The age-herald., 1899-01-15
GRAY SPEAKS
 AT W|LNINCT Discusses Foreign Policy of the
 United States, IN A CRISIS OF OUR HISTORY The American People Are Fully Equal to the Emergency. HE WAS OPPOSED TO EXPANSION But It Became Necessary to Demand
 the Philippines from Spain. TDIpITrT7 TO THE PRESIDENT
But It Became Necessary to Demand the Philippines from Spain.
TRIBUTE TO THE PRESIDENT
He Has the Fullest Confidence of the People of the United States, and That Confidence Has Not
 Been Misplaced.

Wilmington, Del, January 14-United States Senator George Gray was rendered a complimentary dinner in this city tonight. President Mckinley, his cabinet and all the members of the peace commission sent letters of regret. There were 200 guests in attendance.
 Senator Gray was the chief speaker or the evening and responding to the toast "Our Guests of Honor" he said in part:
 We are now in a crisis of our national history and your hearts and minds, as pa triotc citizens of this great country, are full of anxiety as to the proper settlement of the momentous issues which have re- suited from the war with Spain. While our counfry was in war with Spain we were ready to make, l hope, every sacrifice to insure the success of American arms and bring victory and honor to the American flag. And when the war was over, be- lieve the patriotic instinct of American citizenship demanded as your president en- joined upon us, that we would exhibit mag nanimity to prossrate foe and moderation in the hour of victory, as we had faced the war with steadfastness and courage. In the first place, l want to say to you that 1t was my pleasure as well as what con- ceived my duty to endeavor to carry out this instruction, so creditable to us as a na- ton and worthy the high civilization of which we profess to be leaders.
 Not War of Greed
 "The acquisition of territory by the United States was not the object of the war and we solemnly declared in the reso. lutions of congress that our only object in demanding the relnqu shment of the sov- ereignty over Cuba by Spain was not to hold it ourselves except that we might pac- ify and f., it for self government by it's own people.
 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 where ft~can be avoided, for no one can tell what it's consequences may be. l ardently desire that we might es- cape the necessity of taking the Philippine islands and assuming the burden that their taking will impose upon us, and I now know that the president of the United States was equally anxious to the same end. But it became apparent that without our seeing, unexpected conditions had been
 
 tionably duties had sprung up which could not be avoided or evaded by the United States.
 That I sought in Paris by all honorable means to escape this responsibility does not matter now. It came to point at last that we must either leave the islands to Spain, take them ourselves as we did, or break off negotiations and come home without a treaty of peace.
 War Would Have Been Resumed
 Tn the last event, the truce would be broken and state of active war resumed We would have had no cession of the sov- ereignty of the Philippines and none of Puerto Rico and no relnquishment of the sovereignty of Cuba.
 Tt is true that in the protocol of August 12, Spain had definitely promised that she would cede Puerto Rico and relinquish Gu ba, but without a treaty of peace that promise would not be performed What would then have been the exigence of tho situation? Undoubtedly we would have been compelled to go and siege with strong hand and by military power both the Phil ippines archipelago, and the greater and lesser Antilles, taking by ruthless conquest what 1t was far better we should take by the voluntary cession of peace.
 But now that We have them, it does not follow that we are committed to a colonial policy or to a violation Of those great prin- cipies of liberty and self-goyernment which must always remain American ideals If our own free institutions are to endure
 T belong to different political party, but should be false to my sense of justice and to that pride which feel as an Ameri- can If did not declare my confidence in the patriotism and purity Of purpose of William Mckinley.
 No Usurper of Power
 ''fIe is no usurper of power, no stranger to American institutions, but one of the American people called to his high office by their suffrages, and it would be strange indeed if he did not share to the fullest ex- tent In the love of our constitution and the principles that underlie 1t. What less