Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-05-04
ouRNAI-wIIM1NGToN. DELAWARE THURSDAY MAY q 1899.

in the South and spoke of the stain
llnon the State and also tho fxample,
holding that it would have been FAR
hetter to have punished the Offenders
through the regular channels ~ the
courts. He held that there wns no
advantage il in q sririt of revenge an
Injustice is avenged by violence and
thought nations should not resort 10
violence, He thought it possible to |
bring about an international law court.
Questions between the sovereign States
Of the United States of America are
settled by the Supreme Court, he SAID,
and we can push our civilization llttlo
further and have tho disputes between
the united states of the world settled
in the same manner. A comparatively
unknown citizen of Philadelphla,
Thomas Balsh, drew up a paa uneier
which the Alabama dispute was finally
settled, eight years before tho settle
mont took place. He took it TO presi-
dent Lincoln, who thought it could not
be carried into practice. Gladstone
was at the timo prime minister of Eng
land, and through his influence he
induced that country to have the matter
put in the Geneva court, where u was
settled by impartial. Intelligent, honest
minds. Why cannot moro be done;
| permanent international court estab
| lished? 1t is argued by some that there
| is no mower to enforce the decisions oil
such courts. | contend that there IS.
There have been many decisions 10y
courts of arbitration which havo beon
respected The cause for such respect
| is the power of public sentiment, and
| il permanent court should bo formed
precisely the same result would follow.
The decisions are given after. popular
| passion has had time to cool of and
public sentiment forces the nation
| losing the decision to accept tho result.
| In that direction we should turn our
efforts.
We went into this war for the liberia
i tion of Cuba from the bondage OF
Spain. The mass of people wanted to
4 do the right thing by Cuba, but tho
matter should have been settled with
out appealing to the sword. What was
the eject OF the war? 1t led on, stop
by step to war of conquest. a feeling
of greediness was aroused. We could
see it all over the country the moment
tho battle took place in Manila harbor.
The passion once aroused it came to he
thirst for conquest. What is the in.
fiuence working IN the Philippines
! From information | have from q source
; upon which | rely ii is not destiny.
believe that before Dewey was sem
there it was proposed to take them as Z
possible thing of value to exchange
,, with Japan or some other country If {
coalition should lie formed and such I
thing seemed like possibility. Th'
question was what value they would b.
10 us, and the idea of freedom wen
I more and more into the background
We did not tell the Filipinos that W
would aid them to set up govern
ment. We were not prepared to tel
! them such Il thing. The plan for tn
, Philippines is colonial policy. w
did not put ourselves in the same posi-
!, tion toward them as we assumed towar,
Cuba.
s We have been traitors to our ow
! vital principles. We bought from Spai
: the islands for S2O,000,000. withou
Y saying a word to tho islanders them
I selves. Tho President extended tn
= sovereignty OF the United States
= the islands without saying word I
2 the people as to what government "
7 would put there. Wo may say that the
y are unable to govern themselves, butt
= matter Of fact, they are not sue
4 savages as they are represented to b'
Z They have a constitution of their ow
y and want freedom. They have the
J. own government and have maintaine
!. order and peace. Put yourselves
/. their places and think of the positic
y they are in. I'D
y Mr.. Welsh read number of extrac
!. from soldiers in the army now in ii
q Philippines, some of which have bee
~ printed in these columns, showing Il
~ actual state of affairs, so far as the vi
- now being waged is concerned.
T. also quoted from letters to show TIL
~ the Filipinos arc intelligent as a rl
" and have laws and "a system of Cover
" ment, as well as system Of school
70 If you want to do the right thing
y men, he said, you will get better resul
| by approaching them in spirit
= !, honesty than in the attitude Of superi
T., authority.
~ 1t is with the United States, he sal
- whether we say we still believe in t
~ principles on which our prosperity
~ founded or the principle of putting in
;;pp operation the imperial system. In CO
4 clnsion, ho counselled arbitration al
~ thought the United States could sh,
~ = the world good example by advocate
- and adhering to that principle.
~ David Ferris closed the meeting wi
~ few remarks, in which he said
- cannot rob country of its libei
On without endangering our own.
~ ~ The society unanimously thanked t
~ speakers for their able addresses.
-.- q