New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-28
TIE PROBLEM OF THE ISLANDS.
SOME INTERESTING LEGAL THEORIES.


r Hutchinson in The Washington Pest,
The conclusion Of the committees in Congress T
70 the legal status OF our aegelslTons Ion Ion
Fhy the provision OF the Constitution. which re-
Dc Uniform throughout the United States does
apply 10 Puerto Rico or the FhppIneS Is no, tyf
States but because the Inhabitants Of these Islands
De mace s1ch ana - ~ nv MAJ he reid a. ner-
naneut colonies AS outlying colonies without eti-
zership their relation 10 the United States will
Rs 2osess6 6e9aBeS by Citizens OF the United
States and held in tutelage for ultimate aeLn mis-
have been held and admitted
The power TO admit new States implies the power
70 acquire territory for this PURPOSE ou{ II does
- - "a asfabiis6 colonies The Supreme Court in
NAM esses has decided that the power 10 acquire
carry On var and to make treaties and that the
P6Wsr to acquire $50 Il r. e. Govern how
TINS Is = n1a' scoIdng TO conditions RE same
goyernrnent-thst would suit Puerto Rico might not
fnds one kind Of government adapted TO canada
which could have no application 10 NsW-Aea4aho
or other Crown colonies
6 WHY t DC a. the P9 sd @AseS zaaf5
the creature Of the ConsttqJioih ana me avs avs
IN the United States or TO be naturalzed We have
d process for the naturalza ton or the lndlvlduaI
alien but there Is nothing % gIe.el5I m ~ - q @
uOu by Who4@sa4e acl q e9s, ne ,.tEs
Of the inhabitants Of the ceded territeFy-it only
dissOves the allegiance Of the people to the cedng
poweY and transfers them TO the new SOW
eregn They become subject 10 the authority OF the
ACQUIRING power Bat subsection and citizenship
not convertible terms. Louisiana was the nrsI
territory acquired BY purchase BY the terms Of
The treaty with Napoleon, the tnha bitants became
citizens 0f the United States by that provision OF
the treaty which guaranteed TO the people all the
rights and privileges Of citizens. Florida was the
next and the same provision was put IN the treaty
me Territories acquired from Mexico by conquest
and purchase. and Alaska was placed in the same
Dosftiou by the treaty with Russia IN 1851 except
Esquimaus and other tribes OF Indians.
The power o make treaties implies the power 10
M ke terms and II the United States 1T
cent these people citizens. II was proper
ereise OF power But Spain did not require and
the United States did not stipulete IN The Paris
Treaty that the people Of Cuna Puerto Rico and
the Philippines should have all the rights and privi-
es Of citizens Of the United States, and therefore
they cannot acquire them except by some general
act Of naturalization by Congress
Suppose Florida Treaty had contained no
stipulation 10 citizenship ard future admis-
sion as State into the Union was also provided
Iu The treaty that Territory could have been held
a. colony subject 10 the discretionary power OF
Congress 10 this dag unless Congress had seen
NJ change its relations TO the Union Preference
might have been given 10 the ports at Savannah
or Charleston over the ports al Key West and
Pensacola and the oranges and pneapples OF the
peninsula carried and sold II the States might
have been subject tariff duties. because In that
case Florida would have been part OF the United
States. rather, OF that body polite known as the
people Of the United States.