New-York tribune., 1899-04-17
cP1ppLIyG THEIR GOVERNMENT.

Mr. Roosevelt made some remarks NJ 'hlcdeo
which are worth remembering. and happen 10
bc peculiarly timely Just now. He held up 10
nublc contempt the men who have been voting
for wears and are voting still to deprive the
Government of an adequate Army and Navy
and iustly saws that an ineffaceable brand or
shame would rest upon them If the interests or
tho honor of the Nation should thereby be sac
rificed In any emergency. Just at this moment
# happens that a few troops and another naval
vessel ought to be placed at Apia without delay
but neither men nor vessels are available. WORD
comes that the Spanards are about to cvacuate
Mindoro and another island in the Philippines
as soon as American forces are prepared 10 take
nossession and maintain order. but with the
musterIng-out Of volunteers and the refusal of
Congress to provide for adequate increase of
the Army II is doubtful how soon troops for
the occupation can be spared.
Everybody understands that desire to Grip
pie the Government is in part due to motives
which men suppose to be patriotic. They have
settled 1t in their private minds that the Gov
ernment cannot wisely and should not take part
In the worlds affairs outside the limits of the
United States. To involve the Nation in any
responsibility whatever for the affairs of Cuba
or Hawaii or the Philippines is to their minds
sin, and since the rest OF the people think other
wise these guardians Of the Nation would tie
its hands and feet, so that II cannot do what
most Of the people consider its duty. To real
ize what that sort Of so-called patriotism
means. let it be remembered that there were in
habitants of Northern States in 1861 who sim
cerely believed that the Nation had no right TO
suppress the Rebellion Their duty was never
theless to uphold the Government of the major
ity. and most of them did so. But some set
themselves to thwart and defeat the Nation and
TO deprive 1t of power, and thus In effect to
make the Rebellion successful Patriotic pro-
fessions did not make them the less traitors,
and when caught I'm acts of hostility to the
course upon which the peoples Government had
decided they were punished as traitors. In
free government, as In any other, II is a crime
TO refuse loyal obedience and support TO the
course upon which the Government has decided.
The men who voted this year to cripple the
United States because they were hostile to the
course which the majority Of the people consid-
cred a duty had no better excuse than traitors
have been able to give In every land and age.
Their duty was to uphold the Government its
interests and its honor, to see that 1t has all
needful power for the protection Of interests
majority deliberately chose and to submit their
own preference or conviction about methods 10
the decision OF the sovereign power. Refusal
by them is simply treason to free government.
If they conspire to cripple their Government.
SO that ii shall not be able to carry out with
honor and safety the will of the majority, 1t is
a crime. Opposition to the policy proposed. so
long as the question is still open for discussion,
is the right of free citizen. But 1t is the part
of a traitor 10 cripple his Government because
lie believes the decision of the people Will be
against him.
There will rest an ineffaceable brand of dis
grace upon all who have thus denied or tried to
deny to the United States the naval and mill
tary power required for its new place in the
world. Whether men Ike or dislike the broad
enng OF National and individual responsibilities
which the Spanish war has brought. they are
bound in honor and by the oath Of citizenship TO
uphold their Government. TO submit to the con-
stitutonally expressed will OF the people and to
give to 1t all the power that may be necessary