New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-09

CONGRESS-, CONQUEST AND CITIZENSHIP.
Senator Caffery is reported in our Washington
dispatches as declaring that ut Is absolutely
assured" in his mind that the outlying posses
sonS OF the United States-the Philippines were
particularly under consideration-"canno be
governed by the caprice or the unrestricted
"volition of Congress. They must be governed
in accordance with the Constitution. or Con-
''gress will have to usurp powers of govern
'ment'
They may be governed by Congress accord
Ing to its volitiOn, restrained or unrestrained
and at the same time be governed In accord
ance with the Constitution and there need be
no usurpation in the case. The Constitution de-
ciares that Congress shall have power to make
all needful rules and regulations respecting
the territory or other property belonging to the
United States That is the constitutional pro-
vision for the government of the Philippines
Senator Caffery is also reported to have said
that under our Constitution and Declaration of
independence we cannot wage war of con-
quest"
The United States is not primarily conquest
seeking Power 1t is doubtless repugnant To the
genius of the Nation to seek military and terri
torial conquests for the mere sake of conquest
But we can perceive in neither the Constitution
nor the Declaration of Independence any ordi-
nance OF self-abnegation by which the United
states denies to itself any of the powers of
| sovereign Nation. AS matter of historical fact
this country has waged more than one war of
conquest. We are by no means sure that the
War of the Revolution itself did not TO some
extent partake of that quality. There can be
no doubt that the Seminole War and various
other Indian wars did, and while there are
some who consider that wars against red Indians
do not count they must admit that they
count at least as much As wars or other dealings
with the Tagals of Luzon. We are inclined to
think that the sober Judgment of the world
holds the Mexican War to have been largely. n
not entirely, of conquest yet we are tcld
that Senator Caffery does not think 1t was I'M
constitutional And since Senator Caffery urges
that we should cast the Philippines adrift to
care for themselves should like to know IL
it would be any the less conquest to take the
islands forcibly from Spain and then throw
them away than thus to take them and to keep
them for our own.
Senator Caffery, finally declares that the peo-
pie Of the Philippines are citizens of the United
States entirely, completely, absolutely" They
do not have TO wait for any action of Congress
TO make them SO. They are as fully citizens to-
day the Senator himself They became so
automatically the moment the United States
flag was raised above the Islands, for that lsg
carries its citizenship wherever it floats"
If that be so would It not be a shocking thing
forcibly to deprive them of that citizenship and
TO expatriate them wholesale? What right nave
we TO withdraw citizenship, once conferred,
arbitrarily and without their consent, from MILL
ions of our fellow citizens? So much, If Senator
Caffery's view OF the automatic extension Of
citizenship be correct. But for ourselves we
cannot for a moment concede Its correctness.
The flag Of the United States Goats over many