Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-10-19

of which and the results of which are
scarcely recorded of any other war in
history. The American arms tri-
umphed on land and on sea with re-
markable and unprecedented eXemp-
tons from disease and death on the
part of our soldiers and sailors. We
are proud of the army and navy They
have brought us great responsibility
They have brought us new acquisitions
and new territory and it is for us to
accept those responsibilities, meet
them with manly courage, respond in
a manly fashion to many duties and do
what in the sight of God and man is
just and right. (Applause) One
tribe, and a small faction of that tribe
is questioning the sovereignty Of the
United States in the island of LuZon
The very people we emancipated from
oppression struck our flag, and shot
our soldiers The shedding of blood is
anguish to my heart the giving up of
the lives of our hrayest and best young
men wiring my heart, The shedding
of the blood Of the misguided
Fihpinos is matter Of great regret
and sorrow to all of us and yet they
are resisting the Sovereignty OF the
United States over a territory which
we acquired, not by conquest alone but
| by the solemn treaty of peace sane
toned by the congress Of the United
States and as long as that sovereignty
Ills disputed so long will We continue
| hostilities, until our authority is undis-
lputed in every part of that archipela-
go Great applause) It is said that
! we could have peace if we would give
! them independence and government
I Of their own under thir own sovereign
ity. It is said that If the president
would do this we would have peace.
| The president has no power, even II he
were disposed. which he is not. 10
lalienate (applause) TO ALLEVIATE a single
4 foot Of territory which we have honest
Ily acquired or give mp the sovereignty
lover it to any other peoples That
power belongs to the people; that
mower is vested in congress which rep
Ircsents the people and no such power
was ever given to tine chief executive
I by the people or by congress or by the
constitution and TO use such power
would be a base usurpation Of their
Iprerogatiyes by the chief executive Of
1 the government And then If we
were going to cede the islands away
10 whom would we cede them? There
4 lis no government there but ours The
great majority of the people aclmowl-
ledge allegiance to our flag and are glad
to have the shelter Of its protection.
Not Of our Seeking.
MY fellow citizens, the Finpinos
came TO us not of our seeking. None
OF us ever dreamed when this war
commenced. that we were going to
nave either Porto Rico or the Philip
pine Islands We went to war for
civilization and humanity, to relieve
our oppressed neighbors in Cuba. |
was one Of those who held back until
the last moment, hoping that ! might
avert the war and not involve my
Icountry in a struggle. tApplauset
#
Those. some of them, who
wanted it most are now
irving to shirk its responsibilities.
Man proposes and God Almighty dis
poses, and we cannot avoid our re-
sponsibilities There was no fault in
the victory, and there must be no fault
in unfolding it, We have got the Phil
ippines and our flag is there. This
subject OF expansion Is not new one.
It was the gospel Of the early states
men and patriots Of this country. II
found substantial realization in the
magnificent achievement Of that IL
lustrious statesman. Thomas Jeffer-
son Ii was the dream OF Marcy In
1853 he sought 10 acquire the Hawaiian
islands II was the dream Of Sc
ward II was the dream of Douglas.
Let me quote here in single sentence
what stephen A Douglas said In 1858
al years ago. 1t is idle TO tell me or
YOU that We have land enough. Our
fathers supposed that we had enough
when our territory extended to the
Mississippi river, but a few years
growth and expansion satisfied them
that We needed more and the Louisiana
Territory from the west bank Of the
/ Mississippi to the British possessions
was acquired Then we acquired Ore
lgon, then California then New Mexico.
We have enough now for the present
/ but this IS young and growing ma
ton II swarms ar often as a hive Of
bees. and as the new swarms are
turned ont each year there must be
hives III which .ney can gather and