The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-24
R. B. sHEPARD's IDEAS.
Warm Argument Against Expan-
sion Theory.

II there be one lesson which history
clearly teaches, it is this: that free ma
lions cannot govern subject provinces
IT they are unable or unwilling to adj
NIT their dependencies to share their
own constitution, the constitution itself
will fall to pieces from mere incompe-
tence for its duties.' 80 s~fss
A great Anglo Saxon III the above
sentence, fully epitomized the whole
subject and advanced an argument
which history teaches to be unanswer-
able. l do not believe in any further
territorial expansion of this country
certainly not by the sword and cannon.
Our country as it now exists, with its
homogeneous people, can and will work
out, in my opinion, its own destiny. that
is, become. if not already, the greatest
liberty-loving country, constitutionally
governed, that exists or ever. has exist
ed on the earth, according to recorded
facts. What will 1t be in the years to
come if 1t pursues against its tradi-
TONS history and settled policy, the
role of conquering provinces and ma
tions? Let the truths of history an
swer. Suffice it to say, imperial Rome,
when confined within the territorial
limits of what is now known as the
Italian peninsula, was greatest in all
that pertains to make a great liberty
loving nation, and stood mistress of the
world. Then to bear the name of a
Roman was greater than to be called
king. These were the haIcyon days
the Roman nation and people.
How Rome Fell.
Turn the Kaleidoscope and look at her
condition a few generations after she
became a nation that lived upon the
conquests of provinces and principal
ties-governing them as subjects, not
as equals. In place of Rome sitting on
the Tiber the mistress of the world, -
was once her title, she became the prey
and was plundered by the half-naked
barbarians which she once ruled as
her subjects.
Slime say that this was true of Rome,
but 1t will not apply to the, United
States. My reply to- this is,that history
repeats ITSELF it always has and al
ways will. The same cause that sent
Rome to her downfall and obliteration
as a nation will as sure as fate work
out the destruction of any other aggre
cation of men-called a nation.
1t is as natural with nations as with
men, when field opens which allows
the undoing of a nation or men, to push
forward to reach that goal that means
not greatness, but the impoverishment
and utter humiliation. of provinces, in
the hope of securing greatness and
W6dllu, GllIleI ilSjLlOlidllN Va
ly, as the case may be, and in SO ding
moderation is never learned, and as his
tory teaches, never will be. The result
has always been, and we can, by taking
the past as our guide, safely say that it
will ever be the same, when the life of
nation is bound up by a. theory that
conquest and the government Of sub
ject nations isit whole duty as a ma
ton; when this idea is firmly rooted in
~ a. NC 0n
tutionally governed. it has come to the
point where it should hesitate to adj
vance further, which, fit does not
heed, will surely sap it's foundations
and in time overthrow it.
Duty of Country.
Speaking of the duty of this country
in the Philippine war of conquest,
would say, that l am unalterably OBJ
posed to spending another cent or the
loss of another life in subjugating
those people to the rule of the United
States by conquest, or, for that matter,
I am opposed to taking them in by
consent even, as a. subject nation. |
am certainly opposed to admitting them
by conquest even to equal rights with
other American citizens. We have no
use for them, can and have got along
without them. For my part, would
not give the life of the humblest Amer
lean soldier who has fallen fighting in
the Philippines for the whole Of that
country, the sultan of Sulu included.
They are able to govern themselves;
let them form their own government,
govern themselves as they can and Will,
which, in my opinion, they would now
be doing if the spirit of conquest had
not so radically changed our nation
from nation of liberty loving people
to one bent on following the footsteps
of old England in its idea to be great
we must be UNJUST.
BY way of depression, would say that
a small republic exists in the southern
part of Africa, which. If left alone,
would light that portion of the world
with the idea that men are competent
to govern themselves, no matter where
situated. The destiny of that republic
is presided over by one Dom Paul, who
has that same idea which is joined in
by his people, besides does Ylot believe
in being subjugated or takes much
stock in the divine right of kings or
queens: all he asks. all his people ask,
is to be let alone and run their govern
ment according to their ideas, based
upon the consent of the governed. q
Wants to Crush Kruger.
| Yet England-mighty sEngland-a
! country that lives by conquest and off
the DlOOQ anu lUll@ ptOpt64 llclo
conquered, is at this writing massing
her army and navy. For what2 To
break down this government and utilize
its products to enrich set Of men who
believe as some of our people believe,
/ that man or nations have any rights
that the mighty should respect.
| A few months ago we rushed into a
war that many thought was for hui
manitys sake only, but which has
proved one of conquest solely.
Would it not be good idea to take
| that vast army Of ours in the Philip
pines to southern Africa and say to
! Queen Vic-as we have entered upon
| the humanity basis as a nation-take
your hands from the threats of the
/ Beers, withdraw Cecil Rhodes and his
| horde of monopolists from Africa and
forever and day leave that little re-
| public to grow and fructify until there
| shall not be a subject nation on Afri-
cas- soil.
If we are still working in the inter-
est of humanity, this is the proper
thing to do. If we did, England, with
all her boosted greatness, would quiet
| ly withdraw and leave the flag of the
| Boer republic still floating-whiie Agui-
naldo would, in the meantime, have
| added another flag to the array of col
| ors-which would wave over an ORR
entail republic, teaching by example
| and precept the immortal words of our
| own declaration, from which we never
! deviated until the advent of an IN
| American and unchriStian idea in the
| reign of King Hanna the first, in the