Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-01-20
will consider hereafter the question of
how they will act under it2

Questions For Mr.. Plat.
''Is it true, my honorable friend from
Connecticut, that before constitutions
and before Legislators all men are Great
ed equalP Or is it only true of some Of
them2 Is it true that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalien-
able rightsf Or is it only true of some
of them2 Is it true that among those
rights are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness2 Or are these for some Of
them only? Is it true that governments
derive their just power from the con-
sent of the governed9 Or is it only
from the consent of some of them
Does Connecticut, which voted the 9TH
er way in 1776 and 1887, vote that way
nowY Are the thought and the spirit to
prevail and the Interpretation we are to
give the great document, that which
secures liberty to the people of the
United States or to people everywhere
where the flag fioats2 Are you to take
the spirit which maketh life or the let
ter which killeth in this hour of great
national temptation in one of the great
est actions and greatest eras in all his
tory?
abraham Lincoln had some sensible
ideas on this matter, as we used to
think. We have heard something about
the flag i'll modern times. Abraham
Lincoln was invited one day to raise
the banner over the old Independence
hall in Philadelphia, on that memorable
| journey from his home to the national
capital. When we think of what fol
lowed, the words he uttered there seem
prophetic They rival in grandeur the
immortal words at Gettysburg. We are
| asked what else we can do with the
Philippine Islands unless we are to
sacrifice the immortal principles of the
! Declaration. That answer can be easily
and satisfactorily given. But if it could
not be given we know very well what
Abraham Lincoln would have said, who
declared on his way to the seat of gov
eminent that he would not save the
Union itself at the sacrifice of the Dec
laration OF Independence
"'All the political sentiments enter
tain have been drawn, so far as l have
been able to draw them, from the senti-
mcnts which originated in and were
given to the world from this hall |
have never had Il feeling politically that
did not spring from the sentiments en-
bodied in the Declaration of Independ-
ence Now, my friends, can this
country be saved upon this basis? If it
can, | shall consider myself one Of the
happiest men i'll the world if | can help
To hn
| that principle. it will be truly awful.
But if this country cannot be saved
without giving up that principle l was
about to say that l would rather be as
sassinated on this spot than surrenderit. '
"Then, after adding that he had not
expected to say word, he repeated the
conservation of his life, exclaiming:
II have said nothing but what l am
willing to live by and, if it be the pleas
ure of Almighty God. to die by.
when you raise the flag over the
Philippine Islands as an emblem of do
minion and acquisition, you take it
down from Independence hall.
Mr.. President, Louis Napoleon, at
the opening of the session of the French
assembly, March 2, 1854, made this
declaration 'Besides-and l love to
proclaim it loudly-the time of conquest
is past, never to return, for it is not by
extending the boundaries of its territory
that nation can henceforward be hon
ored and powerful, but by placing itself
at the head of generous ideas and spread
ing everywhere the empire of right and
justice.
Napoleon forgot what he had said
when he grew little stronger. He saw
his opportunity in Mexico, as our friends
think they see ours in the Philippine
Islands. But the sure and terrible feet
of destiny overlook him in the midst of
his pride and power Our commissioners
come back from Paris, bringing with
them the cast off clothing of this pinch
beck Napoleon and ask u.s. who have
seen his fate, to discard for them the
spotless robes in which our fathers ar
rayed the beautiful genius of America,
Mr.. McKinIey's Obligation.
"a year ago last December the presi-
dent of the United States sent message
to congress. In that message he said.
:" 4 speak not of forcible annexation,
because that is not to be thought of,
and under our code of morality that
would be criminal aggression.
president Mckinley. when he spoke,
was not thinking even of honor or of
power, inspiring and alluring as are
honor and power. He placed himself
and placed the American people on the
stern, enduring and perpetual rock of
righteousness that forcible annexation
is not to be thought of under our code
of morality; that would be criminal
aggression. Who shall haul him down?
Who shall haul down the code? Who
shall haul down the president?
There are other things found in this
Declaration which the senator from
Connecticut wishes l understood as the
fathers did which l commend to his
most respectful attention. In enumerat-
ing the wrongs inflicted upon this peo-
pie by George III the Declaration saws