The Irish standard., 1899-03-25

people OF the Philippines the right to
choose their own government and lead
them by force, to the music OF Calling
guns and the rafting of musketry, to a
higher and better civilization.
Sir, I know but one parallel to this
Christian philanthropy, and that is to be
found in the works of Charles Dickens,
when an eminent divine placed his &C.
clesiastical hand upon vagrant, called
Poor Joe, and said to him: young
man, come with me, and l will do you
good Let me alone" said Joe. Take
your hands off my shoulder" In solemn
and sepulchral tones, equal to those Of
my friend the senator from Montana
the Rev. Mr.. Chadband replied: young
man, will not take my hands from
your shoulder. I am a toiler and a
moier, and intend to do you good in
spite of yourself"
So now His Excellency puts his hands
upon the Filipinos, and when they say
Islands off Let us alone; let us follow
your declaration of independence and
govern ourselves as we please" he says,
"No, Filipino; am toiler and a
moiler, and l intend to lead you to a
higher and better civilization in spite
of yourself" if it takes 100000 mission
aries with guns in their hands to carry
out that divine and ecclesiastical inten-
ton.
Under .he constitution OF the United
States the power is given to congress to
make war and to furnish supplies 10 the
army. 1t becomes my duty as member
OF the senate, Notwithstanding the treaty
has been approved, to exercise my judg-
ment under my oath as to whether |
will vote supplies and men to carry on a
war which | believe to be unconstitu-
tional, unChristian, in violation OF the
legends and traditions of this republic,
and an outrage upon humanity and upon
the cause OF personal and religious lib
erty throughout the world.
l beg pardon, or | ought to have to
beg pardon, for mentioning the consti-
tuition. 1t is an effete instrument 1t
has been reegated to the lumber room,
not to be brought out except on rare
occasions, in celebrating the Fourth OF
July or the ed of February. General
Merritt, one Of the heroes of the war, a
Encouragement in the United States
army, is reported to have said at the
New England banquet that the consttu
ton OF the United States had been out
grown by this country and there was no
longer any use to mention it.
General Shafter, another hero of the
war is reported to have said at another
banquet that he would kill half the popu-
lation of the Philippines in order to re-
duce the other half to subsection. l will
not believe for an instant that soldier
meant by this that he would destroy
100000 men, women and children, but
| take it that he meant that lie would
shoot down one-haf the transferring
population Of the Philippines in order
to make the other half subscrvient to
the will Of the government of the United
States.
have no doubt that every man who
dares to vote against supplies to carry
on the legitimate and logical results Of
the approval of this treaty, will be
branded with treason The senator from
Montana was kind enough to warn us
the other day, when we opposed the
treaty, that we were perilously near the
verge of treason. Mr.. President, l had
brought myself to the beatifc con-
dit!on of hoping that treason and the
bloody shirt would no more be heard OF
III this chamber
After Wheeler had led Confederate
and Union veterans side by side up that
b cody hill at Santiago; after Fitzhugh
Lee and Butler and Oates of Alabama.
lad put on the federal uniform and
we're marching under the United States
fig; after our president had won the
Confederate button in the South and
piously devoted himself to the care of
Confederate cemeteries, supposed that
rI's bloody shirt had become a thing OF
the past. But we must have it again, it
seems, and all those who dare to think
t''at this war in the Philippines is not
Justified and that it will involve the loss
OF thousands OF precious lives unneces-
sariy. that it will be charge upon the
people OF this country and upon Our
children after us, the extent OF which no
man dares to compute, will be called dis
loyal to the country and ready again to
precipitate it into civil war.
So be it, Mr.. President. If this sort
OF accusations is pleasant to the men who
Ir;s:As it. let them indulge themselves in
the luxury. For myself I dispose of it
with the single assertion that the man
who says in this chamber or out OF it
that I am not as much devoted as he TO
the honor and welfare Of this country
utters a willful and deliberate falsehood.
If stated, it is SANDER; if written, it is
libel. I am not actuated by any senti-
mental sympathy for the people of this
archipelago.
would not give the life OF one Amer.
lean boy for any matter of sentiment in