The Negro world., 1900-05-12
CRIMINAL AGGRESSION.
rhs Republican ro,,cs Of ESp.n.lon
Il al Variance with Jetfer-
aanlnn Principles.

To Justify the "eriminal aggression"
of William Mckinley. which has be
come the settled policy of the repub.
lIcan party. Its advocates areZcom.
peIletlZ to malign the memory of
Thomas Jefferson aud his succeeding
American brethren of the same states
menlike qualities by putting false
construction upon their acts through
which alone this nation has grown to
be world power. Senator Hoar
points out their miseoneeption of the
meaning of expansion under the CON
stitntian. and shows that their per
version of tho meaning has brought
them to Imperialism, In his great
speeeh in the senate against the i'm
perlaiistie policy OF the Mckinley adj
ministrntion aud Of the republican
party, the senator says;
oTo iualify the denial Of the equality OF
individual manhood and equality ot indi-
Nldual athteH. the advocates ei IN" p"heF
of Imperialism are driven TO the strange
affirmation that Thomas jefferson did not
believe IL and eontradrtrd Il whom he pur-
chased Louisiana, that John quincy Adams
ala not believe II and cuntradicted II when
he baught Florida; that Abraham Lincoln
aid not believe IL and centradietod u wheh
he put down the rebellion, that charles
Sumner did not believe II and uohtfadtcteu
Il when he bought Alaska. They say that
because. with the full and practical con"
sent of the men who occupied thom. these
men bnuHht great spaces of territory acCus
pied by sparse and scattered populations,
neither owning Il nor pretending To own
H. not capable of occupying II or govern
inE Il. destitute of every single attribute
which makes or can make nation OF a
praple those statesmen uf ours. designing
10 make the territory acquired into equal
states. to he dwet IN and gov rned under
our constitution by men With rights equal
to our owu-thnt therefore ynn may get
by purchase or by conquest an unwilling
people, occupying and governing thleklS
settled territory, possessing every at
trihate of "A national life, enjoying free
dom they have Themselves achieved, that
you may cruah out their national lite that
you may overthrow their institutions. that
YOU may HtranEla their freedntn that you
| may put over them governors whom you
| appoint ard III whose appoint tment they
| have no voice. that you mhS make laws for
! them In your intereat and not IN thetrs
| that you may overthrow their republican
| liberty. aud In doing this YOU appeal TO the
| example of Thomas Jefferson and John
| quincy Adams and Abraham Lincoln and
/ Charles sumner
'''rhomHn jefferson comes down in HIS
| tory with the Declaration of independence
| IN one hand and the title deed of Louisiana
| In the other. llu YOU think hls left hand
| knew not what hls right hand dlh7 DO you
| think these two immortal transactions con
| traaicted each aiherf Do you think hf
| bought men like sheep and paid for then
! In goidF II Ia truE the men OF thp hecst q.
| ti0n held slaves, Jetieraan felt the lnront
sistenry. ana declared that he trsnblee
| for his country when he felt that uod was
| Just But ha lived and died Ia the rNpecta
1 tion that the Declaration would nl'oltsl
slavery. AZ II did.
''in every accession af territory To thil
| couhtfy ever made We recognised fully th'
| doctrine of the consent Of the governed
and tho doctrine that tprrltciV 40 acquired
must be held 10 be made into states, Th'
men who say that Jefferson Violated III,
| doctrine Of the Declaration when b" bolRh
| Louisiana. and John Quincy Adams whsi
he acquired Florida, and sumner whsn hl
made his great speech for Alaska, might
with as much reason, Justify "A rape by cit
Ing the precedent OF every lawful marriage
that has taken place since the beginning
| uf time.