Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1899-02-04
SENATOR GRAY ON THE PHILIPPINES.

senator George Gray, Democrat. of
Delaware, one of the American peace
commissioners, went to Paris firmly
imbued with the belief that the
United States should not seek to es-
tablish government over the Philip
pine islands. He came home as firmly
convinced that our government could
do nothing else, and the process of
reasoning through which he changed
his opinion is as satisfactory as it is
interesting.
After reciting, in speech before
the Wilmington board of trade, the
fact that the acquisition of territory
by the United States was not one of
the objects of the war, besides frank
ly admitting that we had solemnly de-
clared in a resolution by congress that
we sought no conquests of this ma
ture, Senator Gray, says: ''But in this,
as in all else, man proposes and God
diSpOSeS,' and it is one of the things
that make thoughtful men desire to
avoid war. where it can be avoided,
for no one can tell what It's conSe-
quenceS may be. / ardently desired
that we might escape the necessity of
taking the Philippines and assuming
the burden their taking will oppose
upon us, and l know that the Presi-
dent of the United States was equally
ANXIOUS to the same end. But it be-
came apparent that, without our see
ing, unexpected conditions had been
created, and out of those conditions,
unquestionably, duties had sprung
which could not be avoided or evaded
by the United States. Commodore
Dewey had brought Aguinaldo back
to Luzon, and by his leadership and
the encouragement of the American
fleet, the embers of the insurrection,
which had died out, were rekiudled
into flame, and the assistance of
the insurgent forces was gladly avail
ed of by our commodore. 1t then
came to be thought that in our settle
ment with Spain we could not honor
ably leave the Inhabitants of these
islands to the tender mercieS of their
Spanish oppressorS and hand over
brave men, who had assisted our fleet
and army in the hour of need, to Span
1sh dungeons, or to the firing line of
Spanish execution. / know that that
situation appealed to the heart of
YOUR President. and that he believed
he was representing American man.
hood and American character when |
he said, as finally he did, that, what
ever became of those islands and those |
people, it was not in our blood to hand |
them back to Spain. 1t was feeling
of this kind, 1 know, that animated |
the government of Mckinley in COM
ing to this important conclusion.
Recognizing the burden, approaching
the responsibility, and ignoring the
perils that possibly confronted us, he
said, and 1 know he felt. that, what
ever else might be the fate of these
islands and of this people, he could
not put cur country in the attitude of
DESERVING those whom he had placed
in new position of antagonism to
their rulers
But, if these islands we're not to be
handed back to Spain, what remained
to be done with them? Should we
leave them derelict in the Eastern
ocean, the prey of European rapacity?
The powers of Europe would &C
quiesce in our taking Them" says Sem
ator Gray, ''but they would not stand
by and see them in their helpless con-
dition of anarchy and disorder with
out seizing the opportunity to aggran-
die themselves, and so it was thought
best by the President and his advisers
to take the cession of their sover-
eighty from Spain and hold it in
trust. to be administered in conform
ity with those high ideals and liberty
loving traditions which animate and
glorify the history of our country"
Senator Gray is diplomat and he
speaks in cautious manner of his
calling, but he makes it clear enough
that the condition to which he alludes
actually confronted the commission
in Paris-that 1t was called upon to
decide not only the advantages or dis
of annexation to the
United States, but also to. decide the
probable consequences of annexation
by some country. IL is plain enough I
If we abandon the Philippines some
other country will take them. Such