The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-17

where it now floats. the symbol and as
suranoe of liberty and justice.
What nation was ever able TO write an
accurate programme of the war upon
which IL was enteripg, much less decree
in advance the scope of its resultsf Con
grsss can declare war. but a higher pow.
er DEGREES Its bounds and DIES Its rela-
lions and responsibilities. The President
cln direct the movements OF soldiers ON
the field and fleets upon the sea. but he
cannot foresee the close OF such move
ments or prescribe their limits. He can
n II anticipate or avoid the consequence,
but he must meet them. No accurate
map Of nations engaged In war can be
traced until the war is over, nor can the
measure Of responsibility be fxed till the
last gun is fired and the verdict embodied
Ia the stipulations of peace.
I We hear no complaint OF the relations
created by the war between this govern.
ment and tho islands of Cuba ana Porto
Rico. There are some, however, who re-
gard the Philippines as In different re-
iation; but whatever variety of views
there may be on this phase of the CUES
ton, there is universal agreement that the
Philippines shall not be turned back to
Spain. No true American consents to
that Even IL unwilling to accept them
ourselves. it would have been weak
evasion of manly duty to require
Spain to transfer them to some other
power or powers and thus shirk our
own responsibility. Even II we had had,
as we did not have, the power to compel
such transfer. 1t could not have been
made without the most serious intsrna-
tional Implications. Such u course could
not be thought of and yet, had we refused
to accept the cession of them. we should
have had no power over them, even for
their own good.
We could not discharge the response
bilities upon US until these islands be-
came ours either by conquest or treaty.
There was but one alternative, and that
was either spain or the United states In
the Philippines. The other suggestions
First, that they should De tossed INTO
the arena of contention for the strife of
nations; or, second, be left to the an
archy and chaos of no proteotorate at all
were too sha meful to be considered.
The treaty gave them to the United
States Could we have required less and
done our duty? Could We. after freeing
the Filipinos from the domination OF
Spain, left them without government
and without power to protect life OF prop
erty or to perform the international opn.
cations essenti TO an independent statef
Could We have left them in state OF
anarchy and justified ourselves In our
own consciences or before the tribunal Of
the sight of God or manS
Our concern was not for territory OF
trade or empire, but for the people whose
Interests and destiny. without our willing
il, had been put in our hands. 1t was with
this feeling that from the first day to the
last not one word or lins went from the
Executive in Washington u our military
and naval commanders ut Manila or to
our peace commissioners at Paris that
did not put as the sole purpose to be
kept in mind first after the success OF
our arms and the maintenance of our
ka nj hnr tVans
and the rights of the inhabitants of the
Philippine islands. Did we need their
consent to perform great act for hu-
manity? We had 1t in every aspiration
of their minds, in every hope of their
hearts Was 1t necessary TO ask their
consent to capture Manila, the capital OF
their islandsf Did we ask their consent
70 liberate them from SPANS sovereignty
or to enter Manila Bay and destroy the
Spanish sea power theref
We did not ask these; we were obeyi
a higher moral obligation which rested
on us and which did not require any,
body's consent. We were doing our dit ty
by ii EN- as God gave us the light to see
our duty .(great applause and oyation)
with the consent nof our own con-
sciences and with the approval OF clvil.z .
ton. Every present obligation has lee u
met and fulfilled In the expulsion Of
spanish sovereignty from their islands.
''iN NLllo INC thae ~ ~ WIS
in Irogress we could not ask their views.
Nor can we now ask their consent Iu.
d SD can any one toll me in what form IL
could be marshalled and ascertained un-
TIL peace and order, SO necessary TO the
reign of reason. shall be secured ana
established?
A reign Of terror Is not the kind of rule
under which right action and deliberate
Judgment are possible. 1t Is not a good
time for the liberator to submit impor-
tant questions CONCERNING liberty and
government to the liberated while they
are engaged In shooting down their res
cuers.
We have now ended the war with Spain.
The treaty has been ratified by the votes
OF more than two-thirds of the Senate of
the United States and by the jud gment
OF nine-tenths of its people. no nation
was ever more fortunate In war or more
honorable in its negotiations in peace
Spain is now eliminated from the prob
lem. IL remains to ask what we shall
now do. / do not intrude upon the duties
of Congress or seek TO anticipate or fore
stall its action. / only say that the treaty
of peace, honorably secured, having heen
ratified by the United States and, as we
con tdently expect, shortly TO be ratified
in Spain, Congress will have the power
and / am sure the purpose, to do what
in coed morals is right and Just and
humane for these peoples in distant
seas.