The times., 1899-01-10

mere VINO dld not want 10 De SOHtIHeu
by us But without their consent. and
with them incapable of consertins We
have nevertheless gone On and iess.ated
for them and governed them, and nov 1t
last have brought many Of them TO
state where they have blcome citizens
and incorporate with US. Ii you attempt
to make ! literal application OF this do
trine," Senator Platt asked. what an
swer do you make when the Indian raises
his voice.
The Underlying Principle.
1T is the principle underlying the D c.
laration Of Independence; it is the spirit
of it which gives life, and the letter which
kills. There is no disposition in any guar
ter and never Will be in this country. to
inaugurate legislation Tor any peop,e
dwelling uron any territory which we
may acquire, except in the spirit of the
Declaration of independence. and in the
spirit OF our Constitution.
Il am one" continued Senator Platt,
who believes we shall not have done a
great wrong to humanity; that we shall
not have imperiled our institutions; that
We shall not have rurg the doom OF re-
| publican institutions. if we extend over
! the people who reside in the territories
which we may acquire those principles
| which protect them in their lives, which
protect them in their properties, which
| will protect them i'll their efforts to Sc
| cure happiness, and the American Senate
! and the American House is not going TO
| legislate in any other spirit.
Senator Caffery interrupted Senator
| Piatt at this point and wanted to know
whether we would force the government
| he had just been mentioning upon the in
| habitants of any territory we might ac-
| quire, if they should decline TO be govern
/ ed by the principles of our government.
! Senator PIatt replied that that was a
part Of the argument of the Senator from
| Massa achusetts, and also made the other
day by the Senator from Louisiana tCaf-
/ fery). which, if he understood it, meant
that we could net exercise even our war
| power in the United States: that we could
/ not defend ourselves in war by going into
| the enemys territory unless we inquire
| beforehand whether the people Of that ter
! ritCry that we may conquer are willing we
should come there. This was fair state
meni of the argument, he declared, and
a statement of the argument contained its
answer.
Senator Platt said he had not been one
| TO desire the war. but he stood against it
as long as he could. He had felt that the
/ cause of free government in Cuba might
| be recognized by diplomacy. The moment
war was declared. however. he was for his
| country, and fer pressing the war forward
| TO its successful conclusion. Continuing.
/ he said: Over in the bay of Manila was a
! third of the Spanish feet and to allow
/ that feet TO join the home fleet of Spain
/ and come against our fleet would have
/ put us perhaps at a disadvantage. The
/ Conmander-in-chief of the army and
| navy of the United States sent forth the
/ message to Admiral Dewey to destroy the
! Spanish fleet at Manila. We had no
/ thought Of the consequences. There was
the enc thing which in the war we We're
| compelled to do and gloriously was it
! done
| is there an American citizen upon
! whose cheek the blush of shame would not
| have mounted if those ships had been call
1 ed away when their work was done?
The Hand of Providence.
| Nay. more. l believe that back of it
I all was the hand OF Providence. This war
( might have been avoided had it not been
/ that on one night our ship. the Maine
lying at anchor peacefully in the harbor
Of Havana, was in a moment destroyed
and her crew launched into eternity
Human foresight could not have contem-
plated that. Human foresight could not
have foreseen the result OF that action
which took place in Manila Bay. II was
/ the hand of Providence and We must ac-
accept it or be derelict in our duty.
Il believe the same force was behind
our army in Santiago and our ships at
Manila Bay that was behind the landing
of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, l be-
lieve VIC have been chosen to carry on
and carry forward this great work of up
lifting humanity on earth.
From the time of the landing on Ply
mouth Rock, in the spirit of the Declara-
tion Of independence, in the spirit Of the
Constitution of the United States. be-
lieying that all men are equal and en-
dowed by their Creator with inalienable
rights; believing that governments derive
their just powers from the consent of The
governed, we have spread that civiliza-
ton across the continent, until it stood
at the Pacific Ocean looking further west
ward.
The English speaking people, the
agency through which humanity is TO bt
uplifted. and through which despotism /:
TO go down; through which the right.
of man are TO prevail, is charged with this
great mission. Providence has put il upol
US. We propose TO execute it. We pro
pose TO proclaim liberty in the Philippine
Islands. II we take them we propose Il
guarantee justice and the protection o
! rights wherever our flag is planted.
Who will haul those principles down
NO, | say. this is man OF straw whicl
, has been conjured up here-dressed il
the imagery Of the senator from Massa
chusetts and then assailed By him. / d
: not intend TO be led into any reply.
| simply desire TO say that there can be n
| false issue made here. We cannot be ac
cused of not loving liberty. justice. eqUalit
: and the rights of man with love as pur
and as earnest and as unselfsh as th
senator from Massachusetts.
with that love in our hearts and tn
| traditions of the past in our eyes and wit
duty ever before us, We shall meet thes
questions as they arise and for one.
shall meet them both in the spirit of tn
Declaration Of Independence and the spiri
| | OF the Constitution of the United States
2 Honr's Reply TO PIatt.
Senator Hoar arose to reply when Sena
i, tor Morgan, who had the right of the foo
t for the Nicaragua Canal bill. said h
/ would like to know how long the debat
= was going to proceed. Senator Hoar re
S piled that he would like three minute,
Il and Senator Morgan replied with a smil
y that he would yield the senator three min
= utes.
Senator Hoar said he would sum up hi
p proposition in this way: He would adm
5 that We had a right to acquire territor
n for constitutional purposes. and could hOl
1 land and govern men on it for the consti
0 tutional purpose OF a seat OF governmen
g He however, denied the right to hold Ian
j or acquire any property for any purpose
not contemplated by the Constitution.
@ To be governors Of a foreign peopl
5 against their VIII, was not, he ma ntainet
= a constitutional purpose. but on the cor
II trary. was expressly forbidden by the Cor
T,,- 1.a 4 ~, .F,,I