The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-15
FraisinE the Wisdom Shown by the
In His Patriotic Policy.
HAS NO FEAR OF THE FUTURE
CERTAIN CONGRESS WILL SOLVE
WHATEVER PROBLEMS ARISE.
Resolution Introduced by Senator
Hale Declaring the FiIipinOs Are
free and Independent.

WILMINGTON, Del, Jan. 14-United
States Senator George Gray was rendered
a complimentary dinner by the To-
cal Board of Trade, in this city, to-
night. President Mckinley, his Cabinet and
all the members of the peace commission,
with the exception of John Bassett Moore,
sent letters of regret. Mr.. Moore was the
only member of the commission present.
There were 200 guests in attendance. Sena-
tor Gray was the chief speaker of the even
ing, and, responding to the toast. Our
Guests of Honor" he said in part:
I'VE are now in a crisis of our national
history, and your hearts and minds, as
patriotic citizens Of this great country, are
full of anxiety as to the proper settlement
of the momentous issues which have
suited from the war with Spain. While
our country was at war with Spain we were
ready to make, hope. every sacrifice to in
sure the success of American arms and
bring victory and honor to the American
flag. And when the war was over L be-
lieve, the patriotic instinct of American citi-
zenship demanded, as your President en-
joined upon us, that we would exhibit mag
nanimity to a PROSTATE foe and moderation
in the hour of victory, as we had faced
the war with steadfastness and courage. In
the first place, l want to say 10 you that
it was my pleasure, as well as what con-
ceived my duty, to endeavor to carry out
this instruction so creditable to us as
nation and SO worthy Of 4aaaligh ciadlization
Of which we profess to be leaders.
THE acquisition Of territory by the United
States was not one of the objects of the
war; and we solemnly declared in the resolu-
lions of Congress that our only object in
demanding the REIMBURSEMENT of the
sovereignty of Cuba by Spain was not to
hold it ourselves, except that we might
pacify it and fit it for self-government by
it's own people. But in this as in all else,
man proposes and God disposes and it is
one of the things that make thoughtful men
desire to avoid war where it can be avoided,
for no one can tell what It's consequences
may be. 1 ardently desired that we might
escape the necessity of taking the Philip
pine islands and assuming the burden that
their taking will impose upon us, and 1
know that the President of the United
STATES was equally anxious to the same
end; but it became apparent that without
our seeking, unexpected conditions had been
created, and out of these conditions unques-
tionably duties had sprung which could not
be avoided or evaded by the United States.
CANNOT RELINQUISH THEM.
duty IS sometimes not only Unpleasant, but
has dangers attendant upon it; nevertheless
a brave man and brave nation will not
shrink from it on that account. On the other
hand if American sentiment did not justify
the return of these islands to Spain, no
more could it justify leaving them derelict
in the eastern ocean, the prey of the first
occupant of European rapacity. The powers
of Europe would acquiesce in our taking
them, but they would not stand by and see
them in their helpless condition of anarchy
and disorder, without Selling the opportun-
ity to aggrandze themselves, so it was
thought best by the President and his adj
visers to take the cession of their sover-
eighty from Spain and hold it in trust to be
administered in conformity with those high
ideals and liberty-loving traditions which
animate and glorify the history of our coun-
try. Duty cannot honorably be avoided be-
cause it may bring pain or danger, nor can
responsibility always be evaded because Of
it's burdens.
THAT sought in Paris, by all honorable
menas to escape this responsibility, does
not matter now. 1t came to a point at last
that we must either leave the islands to
Spain, take them as we did or break off
negotiations and come home without
u Cdty u pSdCS. LII N1lS last event Inc truce
would be broken and a state Of active war
would have been resumed. We would have
had no cession OF the sovereignty of the
Philippines and none of Porto Rico, and no
REIMBURSEMENT of the sovereignty of Cuba
1T is true that in the protocol of Aug. u
Spain had definitely promised that she
would cede Porto Rico and relinquish Cuba,
but without a treaty of peace that promise
would not be performed. What would then
have been the exigency Of the situation?
Undoubtedly we would have been compelled
to go on and seize with the strong hand
and by military power both the Philippine
Archipelago and the greater and less An
tiless, taking by ruthless conquest what it
was far better that we should take by the
voluntary cession of a treaty of peace. But,
now that we have them, it does not follow
that we are committed to a colonial poll
icy, or to a violation of those great princi-
pies of liberty and self-government which
must always remain American ideals, if our
own free institutions are to endure.
TRIBUTE TO THE PRESIDENT.
'No country, and this country least of all.
can afford to trample on its ideals. / have
no fear that it will do so. Without assum-
ing for moment any right to speak for the
President, I think 1 can assure you. with
some knowledge whereof / speak, that he
fully appreciates the duties and responsible
ties of the situation, and that he is com
mitted to no policy calculated to discour-
age, much less strike down, the aspirations
of iiberty-loving people all over the world.
belong 20 a different political party but /
should be false to my sense of justice and to
that pride which feel as an American If I
did not declare my confidence in the patriot