The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-29

This apOSldSy
Not wealth. For. all that wonderful
material development we can boast of has
not been achieved under the new policy,
but under the old. The tremendous growth
of our population, of our industries, of our
commerce, the conquest of foreign mar
kets one after another by our export
trade, all this was accomplished while
the country still observed the precepts
OF Washipgton's farewell address, while
our strenuous life' was devoted, not to
the killing of men, the sinking Of ships
and the destruction Of towns. but to the
employment of the genius and the energies
of our people in the pursuits of peace. 1t
was accomplished before we conceived the
barbarous notion that we must own the
countries we are to trade with. Indeed,
since we started on our career of conquest
we have increased only our expenditures
by scores upon scores of millions to be
paid by our taxpayers, not our foreign
commerce o. the whole. And as to the
countries which were touched by our fleets
and armies, only our trade with Cuba has
respectfully grown; and Cuba is of those
countries the only one. which we do not
pretend to own. The rest of our CONNER
VI
the future in which we can see only one
thing distinctly-and that is that it will
surely take the better part of century
to repay to us through the profits of any
possible trade with the Philippines any
thing like the neormous sums which the
Filipino war has already cost us.
What, then, have we gained? We are
told that we have gained a grand position
as a world power. But did we not have
a grand position as a world power, espe-
cially since our civil war demonstrated
the solidity of this Union-so grand in
deed that the strongest and haughtiest
sea power in the world paid more defer
ence to this republic than to any of its
neighbors, even while we had no army or
navy large enough to count? What more
have we now?
OUR MORAL CREDIT GONE.
Among the evil effects that have al
ready come to the nation Mr.. Schurz
names these:
The reputation of this republic as a
friend of peace and as a champion of
human rights has been destroyed.
Our moral credit with the world
has been thoroughly ruined.
Our self-respect as a liberty-loving
people is gone.
1t has perverted the solemnly proclaim
ed war of liberation and humanity into
a war of land grabbing conquest, Grim
inal aggression and subjugation, thus de-
stroying the belief of mankind in the sim
cerity of our virtuous profession, brand
ing us as nation of hypocrites and de-
1t has seduced us to commit the meanest
misdeed a nation can commit-the crafty
betrayal of an ally and the wanton slaugh-
ter of innocent people, 1t has made our
former friends in the conquered countries
hate us with an undying hatred. 1t has in
volyed us in an unnecessary, wicked and
abominable wcr that has already cost us
thousands of American lives and nearly
two hundred millions of money and will
cost intellectually more. 1t has made our
President commit fragrant usurpation of
power, that if condoned and per-
precedent will become more danger
Gus to our free institutions 1t has
put to contempt and ridicule the funda-
mental principles of our democracy and is
the popular belief in our
old ideals of right, justice and liberty,
which alone furnish the conservative ele-
ment Indispensable to democracy work
ing through universal suffrage. 1t has
taught our people that might makes right,
and other Ike lessons. which. unless
sternly rebuked. will utterly demoralize
public sentiment and transform the politi-
cal life of our democracy into wild. I'M
scrupulous and. eventually, anarchistic
struggles of selfish passions and greedy
interests.