St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-06-06

hlDCl1(d3 Cl1u III IhN anu
uer of the best and noblest civilization
"What was the result Of this second
Spanish discovery of America? The I'M
mediate result was, that in Manila bay,
Dewey destroyed ten battleships, fight
ing ships of Spain, and thus his fleet be-
came the May Day Queen OF all the ma
lions in the world, and on the southern
coast of Cuba, SIMPSONS fleet sank
the Christobal Colon, the Maria Teresa,
the Furor and the Terror, and Others, six
in all, and in two hours and half took
1900 prisoners, destroyed $40, 1000, 900
worth OF Spanish property, and left 500
Spaniards dead, in their ships, and all
this to answer to the cowardly destruc-
tion of one white ship, the Maine, that
anchored in peace in the harbor OF Ha-
vana. That, comrades, ten in Manila
Bay and six in Cuba, 16 in all, was the
first and only time in my life, that l ap-
proved of the ratio of 16 to Il!
Now observe this element of heroism in
our national life, in it's active manifesto
ton, naturally and inevitably leads to
expansion. That is, more comes of it
than we expect. Heroism OF the right
sort is always under the direction of
Providence. And when Providence has
hand in the affairs of men, no one can
predict beforehand inst what the out
come will be.
"We dared to buckle on our armor to
rescue Cuba from it's oppression and gal
ling servitude. That was all that we
set out to do; it was all that we had in
mind to accomplish, But one thing, I'M
sel6shly and grandly done is simply the
proof that we are worthy of larger and
weightier responsibilities. The Lord
says to nations as we'll as individuals
We'll done, thou good and faithful serv-
ant: thou hast been faithful over few
things, will make you ruler over many
things That is law of expansion. The
instinct OF expansion, as Matthew Arm.
old has we'll said, is the basis of human
civilization. The Philippine Islands are
ours through the heroic and expansive
energy of the nation. We could not help
having them, no more than the flowers
and the meadows can help having the
sun in spring as he comes up from the
south and hangs over them with his light
and warmth! They were not sought af-
ter, but were thrust upon us in the Prov
idence of God; and there has not been a
time since Dewey's guns Numbered in
Manila Bay, that we could draw out
from and leave them to themselves,
without calling down upon ourselves the
censure and condemnation OF wise and
thoughtful men. know there are few,
here and there who shed tears over the
fact that the Filiplnos have come under
our control. They are inclined to say,
Poor things, how we pity you, that
you are, to be subjects of the American
government; it is an awful calamity!'
My comrades, l congratulate those far
off islanders that they are to be under
the protection and guardianship of the
best government that Gods sun ever
shone upon. l congratulate them that
they have escaped from the despotisms of
Spain and from their own incapacity for
sel-government, and are hencetorth to be
trained in the ways of a citizenship,
which corresponds to that which we en-
Joy A stronger, and believe higher
will than ours set us in that distant arch
ipelago. What if the divine purpose be
the extension of our free institutions and
all that is best in our civilization
throughout the Orient. AS the object of
the divine government of the world seems
to be, according to Lessing, the educa-
ton of the human race, what if we are
called to be the agents OF that purpose in
the Philippine islands? Who knows?
These things are too high for US. But
know and you know that we cannot be
true to ourselves or loyal to the new OBJ
legations that have come upon us, unless
we recognize that this last expansion of
our Republic is summons to work for
the material, intellectual and moral ele-
walton of the Filipinos, to teach them to
practice in ever. growing measure the un-
wonted lessons of self-government, and
by so doing to make our flag, which is
already the symbol OF irresistible power,
the star of promise and the emblem of
benediction to all the oppressed peoples
OF the benighted Orient. All! it is said,
we must have their consent Well, that
depends! When it is my purpose to do a
man good, l am not obliged to get his
consent. l go ahead, in spite of his pro-
test, and tell him that, whenever and
wherever l can, shall attempt to do
him good. If it is our purpose as a ma.
ton to do the Filpnos good, that settles
the matter of consent. We are not OBJ
liged to call a general convention of the
people and get them to vote on the ques-
ton, whether they will consent to have
the help and good of a better government
and a higher civilization than they ever
dreamed of. The good we desire to do
men is not handicapped either by their