The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-09

enters upon career OF empire.
"The territorial form OF government Is
temporary and preparatory, and the chief
security a citizen of a Territory has is
found In the fact that he enjoys the same
constitutional guarantees aud Is subject to
the same general laws as a citizen Of a
State. Take away this security and his
rights will be violated and his interest
sacrificed at the demand Of those who
have political influence. This is the evil
OF the colonial system. no matter by what
nation 1t rs applied.
The Philippine Question.
what is our title to the Philippine ISL
ands? Do we hold them by treaty or BY
conquest? Did we buy them or did we
take them? Did we purchase the people?
III not. how did we secure titIe 10 thsns
Were they thrown In with the laud7 VIII
the Republicans say that inanimate Garth
has value. and when that earth Is nodded
by the Divine Hand and stamped with the
likeness of the Creator it becomes a Ak
ture and passes with the soil? II Govern
ments derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed. it. Is impossible
to secure title to people. either by force
or by purchase
We could extinguish Spain's title by
treaty. but if We hold title we must hold
II by some method consistent with cur
Ideas Of government When We made al
lies OF the Filipinos and armed them TO
hght against Spain. we disputed Spain's
title. II We even buy Spain's title. we
are not innocent purchasers. But even II
we had not disputed Spain's title, she
could transfer no greater title than she
had, and her title was based on force
alone
I'VE cannot defend such a title, but as
Spain gave US quit claim deed. We can
honorably turn the property over to the
party In possession. Whether any Ameri-
can official gave the Fiiipinos formal as
surance of Independence Is not material.
There can be no doubt that we accepted
and utilized the services OF the Filipiros,
and that when we did so we had full
knowledge that they were fighting for their
own independence, and / submit that his
tory furnishes no example OF turpitude
baser than ours II we now substitute our
yoke for the Spanish yoke
Let US consider briefly the reasons
which have been given In support Of an
imperiaiistic policy. Some say that it is
our duty to hold the Philippine Islands.
But duty is not an argument; Ii Is a con-
clusion- To ascertain what our duty is in
any emergency, We must apply welI-set-
tied and generally accepted principles 1t
Is our duty to avoid stealing, no matter
whether the thing to be stolen is Of great
or little value.
1T is our duty to avoid killing a human
being, no matter where the human being
lives or to what race or class he belongs.
Everyone recognizes the obligation inpos-
ed upon individuals to observe both the
human and moral law. but, as some deny
the application Of those laws TO nations
1t may not be out of place to quote the
opinions of others Jefferson. than whom
there is no higher political authority, said:
i know of but one code of morality
for men. whether acting singly or collec-
lively
Franklin, whose learning, wisdom. and
virtue are a part of the priceless legacy
bequeathed to US from the Revolutionary
days, expressed the same idea in even
stronger language when he said:
Justice is as strictly due between
neighbor nations as between neighbor citi-
zens. A highwayman Is as much a robber
when he plumbers In gang as when sin
giy; and the nation that makes an unjust
war is only great gang.
Men may dare to do in crowds what
they would not dare to do as individuals.
but the moral character Of an act is lot
determined by the number of those who
Join in it Force can defend right, but
force has never yet created right II
IL was true as declared in the resolution
of intervention, that the Cubans are and
of a right ought to be free and indepen-
dent Language taken from the Declara-
ton of Independence). 1t is equally true
that the Filipinos are and OF right ought
to be free and independent The right Of
the Cubans to freedom was not based upon
their proximity to the United States. nor
upon the language which they spoke. nor
yet upon the race or races to which they
Congress by a practically unani-
nous vote declared that the principles
enunciated at Philadelphia in 1776 we're
still alive and applicable to the Cubans-
The Right TO Liberty.
"Who will draw a line between the
natural rights OF the Cubans and the FIJI
pinos9 Who will say that the former has
a right to liberty and that the latter has
no rights which We are bound to respect
And. If the Filipinos are. and OF rigAt
ought to be- free and independent, what
right have We to force our Goyernmsnt
upon them without their consent? Before
our duty can be ascertained. their rights
must be determined and when their rights
are once determined. it's as much our
duty to respect those rights as it was the
duty of Spain TO respect the rights OF the
people of Cuba, or the duty of England to
resuect the rights Of the American COO
nists Rights never conflict: duties nsyer
clash. Can 1t be our duty to usurp 20
litical rights which belong to othersz Can
It be our duty to killfthose who, following
the example of our forefathers, love Ab-
erty well enough to fight for IL?
-aSome poet has described the terror
which overcame a soldier who. In the
midst of battle, discovered that he had
slain his brother. 1t is written: All ye are
brethren Let US hope for the coming OF
the dsv when human life-whfch VIII once
destroyed cannot be restored-will BE- SO
sacred that it will never be taken except
when necessary to punish crime already
committed or 10 prevent crime about TO
be committed
''If it is said that we have assumed te-
fore the world obligations which make 1t
necessary for US to permanently maintain
a government in the Philippine Islands,
reply first. that the highest obligation OF
this nation Is to be true to itself. No OBJ
LEGATION to any particular nation, or to ell
nations combined. can require the aha1doa-
ment of our theory OF government ana
the substitution of doctrines against which
our whole national life has been q protest.
And, second that our obligations to the
Filipinos who inhabit the islands, aie
greater than any obligation which we can
owe to foreigners who have temporary
residence in the Philippines or desire to
trade there.
TT is argued by some that the Filipinos
are incapable OF self-goyernment and that
therefore we owe it to the world to take
control Of them. Admiral Dewey. in an Of
f,cial report to the Navy Department, de-
clared the F'iIipinos more capable of self
than the Cubans. and said that
he based his opinion upon knowledge Of
both races. But / will not rest the case
upon the relative advancement of the Fill
ipiuos. Henry Clay. in defending the
rights of the people of South America to
self government, said:
The Doctrine of Thrones.