The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-24

pable OF exercising; but we could not, in
justice to civilization, assume, In our
treaty with Spain, a capacity for Civilized
government on the part OF the natives
which has never been shown 20 exist. 1t
was the same jefferson who wrote in our
Declaration of Independence that gov
ernment ought to rest upon the consent
OF the governed and who argued for a
strict construction of our national con-
stitution, that purchased Louisiana from
Napoleon without the consent OF the peo-
pie sovereignty over whom was thus
transferred to the United States, and also
without any other constitutional author
ity than that which has Teen exercised
in connection with the cession Of the
Philippines. That is the difference be-
tween Jefferson the statesman and
Jefferson the philosopher. The phil
osopher stated the ideal, which believe
to be the ideal of the American people to-
day as fully as it always has been; but
the statesman did a great service to his
country and to civilization, by doing a
wise thing at a fortunate moment, al
though, in doing it, no cOntravened his
own deal. 1 freely say that If the di-
lemma with which we have had to deal
in the matter of the Philippines had been
voluntarily and consciously sought, the
outcome would have been discreditable to
our good faith and alarming In It's por-
tent. Coming as it has, however, as an
unintended result of a war with Spain
having it's origin in disturbances with
Cuba, / believe the children have given
the answer the father would have made
In the like case. Unless civilization under
proper conditions has a right to withhold
control from barbarism and semi-bar-
barism and to substitute for either some
thing better. our own national life rests
upon ineXcusable wrong to the aborigines
10
civilization, such as it was, we have sub
stituted our own.
But others again say that the American
ideal is government "Of the people, by the
people, and for the people" and that, how
ever truly we may give to the Philippine
Islands n government for the people, II
will not be and cannot be. under our au-
thority, a government of the people and
by the people Undoubtedly in this as
pect, also, the fact comes short of the
ideal: but to say that, in the premises,
we have no duty to civilization or to the
Philippine Islanders is TO claim that a
self-Eoverning democracy by its very ma
ture is incapable of serving other people
except by its own example. do not think
so meanlv of democracy. Yet / would
not admit for moment, even by impli-
cation, that the service of the American
democracy to mankind has been hitherto
anything less than world service.
have no sympathy with anyone VIVA
speaks with a certain air of apology of
Americas isolation in the past. No ma
tion since the American republic was
founded has Influenced the history of all
nations more Importantly or more bcne-
flcially. Indirectly by it's influence, and
directly by it's action, it has done more
than any other country to substitute ar
bitration for war as q means of settling
international disputes; while its general
success as a self-governing nation, sim
cerely devoted to the arts of peace, has
given n profound impulse to democracy
the world over Neither do l believe that
the short and successful war with Spain
has changed the temper of our country
men in night.
The equally successful war with Mexico
produced no such result, and the inbred
habit of a century is not so easily cast
aside. Our mission, indeed, has been a
world mission OF the highest order. We
have invited to our shores men of every
European country and many others TO
share with us IN the development and civ
iIzaton of continent. Not even Eng
lands mission, with her colonies and de-
tendencies scattered over the earth, has
been more wide-reachng than ours. We
have asked the people of the civilized
world to join with us in developing a con-
tinent, and in doing so to learn with us
the art and lesson of self government We
have also invited here the wealth of
Christendom to take part in the develop
ment of our material resources.
o.
1t is noticeable that in the same event
ful year of 1898 that has burdened us with
new duties to people across the sea, we
have become for the first time a creditor
nation, lending vast sums of money to the
people of Europe. 1t is n striking and
suggestive coincidence that at the very
moment when our relations to the civil
| lied world have changed financially, an
obligation Of duty to outside people, less
civilized than we are. seems also to have
| been laid upon us. 1t is as If voice that
admits Of no remonstrance had said tC
us. in the plcnitude of our prosperity and
power: thereafter you must heed the
call TO service both with men and will
money away from home as well as al
| home" To me ii seems an evidence OF
the soundness of heart Of the American
people that they have unhinchinCly ac.
cepted the heavy burdens devolvcd upor
the nation by reason OF the war Will
Spain; and | do not sec i'm the accept.
ance Of these burdens any unfaithfulness
TO our past or TO what we stand FOL
| among the nations of the earth.