for
eign to every principle ol Ameri-
canism. Expansion means the
enlarging of the same thing, not
the taking on Of different thing.
No one but a blind man ought to
have any difficulty n distinguish
ing between the expansion OF JEFF
ferson and the imperialism Of Nc
KinleY. One was the natural evo-
lutte nary growing OF the republic.
The other is foreign fungus that,
If not removed, will sap the lite OF
the republic.
Our diplomatic difficulties in
connection with the Philippines
we're largely Of our own creation.
Had our Administration not
yielded to the greed OF conquest,
had it only acknowledged the right
OF the FIlipinos to ultimate indie
pen5ence. the complexity Of the
situation would have resolved it.
self into comparative simplicity
The course OF wisdom was to be
found in the course OF simple hon
esty, and that was the independ.
ence OF the Filipino Republic
under friendly American protec
ton. Their government, already
in existence, could soon have beer
made, with our assistance, stable
and effective. Indeed, considering
the environments, the islands were
singularlV free from disorder, anc
Aguinaldo was hailed as a popular
hero-save by Spanish and Amer
lean sympathizers-and would, NJ
doubt, have furnished in his owl
person that individual preeminenct
Of some one man that seems 81
necessary in every movement t
build up a popular government oi
the ruins OF a despotsm. A ire
government evolved by the intel
ligent native classes out of loca
conditions and suited to loca
needs, would ensure more of lif
and vigor to the native races (ii ths
be our pious objec) than an
domination we can impose o
them. There is deep wisdom i
the statement OF Macintosh tina
, Governments are not made; the
! grow" From that truth spring
= the whole philosophy of local Sc
. government.
: Our imperialistic apologists mu
: seek some justification before th