Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-10

~. lOOO-1A L A0LCs
now free from outside interference and will
continue so in our present relation. They
would not be thus free In any other reia-
| ton. We will not give up our own to guar
antee another sovereignty.
Title to the Islands Good.
Cur title is good Our peace cammission-
ers believed they were receiving good
title when they concluded the treaty. The
Executive believed 1t was good title when
| he submitted 1t to the Senate of the United
States for its ratification. The Senate be-
lieved 1t was a good title when they gave
| it their constitutional assent, and the Con
| gress seems not to have doubted It's COM
peteness when they appropriated twenty
| million dollars provided by the treaty. II
any who favored it's ratification believed II
gave us bad title. they were not sincere
| Our title is practically Identical with ina!
under which we hold our territory acquired
since the beginning of the government, ana
| under which we have exercised full sover-
| eighty and established government for the
| inhabitants. 1t is worthy Of note that no
| one outside of the United States disputes
| the fullness and integrity OF the cession
What. then. is the real issue on this sub
ject? Whether 1t is paramount to any cther
or not, 1t Is whether we shall be respon"i-
| BILE for the government of the Philippines
with the sovereignty and authority which
enables US to guide them to regulated I'D
erty, law, safety and progress, or wnetner
we shall be responsible for the forcible and
arbitrary government of minority with
out sovereignty and authority on our part,
and with only the embarrassment of pro-
tectorate which draws us INTO their trou-
bles without the power of preventing them
There were those who two years ago were
rushing us on to war with spain who are
unwilling now to accept its clear conse-
Quence, as there are those among us who
advocated the ratification of the treaty of
peace, but now protest against It's obiiga-
tons Nations which GO to war must be
prepared to accept it's resultant obligations,
and when they make Treaties must Keep
them.
Freedom Not Imperialism.
Those who profess to distrust the liberal
| and honorable purposes of the adIninistra-
ton in its treatment If the Philippines are
not justified. Imperialism has no place in
its creed or conduct. Freedom Is the rock
upon which the republican party was tuild-
ed and now rests. Liberty Is the great re-
publican doctrine for which the people went
to war and for which million lives were
offered and billions Of dollars expended to
make 1t the lawful legacy Of all without
the consent of master or slave.
There is a strain Of ill-concealed hypoc-
| risy in the anxiety to extend the constitu-
tional guarantees to the people Of the Phil
ippines, while their notification is openly
advocated at home. Our opponents may
distrust themselves, but they have no right
to discredit the good faith and patriotism
of the majority of the people, who are OPP
posed to them; they may fear the worst
form Of Imperialism with the helpless Fill
ipinos in their hands, but If they do it is
because they have parted with the spirit
and faith of the fathers and have lost the
virility of the founders of the party which
they profess to represent.
The republican party does not have to
assert Its devotion to the Declaration OF
Independence. That immortal instrument
of the fathers remained unexecuted until
the people, under the lead of the republican
party in the awful clash Of battle, turned
its promises into fulfillment. 1t wrote into
the Constitution the amendments guaran-
teeing political equality to American citi-
zenshp, and 1t has never broken them or
counseled others in breaking them. 1t will
not be guided in it's conduct by one set of
principles at home and another set in the
new territory belonging to the United
States
If our opponents would only practice as
well as preach the doctrines Of Abraham
Lincoln there would be fear for the
safety of our institutions at home or their
rghtful influence in any territory over
which our flag floats.
Empire has been expelled from Porto
Rico and the Philippines by American free
men. The flag of the republic now floats
over these islands as an emblem of right
full sovereignty. VIII the republic stay and
dispense to their inhabitants the blessings
or steal away, leaving them to anarchy or
imperialism?
The American question is between duty
and desertion-the American verdict Will be
for duty and against desertion, for the
republic against both anarchy and i'm
perfalism.
Our Purposes in China.
The country has been fully advised OF
the purposes of the United States in China,
and they will be faithfully adhered to as
already defined.
The nation is filled with gratitude that
the little band, among them many of our
own blood, who for two months have been
subjected to privation and peril by the at
tacks Of pitiless hordes at the Chinese
capital, exhibiting supreme courage In the
face of despair, have been enabled by Gods
favor to greet their rescuers and find shell
ter under their own flag.
The people not alone Of this land, but Of
all lands have watched and prayed through
the terrible stress and protracted agony OF
the helpless sufferers in Pekfn. and while
at times the dark tidings seemed to make
all hope vain. the rescuers never faltered
in the heroic fulfillment Of their noble task.
We are grateful to our own soldiers and
sailors and marines, and to all the brave
men who, though assembled under many
standards, representing peoples and races,
strangers in country and speech, were yet
united in the sacred mission of carrying
succor to the besieged with a success that
is now the cause of a worlds rejoicing.
Not only have we reason for thanksgfv-
ing for our material blessings, but we
should rejoice in the complete unification
of the people of all sections OF our coun-
try, that has happily developed In the
last few years and made for us a more per-
feet Union. The obliteration Of old differ
ences the common devotion to the flag. and
the common sacrifices for its honor. so con-
spicuously shown by the men of the north
til.
strengthened the ties of friendship and
mutual respect that nothing can ever again
divide us The nation faces the new GEN.
fury gratefully and hopefully, with in
creasing love of country, with firm faith
in it's free Institutions. and with high
solve that they shall not perish from the
earth"
Very respectfully yours,
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
PEACE DECREE IN CHINA.