The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
PAN DUrY N rnE pH1LrrrlNEs
Speech of Peace Comminsioner George Gray
at the Ohio society Dinner.

In honor Of the Peace Commissioner the
Ohio Society named them It's guests at the an
nual dinner held at the Waldorf-Astoria last
night, The commission was represented by
two OF is members. senator George Gray OF
Delaware and Whltelaw Reid. More than 200
guests sat down to the dinner. The main
speech OF the evening was by Senator Gray, the
Democratic member Of the commission who
strongly advocated the holding OF the Philip
pines. He was introduced by the President of
the society. Milton /. Southland. Senator Gray
said:
The Peace Commission has no secrets to
disclose. Our actions throughout the neGotla-
tions were In line with American tradition Of
diplomacy, We were not masters OF tricRery
and intrigue. We sought to meet the Old
Worlds diplomatic methods with straiRhtfor-
ward American craftsmanship. tApplause.l
Whatever differences we may have had In our
council chambor-and we had m~any-there was
but a solid and single Commissioner when we
met the enemy. In that presence we remem-
bered only our duty to our country and united
all our efforts In accomplishing the best results
for the nation. There. may have been, grave
doubts as e whether, we should ae.
% %ere be sno that mtti We!sRosld a esxtssnnIii our Mh ruIs OUT IT.
In those negotiations when. after Ave weeks of
must be broken of and we be compelled to
seize SPANS territory by the ruthless hand OF
magnanimity OF our country. acquire those
lands by fair purchase from a fallen enemy.
the enemy in their day OF distress. and the
matter was SO arranged,
This being so. could form no other opinion
on the matter than that we must acquire those
islands and hold them in trust for the peoples
who haye never known law and liberty. lAp-
Of those who. pointing to the Declaration OF In
dependenee, declare that there can be no Just
erned. What would. the consent Of the. gov
e t6nt 4 a WnnIa h to In N this ease tba p9 fRns we ea kn9w
Who yHnS for 100 years "a have Known f"1 no ' government pqneiSt
m 6%t that of Spain t should liII realize what tSs liberty liberty
General Merritt Laprlanscl and OF Admiral
Dewey. lApplause.l We have been holding
at war there with those whom we mean 10
help. What are we to do nowf Let us see to
the world be carried, out to the end. Let us
show these poor people that we have brought
s saf% tn tSo llS sre go Iof aE YhIse t an1 w iEEp9srq fRayy
can obtain in no other way but through us.
Though they have turred on us, their bene-
patience. We will give them law and liberty at
al hazards. and we wont 90 back on the prin7
We can't sail away from those islands now.
Whatever we might have done In October or
first grasping European. power that comes
along to secure them under its flag, There is
no going back now This is not the time to
stop, We've got those islands. We've got EN-
bad (laughterl. and we're going to live through
it with or without foreign interference. We
are going ahead. and in so doing we may
Our conduct In the end can bring nothing. but
blessings to the Flipinos, such as they have
never even hoped for in. the centuries. past.
sacrifice due from q higher civilization to
a Hover. II the Filipinos are not capable OF
self;;goyernment we must remain in the islands
until they become so. We have driven. out
Spain from the. Philippines, We shall drive
out anarchy and barbarism also. [Cheers.l