The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-28
ON THE PHILIPPINE QUESTION.
senator Depew DeIivcrs n Brilliant
Address in the SENATE.

Washington. Feb. 27.-Before a large at
tendance of senators and a notable as
semblage OF gallery spectators, MIR. De-
pew of NeweYork delivered brilliant
speech in the Senate to-day on the Philip
pine question. His picture OF commerce
and civilization proceeding hand in hand
brought out an applause that swept over
the chamber and through the galleries
ond called forth protest from Mr.. Bacon
Of Georgia against such demonstrations.
Mr.. Depew said, in part;
Eve are in the Philippines; we are there
10 stay by conquest and by treaty rights.
All which precedes the ratification of the
treaty by the Senate of the United States
is an academic question. SEP the pre-
sentatiOn of this ancient history for the
rapid progress of events makes history
speedily ancient. has occupied so much of
the time of the Senate that il Is well
briefly to review Tho situation.
Il have heard no one dispute the right
eousness of our war with Spain. The con-
tention is that. il having been undertaken
with the avowed purpose, and that only,
of freeing Cuba from intolerable oppres-
SION. the forces of the United States
should have been concentrated in and
about the island and when the Spaniards
were expelled our country should have
confined its efforts to the establishment of
! Cuban Independence. The most merciful
way to prosecute war. the surest method
of speedily enforcing peace, is to strike
the enemy wherever he may be weak and
vulnerable, To have permitted Spain
ports for her fleet and freedom of the seas
and the ability to concentrate all her eff
forts in Cuba would have been the mad
ness of sentiment and criminal folly. BY
capturing Porto Rico we closed the har-
bors where fleets of Spain could go out
side of Cuba and cut off her sources of
supply By threatening with a flying
squadron the coasts of Spain we kept
troops within her home fotiflcationS and
ships within her own harbors. The wis
| est of the many wise orders issued dur
ing the war was that 10 Admiral Dewey
when at Hong Kong: Find the Spanish
! fleet and destroy it," The destruction OF
| that fleet ended the power of Spain in the
| Pacific ocean By the destruction of that
! fleet and the landing of our troops and
| the surrender of Manila the United States
| stood as a conqueror upon the enemy's
soil When the Spanish flag went down
| from the citadel and the American flag
! flew from its flagstaff, the 300 years of
| Spanish dominion ended and the American
occupation began. AT thds point we hear
| of the alleged Filipino republic and the
alleged assault upon 1t by The United
| States That Dewey, that Merritt. that
Anderson used the natives for the pur-
pose of fighting Spain no one denies. 1t
was within the discretion of the COM
handing generals to utilize the enemies
of Spain in such manner as in their
/ Judgment would best cripple the enemy
When Dewey, before sailing from Hong
| Kong sent the commander of the Petref
to Aguinaldo 10 secure his services. Agui-
naldo refused, saying that he had sold
| out had taken Spain's money and was
| under obligation not to tight her any
more; and it was not until after the bat
tie of Manila that he concluded TO go
back on his bargain.
The markets for the products of our
| farms and factories accessible by the At
| lantic ocean will soon be filled. But across
the Pacific are limitless opportunities.
| Within a distance from Manila not much
greater than Havana from New York live
$4,000, 600 of people, purchasing now an
| nually from all nations, of the things
| which we produce, to the sum of thou
sand millions of dollars, Of which we fur
nish five per cent. And yet with our Pa
| cifc coast and it's enterprising people the
opening of the canal across the isthmus
and an American merchant marine that
five per cent should be fifty With rail-
| roads opening up these countries ana CIV
iization stimulating their people, the pos
| sible increase in their trade dazzles the
IMAGINATION To relieve home congestion
| starvation and revolution, England Ger
| many and France are increasing their
| armies, charging their fleets and either
| waging war or on the eve of great con-
! ficts while partitionlng Africa, threaten
J ing China Selling Asiatic princtpaltt1eS
and madly building railroads across the
continents OF Asia and Africa. By victo-
rious war and triumphant diplomacy we
| are in our own territory within easy reach
( at Manila, of China, Siam, Korea, AMMAN
| the East Indies and Japan. Without war
| or entangling alliances we will have equal
rio Re wit other nations to the PARTS OF
| the Orient, with all that it means for the
| demonstrated superiority of our manutsc-
! lures and the surplus harvests of our
! farms.
This is not a sordid view. nor can any
! right apprehension of our Philippine pol
j lev or our relations to our island colonies
I be sordid or purely commercial. In spite
/ Of ourselves we have colonial possessions.
We have no policy to declare no glitter
+ ing resolutions or proclamations to make
/ and in the future TO embarrass us. We
will stamp out the instruction and estab-
fish a stable government We will organ
fze local government. We will constitute
courts. We will insure with the whole
power Of the United States security for
| life and property. freedom of religion and
the equal and just administration OF the
law.
| Mr. Turley resumed his speech on the
/ QUAY case and Mr.. Penrose interrupted
| to inquire IL IL were not the intention OF
| the trainers Of the constitution that the
Senate at all times should be full. so that
in view OF such important matters as the
force bill, an impeachment trial or some
similar case coming before the Senate
any Of which might hinge upon one vote,
the states might have equal representa-
ton.
Mr. Turkey replied that It was, but a
would not necessarily follow that tho
| ser1je at all times could be kept full.
| Rrr Turlev discussed precedents ana