The Portland daily press., 1899-10-11

ular service of the Congress began, the
large auditorium Of the Peoples church
being we'll filled.
Bishop whipple. now the senior bishop
of the American church presided and
welcomed the delegates. The topic OF the
house was: "Does National Expansion
Involve Imperialisma"
Bishop Henry q. Potter of New York
opened the formal discussion in the af-
1rmative
"Does National Expansion Imply I'm
perialism?' was this subjsot of the address
of Right Rev. Henry y. Potter. Bishop
of New York. Among other things he
said:
"Imperiallsm Is IN unfortunate word
In this discussion, because, of course, In
one sense, it has no appropriateness. The
best authorities define an imperialist as
meaning 'one who belongs to, or supports
an emperor, and imperialism as 'sys-
tenn or state of imperial government.
Now, whatever elsa may happen, the
hands on the clock of history do not
usually go backward, and nothing is, an
tooedently speaking, more improbable
than that a nation which has delivered
itself from the rule OF kings, and the
rights of the few as against the disabili.
ties OF the many will, being moreover a
people that has adopted the principle OF
universal suffrage, revert to system
which takes away that privilegs and pre-
Inits the government TO the will Of an
individual. which is substantially the
imperial idea,
"But whatever may be Improbable,
nothing 10 more entirely possible than
that nation which still preserves the
forms of democratic government may 10
time subordinate them to methods of its
ad M n Gf pNhfNh Left
Will bring in the substance Of impei ialism
along with them.'
Setting aside wuat had happened or
would happen, he sought to show how It
might come about by assuming situa-
tion which he thought conceivable. A
of islands Of which, practically, 1t knew
nothing. Some OF them, however, had
been maintaining long anu heroic
stuggle for freedom, and had tondly hoped
that their purchase by Republic would
be simply the prelude to the achievement
OF that end. Continuing, he said:-
Now 1t would seem at least reasonable
that the conquering or purchasing Re-
public should inaugurate its relations to
its new possessions by some conference
with its dominant peoples. But no, its
first word Is subieo tion, its first demand
surrender, its fret. second and third con-
ditions are: We will recognize nobody,
dictate all the terms The policy does
not work happily. These psstifsrous
wards OF the nation will not lay down
their arms; and these alien communities
instead Of hailing the stars and stripes
with wild delight. are actually insoient
rather salute flag Of their own. Let
us suppose, however, that the time comes
when this foreign Republic mas crushed
out the last ember of rebellion, and stifisd
every faintest note Of protest. The old
revolutionary Idea survives. the old pas
sion for freedom wakes anew. aud so the
new possessions must be vigorously gov
erned, there must be hosts Of troops, and
SCORES Of governors, and the organization
of armies and staifs and military courts
for nobody knows lust how many islands
How are these governments TO bs CON-
stituted? How 10 the chief ruler of the
distant Republic, In whom, as it happens,
there Ia vssted at any rate for the time
being, really despotio power, to attend to
all these matters? He happens usually.
with us, TO have task ON hand that OF
securing his own re-eieotioH, which,
naturally. absorbs n large share OF his
time; how can he be expected to neglsc
it for the care OF some wrstohed islands,
mainly peopled, as he Is told (theugh
unfortunately for him incorrsctly,) with
lot of ignorant nttls sniagers'f Or
rather, II he must give these some sort Of
attention, how can he make thsir CON-
quest and government q means OF
strengthening himself with his party.
and binding new adherents to great
and spontaneous movement for his re-
elsotlenf There ars a good msny people,
he knows, whose fidelity to the party Ii
| puEely a commercial question. There Is
| the sugar interest. and the tobacco inter-
est. and the kits-fiying interest, --by
which l mean every conceivable advent
ursr who stands ready with HIS particular
scheme in the Philippines-only waiting
for the opportunity 20 exploit them. And
he and such % be, for that is the most