The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-16
NEW DUTIES FOR AMERICANS.
wHITELAW REID ADDRESSES THE
STUDENTS At OXFORD.

siOns-IIis Answer to the AntI-Im-
periRIiSts-RensOns Why the Frui-
pinos should BE Subdued-Wc Are
Responsible to the Commerce and
civilization of the World.
oxford O., June 15.-The elimination of
the diamond anniversary jubilee Of Miami
University occurred to-day when class
OF sixteen men was graduated and the
Hon. Whitelaw Reid OF the class OF 1856
delivered the commencement address.
The sons OF Miami congregated to DO
honor to the new Miami OF to-day, and
never in its history had there been such
a large percentage of its graduates pres
ent as upon this occasion.
Hon. Whitelaw Reid spoke of the good
work accomplished by small colleges. cen
tiers of right thinking and right living.
He then launched into his theme, New
Duties and a New World" He dwet
upon public matters, which Il was the
duty of educated men to consider. and
Of matters which may hereafter divide
parties, but on which, he said, we must
refuse now to recognize party distinc-
tons. He said:
"Partinsanship stops at the guard line;
In the face CT an enemy we are all
Frenchmen, said an eloquent imperial
list once in my herring, in rallying his
followers to support a Foreign measure
Of the French republic. At this moment
our soldiers are facing barbarous or
semi-civiliaed foe which treacherously al
tackled them in a distant land, where our
flag had been sent, in friendship with
them for the defense of our own shores.
Was il creditable or seemly that it was
lately left to a Bonaparte on our own soil
to teach some American leaders that, at
such a. time, loyal men at home do not
discourage those soldiers or weaken the
government that directs theme
We are actually ana now responsible,
not merely to the inhabitants ana TO our
own people, but in International law 10
the commerce, the travel. the civilization
of the world. for the preservation of or
der ana the protection of life and property
in Cuba, In Porto Rico. in Guam and in
the Philippine archipelago, including that
recent haunt of piracy, the Sulus. Moth
ing in human power can ever restore the
United States to the position il occupied
the day before Congress plunged us into
the war with Spain, or enable us 10 es-
cape what that war entailed. No matter
what we wish, the old continental isoa-
ton Is gone forever. Whithersoevcr We
turn now, we must do it with the burden
OF our late acts to carry the responsibility
of our new position TO assume
ceeded savage warfare, a policy for these
distant regions called for the soberest
thought, and the colleges and the educat-
ed classes generally should make II a
matter of conscience to find first our ma
tional duty, and then our national interest
which IT is also a duty for our statesmen
to protect.
1T would be an i'll day for the colleges
II crude and hot tempered incursions into
current public affairs, like Few unhap-
ply witnessed of late, should lead even
To Fear tlaf
SO long accustomed TO dogmatize to boys
that they have lost the faculty of rea-
SOning with men.
when our first duty is done, when order
Is restored in those commercial conters
and on that commercial highway, some
body must then be responsible for main
taLllinS M-elther ourselves or some Power
whom we persuade 10 take them off our
hands Does anybody doubt what the
American people, in their present temper
would say to the latter alternative-the
same people who. a fortnight ago. were
ready to break off their Joint com mission
with Great Britain and take the chances
rather tnan give up few square miles
OF worthless land. and a harbor of which
a year ago they scarcely knew the name
on the remote coast of Alaska Plainly
) is idle now. in government so purely
dependent on the popular will, to scheme
or hope Tor giving the Philippine task
over to other hands as soon as order is re-
stored. We must then be prepared with
policy for maintaining il ourselves Of late
~
that new territory was, I'm the very nature
OF our government, mercy and necessarily
tne raw material Tor future states in the
union. Colonies and dependencies il l. now
SAID, are essentially inconsistent with our
system. But 81 any ever entertained the
Wild dream that the instrument whose
preamb bic says it is ordained for the Unit
cd states Of America cOu'd be stretched
10 the China sea, the first Tagal guns fred
a. friendly soldiers of the union and the
first mutlaio of American dead thar
en&uG0 ended IF ufu tx
Asia admitted 10 the American union For
thai relief, II least, We must thank the
uprising OF the Tagaloss. 1t was conu-
ncntai union of independent sovereign
states our fathers planned. Whoever pro
poses 10 debase II with admixtures Of
states made up from the Islands of the sea.
friend 10 the republic We may guide pro-
tect, elevate them, and even teach them
some day to stand acme; but II we ever
invite them into our Senate and House 10
help rule us, we are the most imbeci4e of
all the offspring of time
Mr.. Reid then summarized the conslltu-
uonaf objections to the United States
holding territory that was not 20 be erect
ed into states in the union, or TO govern
people that were not TO he made citizens
This objection rests mainly on the as
sumption thai the name United States
as used in the constitution, necessarily In
cludes ell territories the nation owns and
on the historic fact that large part Of
its territory, on acquiring sufficient popu-
lat.on. has already been admitted as states
and has generally considered such admis-
sion 20 be a right"
He thought that no candid and compe-
tent man could thoroughly investigate the
subject, in the Aght of the actual provs-
ions OF the constitution, the avowed pur-
pose OF It's trainers, their own practice and
the practice of their SUCCESSORS, without
being absolutely convinced that The whole
fabric of opposition on cons ututonal
was as fiimsy as a cobweb
This country of our love and pride Is
no malformed congenial cripple of a ma
ton, Incapable of Undertaking duties that
have been found within the powers of
every other nation that ever existed since
governments among civilized men began
Neither by chains forged in The const!tu-
ton, nor by chains Of precedent neither By
the dead hand we all revere that of the
father of his country nor under the rnost
authoritative opponents OF our organic
act and Of our history. are we so bound
that we cannot undertake any duty that
devolves. or exercise any power which
the emergency demands. Our consutu-
don has entraDped US in no impasse.
where retreat is disgrace and advance Is
The duty which the hand of
Providence rather than any purpose of
man has laid upon us is within our con-
sIItutionai powers"
Mr. Reid then entered a minute detail
Of the proof of his contention, quoting
many eminent authortatives on constitu.
Llonal law Concerning other objections
tfefff Hon .af