Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-15

rendered complimentary dinner in
this city tonight. President McKin-
| ley, his cabinet and all the members
of the peace commission, with the ex-
| ception of John Bassett Moore, sent
letters of regret. Mr.. Moore was the
only member of the commission not
| present.
There were 200 guests in attend
ance.
Senator Gray was the chief speaker
of the evening and responded to the
toast: Our Guests of Honor" He
said in part:
I'VE are now in crisis of our ma
tional history and your hearts and
mind, as patriotic citizens of this
great country are full of anxiety as to
the proper settlement of the momen-
| tous issues which have resulted from
the war with Spain. While our coun-
| try 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, l believe, the patriotic in
seinct of American citizenship demand
| ed, as your President enjoined upon us,
that we would exhibit magnanimity
| to a PROSTATE foe and moderation in
the hour of victory, as we had faced
the war with steadfastness and cour-
age. In the first place, | want to say
| to you that it was my pleasure as well
| as what | conceived my duty to en-
deavor to carry out this instruction,
so credible to us as a nation and so
worthy of the high civilization of
which we profess to be leaders.
"The acquisition of territory by the
| United States was not one of the OBJ
jects of the war, and we solemnly de
clared in the resolutions of Congress
that our only object in demanding the
REIMBURSEMENT of the sovereignty of
Cuba by Spain was not to hold it our
selves except that we might pacify it
and fit it for self-government by its
own people.
But in this, as in all else, man pro-
poses 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 consequences may be. l ardently
desire that we might escape the neces-
sity of taking the Philippine islands
and assuming the burden that their
taking will impose upon US, and
| 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 created and out
of these conditions unquestionably,
duties had sprung which could not be
avoided or evaded by the United States.
1T is argued that the performance
of duty is sometimes not only unpleas-
ant, but has dangers attendant upon it;
nevertheless, a brave man and a brave
| nation will not shrink from it on that
| account. On the other hand, if Ameri-
can sentiment did not justify the re-
turn of these islands to Spain, no more
could it justify leaving them derelict
in the eastern ocean, the prey of the
first occupant or European rapacity.
The powers of Europe would acquiesce
in our taking them, but they would not
stand by and see them in their help
less condition of anarchy and disorder
without Selling the opportunity to ag-
| grandize themselves, and so it was
| thought best by the President and his
| advisers to take the cession of their
| sovereignty from Spain and hold it IN
| trust to be administered in conformity
with those high ideals and liberty
| loving traditions which animate and
| glorify the history Of our country.
Duty cannot honorably be avoided be-
cause it may bring pain or danger, nor
can responsibility always be evaded
| because of its burdens.
| THAT l sought in Paris by all honor
able means to escape this responsible
ity does not matter now. 1t came to a
point at last that we must either leave
the islands to Spain. take them as we
| did, or break off negotiations and come
home without treaty Of peace. In
the last event. the truce would be
| broken and state of active war would
have been resumed. We would have
had no cession of the sovereignty of
the Phippines, and none of Porto Rico,
and no REIMBURSEMENT Of the soyer-
eighty Of Cuba.
at is true that in the protocol of
August II, Spain had definitely promis-
ed that she would cede Porto Rico and
relinouish Cuba. but without a treaty
of peace that promise would not be
performed
| What would then have been the ex-
igence Of the situation? Unaeubted-