The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-16


European rapacity. The powers of
Europe would acquiesce in our taking
them. but they would not stand by and
see them in their helpless condition of
anarchy and disorder without seizing the
opportunity to aggrandize themselves;
and so IL was thought best by the Presi-
dent and his advisers to take the cession
of their sovereignty from Spain and hold
it in trust, to be administered in con-
formity to those high ideals and liberty
loving traditions which animate and
glorify the history Of our country.
"Duty cannot honorably be avoided be-
causc it may bring pain or danger. Nor
can responsibility always be eyaded be-
cause of its burdens.
.I.hat sought in Paris by all honorable
means TO cscapc this responsibility. does
not muttcr now. II came to n point MT last
that we must either leave the islands
TO Spoiu take them as we did. or break
off negotiations and como bomc wthout
a treaty of peace. In the last event the
truce would be broken, and state Of ac-
tive war would have been resumed. We
would have had no cessiou of the sovcr-
eighty Of the Philippines. and none of
Porto Rico. and no relinouishment of the
sovereignty of Cuba. If is true that in
the protocol of August 18th, Spain had
definitely promised that she would cede
Porto Rico and rclinouish Cuba, but
without a treaty of peace that promise
would NOT be nerformcd. What would
then have been the exicence of tho situa-
ton? Undoubtedly we would have been
compelled to 90 on, and seize with the
the PhiIIppine archipclaco and the great
er and lesser Antilles. Taking by ruth
less conouest what if was far bcttcr thot
we should take by the voluntary ces-
sion of a treaty of pcace.
"Rut now TINT we have thcm If does
not follow that we ore committcd to ,
colonial policy or to n violation of those
creat prnciplcs of liberty and self gov
crnment which must nlways remain
American ideals If our own free insti-
tutions are to endure.
mo one claims that the Deople of Cubn
are in condition to renljze those ideals
at the present time. No more nre the
philippnos camille now unoidcd of
achieving self-roycrnment and n st,bIc
condition of liberty regulated by law. To
take from Spoin her titl,lor soycrciyntv
will not prevent but will the rather nro.
mote n disposition of the whole ouestion
in conformity with the notriotic imnulsc. :.
"a olc hhitric'h peop'e. ihal We nave
tne i'sn' W "'a"i,e 'ti'io,s pS coh-
Io,'. y, treaty "iueI 'he CONSTITUTIONS
"hu ,' .n"' u'.'oha'tio t"inol W H"e-
cessiui'S u'Sru'eu' NO more can ~ pe
1ei'eu 'hat 'iie ,oilsts'u'ioh nus ieit 10
e"i's,'ss 'hc po"ef anu 'u'horita ~ W so'-
eim .hc .e'rl'or! 80 hcqu,'eo. Inht tne
l'.hers III 'iiiis !he constitution elt
.his great power OIL hatiolial sovereign
1t! uiin"st "i,ho", 'r"h'ii.ei VI restraint
~ ,iie re.'rni government, - surrey n.y.
WITHOUT slshiheaiice. III adaitoh TO sHch
sc"ht restrtih' III tue exercise oi theSe
powers us Nia! pe ie'ha eAl.esSea Ill IN"
'ohS.i''i,ion' vi hs "'iei.i'ieh'S' thrs
h!a''ilestiy 'rus!'u " me WiS1unl' patri-
c'ism ana inc hlsh sense OF puhi,e moral
"5 Oh the Nhier'eHh pcople ~ oeai WIN
ehch case us the occasioh required
Nenhrr .ne iieSiu'hl hor 'h,, tlt"tS
n''"e ns MS a"'iuii,s' u"'i'ih.is 'ie iiI'-
| n"il Oh act!oh OIL inc american Pcolie'
or oi i'll" congress- III ADMINISTERING 'nis
n,Sh l'us. oh 'i,e 1'h'S Irest'ipeu ny
righteousness ana Eohorapie observance
oi the great anu iui!uahieH'hi prihcipies
| OF government enuhciateu III the aee!afa-
ton OF inhependehce.,
NO country, hhu thls country least OF
an can aiorh 10 'raiilne on us lariis'
nave no rear th"' IL VIII 40 So With-
ont assuming i9r moment any r'ght 10
| speak tQr me Ifes'dent, tnhk ! can
assure you, Win some kho"ieuge WHERE
| 81 4 SPEAK, that ne iully hRpreoiates sthe
| duties aud RESPONSIVENESS oi the sltma-
tlon' ana that ne is cohim''tcd 10 no poiicy
calculated to discourage mn"h less ssr!ke
down the aspirations or nihf's-l0'ihs
people al over the Woriu. ! heio'9 10
| dIterent p"llticai phr.y' o"t ! saonin ne
| 1nlsc I" my sense OF justice. ana '" ,n'tt
! pride winch feci MS an American IL 1
did not declare my confidence IN me pa
triotism and purity or purpose OF Whham
Mckinley. lie Is no 's,lrprr or power,
no stranger To American inSti,i,'phs' put
one "' lhe American pe"l"e c'''i'n " ms
high once ny their SURFACES ana IL would
he strange indeed II he ana not snare TO
the fullest extent III the love or our Con
stitntion and the principles that under
| lie 1T. When less t''an TINS can De lfntn-
fully said of an American PRESIDENT, 1t
| will he The beginning or the chd or our
| great career aS nation. fut the sol'l-