New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1900-10-20
CARL SCHURZ'S GREAT SPEECH AT
COOPER UNION HALL, SEPT. 2Sth.


Speaking of our attitude tOwar,
the Philippines, and the politica
out look of the day, Carl Schur
said in part:
"Some imperialists pretend tina
the purchase of Louisiana by Jeffer
son and the legislation connected
with it furnish a precedent fully
covering the principles Of Mr.. Nc
Kinley's policy with regard t(
Porto Rico and the Philippines
This | emphatically deny. What
ever that temporary Legislation may
have been, is there anybody brazer
enough to assert-and this is the
essential, the true point-that il
was the spirit and intent of Jeffer-
sons act and Of the legislation re,
ferring to it to hold the acquired
territory perpetually as a vassal
dependency outside of our constitu-
tional system subject to arbitrary
rule by the president or congress
Does anybody dare to deny that it
was the understood intent and ex-
pectation that the territory of
Louisiana would be filled by people
substantially our own who would
form out of it American states
clothed with the full measure of
constitutional rights' Whoever
denies this or equivocates about it,
only seeks to falsify history, to
slander Thomas jefferson, and to
deceive the American people.
Nay, so little did the American
people, until recently, mean to ex-
pand our territory without purpos-
ing correspondingly to extend our
constitutional system that, when
San Domingo was offered to us, the
offer was rejected by an overwhelm-
ing public opinion, mainly because
it was believed that that tropical
country and its present and pros
pective inhabitants were not fit to
come under our constitution, while
they could not be permanently
governed outside of it.
When the time came for deter
mining the future of the Philip
pines in the peace treaty with the
common enemy our president,
having nothing but justice and
and civilization in his
mind, of course promptly invited
the Filipinos, who had rendered
such good service against the COM
mon enemy, to acquaint him with
their views and wishesi Any just
and benevolent man would have
been eager to do this. Alas, our
president did not think of it. But
when the Filipinos asked to be
heard, he at least kindly gave them
audiencei No, not even that. He
coldly turned his back upon them.
And then, behind doors tightly
shut against our Filipino allies, the
president, through his peace COM
mission, bargained with the de-
feated common enemy from whom
the Filipinos had wrested the in
terror of their native land, for the
Philippine islanders at So a head
from Spanish foreign rule to Ameri-
can foreign rule. And he did this
while he knew that Spain had not
only morally forfeited her sover-
eighty over the Philippines by her
misrule, as we had held in the case
Of Cuba, to the inhabitants of the
but that Spain had actually
lost that sovereignty in the war
carried on in great part by the
Filipinos, and could not deliver it.
Nobody can deny this. 1t is history.
What! Such a thing was done
by the president of this great
republic, the child of the
declaration of independence, the
champion Of liberty and justice in
;he world, the guiding star of
lberty-loving mankind' In the
name of this republic he
BOUGHT A PEOPLE LIKE A HEAD OF
CATTLE
rom q defeated common enemy
against whom by the side Of our
lag those people had VIGOROUSLY
ought for their freedom and in
Yes, he did that very
hing, without even listening to
hem, and he now asks the Ameri-
IAN people to declare by their
solemn votes that it was we'll done,
ind that they approve it.
American citizens, | appeal to you
n all soberness-what would you
rave said three years ago, before
he imperialistic poison had cor
.upted your blood-what would you
rave said if anybody had predicted
'uch a thing as possiblei There is
lot man among you who would
lot have declared such a prophet |
il for the madhouSe.