The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-08-10
We NAVE ALREADY Expanded

information on TINS question. Inc TAX
OF the Filipino war being uucoustitu.
tional The purchase OF the natives at
So 80 per head and The alleged violation
OF the principles in the declaration Ct
Independence will not stand the test Of
critical inquiry.
The constitution permits the execu-
tive, not only of the nation but of the
several states, to declare war in time of
invasion or Instruction, when the gen.
eral safety would he imprriled by delay
Agunaldu fired first unOn our flag and
murdered the friendly soldiers who were
rescuing the FIlipinos from bondage.
The islands were SPANS by the law #
nations. BY right of conquest the SOW
ereignty was transferred to this govern
ment. The president and the senate rat
flied the treaty of peace, and congress by
an appropriation of twenty millions
authorized the purchase Of the improve
ments made by Spain, and the right and
title to the posse ssions passed to this
government according 20 the acknow-
itbEthl law = VI ihli'tS. In Jduotbli, lIltlI
and there became aa accomplished fact.
The only possible thing left for this
country to do was TO have congtess pass
upon the proper government of the
archipelago
The consent Of the goyerned' propO-
stlon, raised probably nov iOr the first
time in the record OF expansion the
United States has made from The begin
ming, can have no possible reference to
the existing order of things. In the in
dictment against "A tyrant king. the
authors of the declaration of indepen-
dence sought to reiterate a eelf evident
truth. Governments ought to be estab.
ished according to certain inalienable
rights, deriving the power to protect life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
from the consent of the governed.
Should the United States become gov
eminent like Russia, or what England
was in the time of the Georges, that
principle OF the declaration might well
be invoked. But the very object of the
man beneath the flag the nalenable
right to life, liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness, and anything short of that
would justify rebellion and insurrection.
In spreading the blessings of liberty to
mankind everywhere, the descendants of
Washington and his compatriots are not
''degenerates, nor have they become
English or Spaniards,'' as our cores
pondent is pleased to put it. The United
States never asked the consent of the
Indians, the Alaskans, the Mexicans nor
other heterogeneous masses they freed
from tyranny, whether the exercise of
its sovereignty suited them or not.
Neither did this government ask the
consent OF the governed in the Confeder-
ate states, when by force of arms peace
was declared. The attribute of SOW
ereignty extending to all freedom and
equality has never been questioned be.
fore when acquiring new possessions by
discovery, conquest or purchase. Every
rod of land outside OF the original tnir-
teen colonies in this country has been
acquired by one or the other OF these
methods ana that, too, under democratic
presidents, except in the past wear.
Every acre between the oceans and be.
yond them. belonging to the United
States, has been acquired along these
lines.
The question Of contiguous territory
never was raised seriously, nor the con-
sent OF the governed ever asked. 1t was
not necessary, for our statesmen never
dreamed that this doctrine of the fathers.
detiantly maintained in the teeth Of
tyranny, had any application to the Use
and benciicent system of government,
which, IN theory, if not in practice. is
the best ever devised by and for man.
kind. Look at the map and see the vast
territory acquired bv expansion since
the indictment OF King George. All this
great northwest country, known as Ore
gon, WAS Gained by the United States
by right OF discovery IN 1892, then again
by exploration in 1865, then by the set
Element of Aston in 1911. All the rest
of the Pacific slope west of the Rocky
mountains was acquired by the Florida
treaty of 1919, except that which was
subsequently coded by Mexico in lS4S.
The Louisiana purchase, an empire in
extent, expanded the nation into Greater
America in 1903, and democratic pres.
ident, Andrew Johnson. in 1867 crossed