The times., 1899-01-12

ernmental purpose when in war you take
it by conquest TO despoil. weaken and de-
strOy your enemy; and it is equally the
acquisition of territory for governmental
purpose when, at the conclusion of war
with bankrupt nation they have nothing
with which to indemnify you except only
territory, and you take it on that account.
These are all constitutional purposes, and
no consent of the people is necessary in
any of them.
But. MIR President. what are we TO
think? Is it possible that this great and
powerful nation of ours. powerful in peace
and powerful IN war, and to be powerful,
We trust, in the commercial world. has no
power to subserve its own necessary and
constitutional purposes except only by
the consent of the people who may. for the
time being, be affected? l utterly re-
pudiate any such doctrine.
Why, MIR. President. this Government
as / have undertaken to point out has
unqualified and unrestricted power TO ac-
quire territory by treaty. When you ac-
quIre territory by treaty, is not that ac-
quiring 1t for n constitutional purpose? II
the Chief Executive CT the nation sign,
and the Senate of the United States ratify
treaty, agreeing that territory shall be
acquired in a given case. are We to assume
that it was not a constitutional purpose
have violated the Constitution? Is the
purpose in such case open to question?
We were talking about Canada this
morning. Suppose. Mr.. President. the cor
dial relations. with which We are all so
much gratified. that are existing now be-
tween Canada and the mother country and
this country should continue, and that in
the course of events there should be de-
velopments of such a character as TO show
1dT
countries to annex Canada to the United
States, we would certainly have authority
under the Constitution to negotiate and
ratify and put into force such a treaty,
and if We put ii in force-I mean if we
thus acquired Canada. and acquired it to
promote the interests of both countries,
and particularly those of our own country
would that not be constitutional pur-
pose? Take the preamble of the Constitu-
tion and read il. Would not the promotion
in that way of our national interests be
within the meaning of that Constitution?
Most clearly it would. In such a case there
would doubtless be full consent.
But. suppose that, on the contrary in
stead OF these relations ripening into that
kind of a result there should be an es-
arrangement that would end in hostility
and war, and it should be necessary for
this country to march its armies across
the border to take Canada, or part of
Canada by conquest, to straighten out the
line for instance, between the northern
boundary line of Maine and the northern
boundary of the lakes. TO take it by way
of indemnity or by conquest. just as you
might take it in case of war, | ask would
not that be q constitutional acquisition
of territory?
III that be constitutional purpose and
il be so constitutionally acquired, can We
not govern it without stopping to count
how many people there are and to know
whether or not they are hostile TO us-as
probably that people would be in view of
our taking their territory in that manner
or without stopping to inquire whether or
not the people against whom we have
been waging war, whose country we have
found it necessary TO take away from
them and add to our own. if consulted.
would give, formally or otherwise, their
assent to the proposition? 1t seems TO
me. with all due Difference TO the distin-
guished senators who advance the prop
osition. that it is absolutely untenabe.
Il am willing TO trust the Administra-
tion; | am willing to trust the institutions
Of this Government and the people of this
Government to do justice by the Fiiipinos.
l have no sympathy whatever, Mr.. Presi-
dent, and do not believe the Administra-
ti9n has, with the war which some peop
talk about making on Aguinaldo and mis-
followers in their struggle for liberty and
independence, and l have no sympathy
whatever with the talk that is INDUCED
in in some places about making war on
Gomez and his followers, who have been
struggling for the Liberation of Cuba. In
due time all that will be reached and con-
sidered, but l say now that this Ease, as
every other case, must stand or fa!l upon
its own merits and be measured by its own
facts. conditions and circumstances.
L know whereof speak when / say that
of the Dur things We had the choice OF
the islands back to Spain.
giving them to other countries. leaving
them to anarchy or taking them ourselye,
the President acted most wisely when he
concluded that We should take them our
selves; and he comes now and says when
he submits his treaty, You put me TO
war. here is the result: here are these
people: do with them as you like II il
for the Congress of the United States to
investigate and find out about the islands
Of the Philippines. what kind of inhabi-
tants they may have. whether. or not they
are capable Of government, and whether
or not they want government or whether
or not only few want government"