Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-25

principles OF American liberty, and
we respect its courage, ability and
honesty on and in all things. It's
opposition to territorial expansion by
force, Imperialism and other hetero-
dox Innovations in the creed of Amer
lean patriotism and profession, has been
strong and steadfast, and In fine
article on "England's Game OF Grab"
IL expresses our own views so we'll that
we feel constrained to give the follow
Ing extact from it:
One Of the first fruits OF the Nc
h1nley policy OF annexation and con-
quest is the clouding of the moral Wis
ION on questions of national right and
wrong by substituting selfish and ma
terlal considerations for the great
which the American people have been
accustomed to form their judgments.
a few years ago such war as we
are wagfng in the Philippines would
nave been deemed impossible on the
part of the American people. Even
President Mckinley is on record as
denouncing the policy which he now
sion." But now that he has forced
the country into this odious role, 1t
is impossible for him and his support
ers to express indiscreet sympathy
with th9i cause of freedom anywhere.
The cause of freedom is no longer as
important with the American imper-
ialist as the cause of commercial de-
velopment and material acquisition. In
short they have abandoned the stand
ards and principles that were dis
tinctively American to initiate the
methods and policies which are dis
unctively English. In thus undong
the work of the Revolution and of a
hundred years of freedom, and con-
verting the United States into an i'm
itation of Great Britain, we fail to
realize the dangers rs we'll rs the
criminality OF the course upon which
we are entering. The path OF. national
conquest and aggression terminates
eventually in disaster and ruin. The
experience OF history. repeated over
and over again, points this moral
with mournful emphasis. England's
empire. great and solid as it seems,
Is weak in it's foundations. and must
be defended everywhere and at all
times by bayonets and cannon. And
there may conn, n time when, like the
house built upon the sands, 1t will
fall to pieces under the pressure of n
storm too great to be resisted. We
have everything to lose and little to
gain by following her. brilliant but
dangerous example For her policy
there is at least the excuse of n geo
graphical situation and natural condl-
tons that make her dependent to n
large extent upon the outside world
For us there is no such excuse. 4
vast continent, sufficient for our sup
port and development is ours, and we
need possessions in no other part of
the globe TO feed our population or to
provide purchasers for our industries.
which have already made their way,
unassistcd by fleets or armies. into the
markets even OF Great Britain her
self. There is no reason, therefore,
why we should make her our model.
In sr'e of the unjustiGable attitude
of criminal aggression" which Nc
Kinley and his advisers have for the
time forced the country to assume
there is good ground for the belief
that n great majority of the people of
the United States are still true to
their national traditions and that
their sympathies are still With the
cause of human liberty and freedom,
whether 1T be in the Philippines or the
Transvaal,