Hutchinson gazette., 1900-08-16

ltpt W. cpnNluef nrlc0y lne reasons
| which have been given In support OF AZ
mperIalislie policy, Some say that II /,
our duty TO hold the Philippine islands
liut duty II not an argument, II is d
conclusion To ascertain what our dutJ
ls IN any emergency, We must apply
| Well'Nettled ana generally accepted prin
ciples II ~ our duty to avoid stealing
| no matter whether the thing to be stolen
~ OF great or little value II ~ our duty
| TO avoid killing human being, no matter
where the human being lives on TO what
race or class he belongs, Everyone recog'
| nlles the obligation Imposed upon indi'
Niduals 10 observe both the human and
| moral law, but, aS some deny the ap-
| pllcatlon Of those laws 10 nations, II may
not be out Of place 10 quote the opinion
Of others, jefferson than whom there IL
no higher political authority, said
| VI Know OF but one code Of morality
for men, whether acting singly Of col
| lectively."
Franklin whose learning, wisdom and
! virtue are Il part OF the priceless legacy
| hequeathcd to w from the revolutionary
| days, expressed the ynmc idea In even
stronger language when he said
Justice H. ~ strictly due between
| neighbOr nations ~ between nelghbor cit
lzens, A hIghwaymgn Is as much robbcr
| When ne plumbers In u gang nS when
singly and the nation that makes an un-
| Just war II only n grcat>gang,'
| Men may dare tO do things In crowds
/
| yduals, but the moral character Of an act
| lg not determined by the number of those
! VINO JOIN IN Force can defend u right
| but force never yet created u right II
| tlon 0f intervention that the Cubnns
| "aro and Of right ought TO be free and
| independents" ONnguuRe taken from the
| declaration of Independence, II IL equal
| ly true that the lflhpinos 'are and Of
| right ought 10 be free ana Independent"
| 'IDN plubI pI ihn ('nbunU fVnnlpUn
| not based upon their proximity 10 the
| 'nitcd States, nor upon their language
| which they spoke, nor yet upon the race
or races to which they belonged, Con-
| BrcsS by u practically unanimous vote
| declared that the principles enuncated
at Philadelphia In l77G were still alive and
| applicable 10 the Cubans,
Who viii draw u line between the natur.
| NJ rights OF the Cubans and the FilipinesY
| Who viii say that the former have u
| rights which we are bound 70 respect :
| And II the Nillplnos "are and OF right
ought TO be free and independent" what
| right have we TO force our government
| upon them without their consent2 Be-
| fore our duty con be ascortlined, and
when their rights are once determined,
II II az much our dusy 20 respect those
rights az II was tho duty Of Spain to re-
spect the rights OF the people OF Cu6n,
| or the duty Of England to respect the
| rights OF the American colonlsts, Rights
| never conflict, duties never clash, Can
| II be our duty to usurp political rights
| which belong TO others? Can II be our
duty to kin those who, following the ex-
| ample OF our forefathers, love liberty well
enough TO fight for ~
| Some poet has DESCRIBED the terror
| which Overcame soldier who, In the
midst OF battle, discovered that he had
slain his brother. II II written: IAN
ye are brethren" Let us hope for the
coming pf tho nuU Whan hlmun lIfa--
which once destroyed cannot be restored
VIII be 40 sacred that II viii never be
taken except when necessary to punish
crime already committed, or TO pre-
vent Il crime about to be committed,
II II II said that we have assumed be-
fore the world obligations which make
II necessary for us to permanently main
tain government In the Philippine is-
lands, | reply, first that the highest obli-
CATION OF this nation II to be true to IT.
self, No obligation TO any particular ma
tion, or to all nations combined, can re-
quire the abandonment Of our theory of
government and the substitution of doc
trines against which our whole national
life has been a protest, And second,
that our obligations to the l'iliplnos, who
inhublt the Islands, are greater than any
obligations which we can owe To for
eignerS who have u temporary residence
In the Philippines or desire to trade there,
II is argued by some that the lilipinus
are incapable of self-govcrnmcnt and
that therefore we owe It to the world to
take control Of them, Admiral Dewey,
In an official report 10 the navy depart
ment, declared that the FlllplnOs were
more capable of self-g0vernment than
the Cubans, and said that he based his
opinion upon n knowledge Of both races,
But | VIII not rest the cnse upon the
relative advancement of the lilipinoS,
Henry Clay In defending the rights of the
people Of South America to self-govcrn-
ment, said;
at ~ the doctrine Of thrones that man
Is too ignorant TO govern himself. Their
partisans assert his incapacity In refer
cnce TO all nations, II they cannot COM
mund universal assent to the PROPOSE
ton, II II then reminded 10 particular
nationsi ana our pride and our presump-
tlon too often makes converts OF us. |
contend that II " to urruign the dlsposi-
tlon OF Providence Himself, to suppose
that he has created beings Incapable OF
governing themselves, and to be trampled
on by kings. Self-government is the nat
ural government OF man."
Clay was right, There are degrees Of
proficiency In the art OF self-government,
but IN II n reflection upon the Creator
to say that He denied to any people the
the capacity OF self-g0vernment. Once
admit that some people are capable OF
elf-government, and that others are not,
and that the capable people have q
right to seize upon and govern the In
capable, and you make force-brute force
the only foundation OF government and
invite the reign Of the despot. ] am will
Ing to believe that reign Of the deBpot.
! am not willing to believe that an AL
Fllipnos, and then lert them. thousands
of years helpless until the Islands at
tracted' the attention OF European ma
tions g., ..
Republicans ask "snail we haul down
the flag that floats over our dead III the
Phillpplnes?" The same question might
have been asked when the American nag
ioated over Chapuliepec and waved over
the dead who fell there; but, the tour
ist who visits the City Of Mexico finds
there a national cemetery owned by the
United States and cared for by an Amer
lean citizen, Our flag ilOnts over our
dead, but when the treaty with Mexico
was signed, American authority Withdrew
to the Rio Grande, and ] venture the
opinion that during the last 80 years
the people OF Mexico nave made more
progress under the stimulus of independ-
ence and self-govcrnment than they would
have made under carpet bag govern
ment held In place by bayoncts. The
publics, are much stronger and happier
thun they would have been had the
former been cursed and the latter been
crushed by an imperialistic policy, dis
guised as benevolent assimilation"
"Can we not govern colonics?" we are
asked, The question ~ not what we can
do, but what we ought to do This ma
ton can do whatever II desires to do
but II must except responsibility for what
II does. If the constitution stnnds In the
way, the people can amend the constitu-
tiOn. l repeat, the nation can do what
ever II desires TO do, but II cannot avoid
the natural and legitimate results Of It's
own conduct The young man upon
reaching his majority can do what he
pleases, He can Disregard the teachings
of his parents; he can trample upon an
he hDg bppn tnuuht rO consider snprpdt