The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-03-01
RESULTS OF THE WAR
Senator cushmaa K Davis on Its
Cause and Effect.
Work OF the Peace Commission at
Paris ApprOved-RetenfiOn of
Philippines an Ameri-y
II can Duty.

the Union League club OF chicago SEN
ator Cushman X. Davis, of Minnesota,
in speech which President Charles
Kendall Adams, of the University of
Wisconsin, later said would form part
of history, revealed for the first time in
public the workings of the Spanish and
American peace commissioners at Paris
and declared his belief that the United
States should continue to govern and
control the Philippine islands till such
time as this nation shall decide it safe
ly can give the archipelago freer and
better form of government. Senator
Davis spoke of the results of the war
with Spain, which he said were not con
templated in its beginning, as OF the
greatest Importance to the future of
this republic and calculated to prevent
the United States from becoming the
"China of the west" as he said it would
become if it permitted the other ma
tions of the world to extend their en-
pire over the portions of a, dismembered
China and become menace to the west
ern coast of this country. Senator
Davis said:
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Union League Club: The American people
and humanity within the last II months
have advanced an immeasurable distance
never to recede Nations, like individuals,
do not shape their own destinies. Wisely
as we may plan by constitutional require
ments, by statutory enactments, by party
policy, there come-whether by providence
or the evolutionary process-interventions
In the affairs of nations. AS said, we have
passed through an eventful 12 months, and
you will pardon me II say here-not in the
spirit of partisanship, but In just tribute to
a conspicuous public character who has
largely guided these momentous events
that regard President Mckinley, from
the complete equilibrium of his character
from his attentive observation of the die
tates Of that majestic public opinion by
which the results of all American issues
are finally determined, by his firmness
when course of action has been resolved
on, by his observance of the restrictions of
the constitution and the laws, as a charac-
ter altogether unique among American
presidents.
Mr.. President, the Spanish war was
Just and necessary war. 1t was sedulously
avoided by the United States. Against all
manner of provocation, of outrage to Amer
Aoan pIoperty anu american cltizenshlp'
asains. the taxing OIL the lVes ot Ameri-
can cIti@eis' the obstruction OF scores OF
nlililons ol property the american people
aostaineu from war until IL became lnols-
pensapie-hecessary not oniy Ior the cause
ol humanity, put lor hatlonai nonor' IL
was a humane war. 1t was war in the
interest of Christianity and civilization II
ovcreeu the eAternllndtlon OIL spain from
al her lhsular possessions III Doth neml-
spneres, ana all mankind knew-the nations
kneW-upon Wnicn sloe Oh that contest
humanity was
me results Oh that war were sudden and
Spectacular NO war was ever so shortly
enueu' no war was ever marked with such
totai ahIiihiidIioh Oh one Oh the opposing
,eorces. An9 Ilnany tne time came Wnen
Spain was opliseu 70 sue ior peacs' anu the
i,s eesult was .nat tne presloent Oh tne united
o'"Ies ehpo"e[eu hVe eitizehs 10 proceed
" aiis ~ enueaVor u nesotiaue hiai
tieaty Win tnat lio,iaichy' All VI the
nieniDeIs Vi lsie co'h,,lisslon, eAceptihs one,
VIZ men VI ho uiplohlatc eAperience
MIn, Mnateyer ine ohe eScep.ion was MT
Whiteiaw heiu, VINO nau nau great expert
ehce IN tnat way, ana whose counSels In
Iespe4ts were y. tne greatest assistance %
US we proceeueu 10 faris' ana met tnere
.he Spanlsh coMinissloners, ~ may De IN
.elesllhs " you u learh WhaI impressions
shey cIedteu upon me: Inc neao Oh tnat
uouy VI in1h @ was MI MohteIo [.ios, an aple
AWE, "no was casuis' VI such eAiii,
ueAterl.y anu suollety thal ms arsuhien.s
oIteh cohiouhueu anu puzIieu the @ unuer-
Stanuihs, ne nau race IKE an ascetnc'
~ was NJ up "ilh marVelous ihteiileehce'
ne couiu grasp conipiicateu als uihehe,
ana carry II quicker ana answer II more NOT,
reauny thah any man ever saw. me
olier ,ml inenpers Vi tiie opa.'isn commission
were iiAe"ise men VI srea' eAperiehce'
VI course, the terms OF tne treaty up 10
q certain point were plainly laid down by
the protocol which had been entered into
between spain and the United states In
August last, and the first point OF conflict
that we encountered was the insistence sf
Spanish commissioners that with the re-
hnquishment OF the sovereignty OF CUBA
should go an assumption by the United
States of the entire so-called colonial debt
of Cuba That debt amounted to 500, 100000.
or course, we rejected the proposition, and
we would have rejected 1t If that debt had
been 7OO cents. l had the honor myself OF
making an answer to an able argument OF
Senior Montero Rios that as matter of in
ternational law of course there should be
an apportionment of the debt, prorating
Of the matter by some scale which was
easy to adopt, and he had cited from the
treaty by which France ceded Alsace and
Lorraine, from the treaty by which Spain
had recognized the independence of the
South American republics. He cited many
instances where such an adjustment of the
colonial debt had been made, and from that
he endeavored to exhaust these matters of
special convention into matter of general
International law. To that we made one
answer; that the true principle was that
whenever the integrity of the original en-
pire remained, as in the case of Spain,
where any nation or people had risen in the