The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-08

amended. Personally. I have no doubt
that our Constitution gives full right and
authority to hold and govern the Philip
pines without making them either eco
nomiCally or politically part Of our sys-
TEN.
"Fuuther than the acts and the policy
which ] have Just stated. ! can only give
my own opinion and belief as 10 the fu-
ture and as Co. the course TO be pursued
en- the Philippines hope and believe that
we shall retain The islands. and that. peace
and order once restored We shall and
should re-establish civil government. be-
ginning with me towns and villages.
where the inhabitants are able to manage
their own affairs. We should give them
honest administration. and prompt and et-
fcient cClrts. We should see TO It that
there is autirs protection 10 persons and
property. in order 90 encourage the deYel-
opmeut of the islands by the assurance
Il safei, 20 investors Of capital All men
should Doe protected in the free exercise
u Their religion. and the doors thrown
open % missionaries Of all Christian sects.
The land which belongs TO the ncople.
anC Of which they have been robbed in
TIE past. should be retutned to them and
.deir titles made secure. We should in
augurate and carry forward in the most
system of popular education.
Development and Home Rule.
Finally while we bring prosperity to
The islands by developing their resources,
We should. as rapidly as conditions will
permit. bestow upon them self-government
and home rule. Such. in outline, is the
policy which l believe can be and will be
M
require time. patience honesty, and abili-
ty for its completion, but il is thoroughly
practicable and reasonable.
The foundation Of IL all is the retention
of the islands by the United states. l shall
not argue our title TO the islands by the
law Of nations. for il is perfect No other
nation has ever questioned it. 1t is too
plain q proposition to warrant the waste
OF time and words upon it. Equally plain
is our right under the Constitution, by q
treaty which is the supreme law Of the
land. to hold those Islands.
AS to eXpediency the arguments in
favor Of the retention Of the Philippines
seem TO me so overwhelming that l should
regard their loss as q calamity TO cur trade
and commerce and to all our business in
terests so great that no man can meas
ure il.
Our opponents put forward as their
chisf objection that We have robbed these
people Of their liberty and have taken them
and hold them in defiance of the doctrine
of the Declaration of Independence, in re-
gard 20 the consent OF the governed. As 10
liberty. they have never had II. and have
none now. except when We give it to them
protected by the flag and the armies Of the
United States Their insurrection against
Spain, confined % one island. had been ut
terly abortive and I'D never have re-
vived or been surccs- while Spain con-
trolled the sea We have given them all
the liberty they ever had We could not
have robbed them OF H. for they had none
to lose.
The second objection as to the consent
Of the governed requires more careful eK-
because OF the persistency with
which it has been made the subject OF
heated defamation. / cannot hope to rival
the eloQuence and the oratury which have
been devoted to this point but l shall try
TO make plain and simple statement In
regard TO it, lighted on my way by the
facts Of history. and If not, like so many
OF our opponents, a master of rhetoric. at
least I shall go forward undazzled by its
deceptive radiance.
Consent of the Governed.
1t has been stated over and over again
that We have done great wrong in taking
these islands without the consent of the
governed, upon which, according to Ameri-
can principles, all just government rests.
The consent Of the governed! 1t is fair
phrase and runs trippingly upon the
tongue. but l have observed a great lack
Of definite meaning in those who use it
most. ! have always thought it well in dis
cussing any subject to know as a prelimi-
nary precisely what we mean by word or
a phrase.
What do we mean by the consent Of
the gOyernedP We quote it from the Dec
laration Of independence. What did Jeffer-
son mean by the phrase? Some persons
say that he meant the consent Of all Of the
governed. Others that he meant the con-
sent Of some Of the governed. Sentiment
seems to be with the former amendment
TO Jeferson's language; the facts appear
to be with the latter But neither all nor
some are in Jefferson's famous sentence.
Nor IS there any indication Of how the con-
sent is to be obtained or expressed. al
though the present especial guardians OF
the Declaration seem to assume that 1t
must be by a vote.
Mr. Lodge then outlined the kind OF
government which jefferson was engaged in
setting up. and said that, corresponding to
sentence would read something like this:
"Just government must rest upon the
consent Of the white male governed who
have the right to vote according to the
laws OF the various colonies.
Mr.. Lodge then reviewed at length our
former acquisitions Of territory and pointed
out that in each instance there was the
same absence of any reference to the con-
sent Of the governed. Taking up the ar
gument that self-government is being de-
MED to the Filipinos, he said that TO give
self-goyernment to a people
who have no just conception CT it. and no
illness for IT, is 20 dover them with a curse
Instead Of a blessing.
Mr.. Lodge then sketched the history
Of the Philippines from their first occu-
patton to the present time. He described
the events leading up to the in
surrecion, making particular reference to
the relations existing between Admiral
Dewey and Aguiualdo. Referring to the
Admirals written statement that he had
entered into no alliance with Aguinaldo,
Mr.. Lodge said it had been misquoted
and attempts had been made TO have II
He denounced as abso-
lutely false all statements that Admiral
Dewey saluted the Filipino flag. or re-
ceiyed AguinaldO with military honors.
As bearing upon the recent statement OF
Senator Pettigrew of South Dakota that
Admiral Dewey had recognized the Fill
pino government at the capture Of Subig
Bay. Mr. Lodge presented the following
extract from a letter written by Captain
Coghlan, then Of the Raleigh, detailing
precisely what occurred at Subg Bay:
February l. 1900
Ny Dear Senator Lodge.
J was in command OF The expedition sent b. the
Admiral Raleigh and Conc0rdD TO the mouth n
'ub.c Bay, July &, ls9s, TO capture GElHdc Island
hen held hy the spaniards. ] wish 20 o Iirn a.
strongly as human words can do 80 tlst kslinal-
lo's people did not accompany Us, and that they
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