The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-11
epMuNDS ON EXPANSION.
constitutional and Traditional Obsta-
cles TO the New Policy.

What, then, in the present state OF
affairs Ia to be donef Are we to make
war upon the people of the Philippines as
Spain was doing, in order to subject
them to our dominion This apparently
we must do to make them people
whether citizens, subjects, or slaves) Of
the United States.
To justify this . decent respect to the
opinions of mankind" should compel our
government to state definitely the grounds
upon which we make the attempt We
have assured the nations of the globe in
the most solemn manner possible that
we made war not for conquest or extend :
ed dominion, but solely to set the people
of Cuba frse-of whom Congress declared
that "they were and of right ought to be
FREQ and independent"
AT that very time the Philippine rebel
lion was stron ger and better organized
than that of Cuba Recent events have
proved that the Philippine rebels are as
capable of self government rs the people
of Cuba. When the United States aided
in the attainment and recognized the
Independence of the Spanish provinces of
Central and South America our govern.
ment did not set itself up to be the final
judges of whether or not they were capa-
BILE of self government, although it was
perfectly well known that self-govern-
ment by the people of those provinces
could not be snch, and never could be
such, as the races and and inhabitants of
temperate zones could establish and
maintain.
10 force our dominion. then, upon the
people of the Philippines would be In op.
position to the everything principles on
which our own nation was founded, and
under which IL has in a little more than
a century grown SO great in an ever-in-
creasing native and homogeneous people,
established in q temperate zone of the
earth, and capable from this cause of
continuous development in industry, in
crease of knowledge, in social order. JUS
tice and morality II We now proceed to
conquer las probably We can at last, al
though Spain has failed to do 1t after
more than century of effortl what
sh all we say to them Is the motive of our
conduct?
How are we to explain it to the world.
having "a decent respect for the opinions
Of mankind" as jefferson and cur fathers
thought necessary in our Declaration of
Independence?
Can We be justified in forcing by the
sword our particular and excellent ideas
OF govern ment morality. and religion
upon these people as Mohammed did in
his religious wars and Us Spain did In. her
early operations ON this continent?
How will such of our bishops, priests,
and deacons" and religious newspapers
as have appeared to favor the scheme iin d
authority in the greatest and best Of all
books that have ever been given to man.
kind-the New Testament--for this new
enterprise now proposed for our republic!
All this people Of these islands who we're
the subjects Of Spain will became oitisens
Of the United States BY the mere act Of
cession unless the treaty of osssion should
provide that those who wished could re-
main SUBJECTS Of Spain and aliens as to
the United States This has been a
necessary rule Of International Law for
hund.sds of yeaes, and the rule 10 founded
upon the obViou6 tAot that the people OF
every country or-of aDy psrtN II must