Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-06-01
MEMORIAL DAY AT kEESEVlLLE.
Address by FS-Msyor II. s. Peck of Bur
linElon ON Issues of the Dnx.

! Keesevillc, New York, May 3l-Beau-
mont Post. q. A. r.. kept Memorial
/ Day by appropriate exercises held in tho
Congregational church. Lieut. II. NJ. Mould
commander presided and the address was
given by Hon. Hamilton S. Peck, of Bur-
linSton, Vt
/ In his opening remarks Mr. Peck spoke
/ feelinsly OF the need of keeping up the OBJ
! scrvancc Of this day. and of the real mcan-
ing of the victories Of the war of 1861. say
ing that they gave new meaning to the re-
public and expanded the national idea and
proved the value and strength OF popular
government.
/ He then gave an address on the republic,
and its mission He said the republic
came into being as the result of the con-
viction, that all governments should OBJ
| tain their right to rule from the consent
Of the people. that government was an
agency for mans good; that the right of
seli-goNernment was the basis of liberty.
/ The speaker referred to the fact that our
forefathers in dividing the powers of tho
government into the three classes of the
executive. judicial and Legislative, secured
to the people a stable government, and
protected them IN their individual liberty.
The tWo main principles on which the re-
public was founded were tho sovereignty
of the people. and the nicely adjusted re-
lations between the powers of the govern
mcnt and the rights of the people
The speaker rap.dlY sketched the growth
| OF the republic, from the colonial days,
and said that territorial growth had all
ways been our policy as n nation. refer
ring to the acquisition OF Louisiana, ore
gon, California, Alaska, ana then to the
islands that have come to us as the re-
suit of the Spanish war, increasing our
area. in the whole four fold
Eut the growth in Intelligence, and in
patriotism and in the things that affect
the individual was the most satisfactory.
The speaker said that growth meant tho
same thing as expansion. in national af-
fairs as We'll as In other matters, and that
its use need not alarm any one. The mis-
sion of the republic is the mission OF
mankind. We learn our duty today from
our past history. In carrying on the war
with Spain we had right to attack her
fleet whoever we could find it, Dewey
found part of 1t at Manila and destroyed
1t. The Spanlsh-Cuban war had destroyed
our commercial relations with Cuba, AMI
had. as the President declared, become
menace to the United States.
The Cubans asked us to help them in
their struggle for Independence Their
appeal touched the bell Of human liberty
i'll the United States. These islands have
come TO US under a treaty with Spain and
they are our property, as much so, as our
forts and arsen1ls. The people of these
islands have 10 rights under our coslsti-
tuition; they aSn subject 20 the acts of
are subject TO military rule. The consti-
tuition gives Congress tho power to make
rules and regulations respecting the teri
tory and other property of the United
States.
Having these Islands on our hands. the
practical question Is what shall we DO
with them? If we left the Philippines to
themselves other nations not Vcsy friendly
To Us would step in and take them and
shut tho eastern door against us. This we
cannot afford as "A nation to permit. The
only thing for US to do Seems to BE- to
stay there, and in some way get estab-
lished some system of local government
unde~ our supervision, The speaker de-
clarcd against giving Thorn statehood
rights. We have taken on international
responsibilities and we can not now back
out. eithet with justice to those people or
credit to ourselves.
The nations life Is charging, its inter-
ests are multiplying. The nation has TAX
ken new departure but Il is not going to
ruin. 1t is strong enough to take care
of itself, to attend to it's own domestic af-