The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-20
SENATE.

wv dSulA6 6COh, AO' hS 49,
ture of today's session in the senate
was a speech delivered by Senator
Bacon, democrat, of Georgia, in support
of his resolutions declaring that the
United States would not assume sover-
eighty over the Philippine islands,
Senator Bacon is one of the orators Of
the senate and as he gave himself free
rein, not confining himself to notes, he
sroke strongly and effectively. His
peroration, in which he pictured the
horrors of some of England's methods
of controlling her colonial subjects was
a beautiful and forceful bit OF Word
painting. Senator Bacon said in part:
"Of all the great powers of the earth,
the government of the United States Is
the only one that contends for the right,
in all people, of self-government. When
they abandon in practice this principle,
when they impose their dominion on
an unwilling people, in the majestic
march of free institutions, the hand
upon the great dial of the clock Of the
world would have been set back an hun
dred years.
'It is not to be believed that the gov
ernment of the United States will, with
full appreciation Cf the nature of the
consequence of the act, thus violate the
principle of the right of self-govern-
ment. 1t is incredible, nay, impossible
that the liberty-lOving people OF these
United States will consent that by pow
er of arms the dominion of this govern
ment shall be enforced upon a people
who have owed us no allegiance-who
are struggling to be free. There is not
a civil official of the government who
will admit that he favors such an act.
There is not a public man in the country
who will admit that he favors the en-
slavement of a people. There is not
a senator who would not repel the
charge if made against him. And yet
there are many who are advocating a
course, the inevitable consequence OF
which, if successfully pursued is to ac-
complish the enslavement of the people
of the Philippine islands,
He quoted from the speech of Sena-
tor Foraker the statement that it was
not the purpose to hold the Philippines
PEI manently and said:
II am especially glad to have the as
surance of the distinguished senator
that of his own knowledge the position
thus stated by him is the position Of
the president of the United States. If
that position can be assured as the one
which this government will take and
adhere to, there will be little difference
or contention between us. The resOlu-
tions which l have introduced and the
adoption of which I am now advocating
agree substantially with the position
announced by the senator from Ohio.
What I desire, however,, is that there
shall be now an avowal of this position
by the law-making power of this gov
,ernment in a joint resolution of con-
.gress approved by the president.
"When we declared war against
Spain we also declared that we did not
go to war for our ACKNOWLEDGMENT or
for the acquisition Of territory. We
said that on the contrary we went to
war to make good to the people of Cuba
their title to independence and freedom
which all recognized that as people
they had already won, and to secure for
them the establishment of stable gov
ernment The was has passed, and in
a way almost miraculous we were
fsaded from great sacrifice. There
mas been no foreign intervention and
there will be none Not only has there
been no European interference as to
Cuba, but it is a recognized and conced-
ed fact that we may without hindrance
from European governments work cur
own will with the Philippine islands.
Now what I wish TO accomplish by
these resolutions is that the United
States shall in this hour of victory
in this hour of undisputed physical
power, make substantially the same de-
claratiOh relative to the Philippines
that they have made relative to Cuba. :"
Senator Bacon declared there was no
difference p the rights of the Cubans
and the r Nippinos and they should all
be considexd equal under 4he resolu-
tion adopted by congress, although the
Philippines were not at the time of the
declaration of war. He said cur obli-
cations to the Philippines rested upon
the alliance of the Americans with the
Philippines during the war and added:
''But that alliance and cooperation
did put us under a strong moral ebH-
cation not to make peace wit n Spain
which did not include in it's ter,l1s the
sundering of the bonds which bo1lnd
to her the Philippine islands. Tht,t
obligation did not grow out of the fact
alone that the Philippines were in re-
beilion to Spain, because we did not de-