Washington sentinel., 1900-09-22
Notes
Ex Senator HendersOn's Note oil
Warming.

TObuALOE htuMFAHuM > NVt0 v
Warming.
Ex-senator John B. Henderson
is one OF the heroic figures o
American life. With ex Secretary
OF the Treasury Boutwell,, and ex
Secretary OF the Interior, Car
Schurz. all Repu publicans, he stands
like a rock between Empire and
Republic. His essays on the dan
gers and unconss;tutionality of i'm
perialism have been the most for
chile contributions Of the present
crisis. He presided over the meet
ing in this city at which Mr.. Bout
we'll spoke, and openly accused the
Administration ot attempting to
destroy the Republic, adding, "It
this be treason, make the most OF
it. l challenge the Administration
to a public trial" In a recent
communication to the Star he
soInds a note OF warning on the
Chinese invasion.
He says:
We have a written consttu ion. 1t is
the only charter Of our liberties. the
sole guaranty Of public and individual
right. Under the provisions OF that
instrument Congress alone has authority
30 y IL
has power TO appropriate money to
carry 1t on. The threatened war against
China means debt Of $500. .ooo, ,ooo A
war against Russia and Germany, which
is inevitably involved in Chinese war,
means another debt OF a thousand
million dollars. 1t means increased
taxation-aYe. taxation bey ond reason
able endurance 1t means an annual
pension list Of $500, 100000. 1t means
widows and orphans and untold miseri,s
to all classes of our people. Shall these |
calamities be preciptated upon US by |
the act of one man-and that, in the |
lace OF our Constitution.
The truth is that either unwittingly or
through deliberate purpose our Govern
ment has been brought into an entang- |
ling alliance with those powers of |
Europe which, by a long series OF
plundering aggressions upon the rights
of China, have driven its people to
desperation and frenzy The Chinese
have no malice against Americans, and
l doubt not Mr.. Conger and his family
would have been better protected
outside the English embassy. We have
never robbed them Of their territory.
Their only cause OF complaint against
us is that we, in meddlesome and
officious manner, insist upon taking
them with us TO our heaven although we
refuse them our ASSOCIATION on earth.
And even in this they more readily
forgive us because they greatly prefer
their temporal isolation in this world,
and from all they have so far seen Of
Christian nations they seem perfectly
Wiling to trust their ldture salvation to
he religion OF ConfuCius, who is said,
It the least, to have practiced what he
preached.
Why should we assist England In
Chinar England forced upon China the
iamnable opium trade, and when the
chinese, in the interest of their health !
md to vindiCate their independence,
:ast into the sea the opium, as we cast
Ter tea into Boston harbor, England
arried to them as usual, her shot and
hell, and finally seized aud held Fl ong
Kong as indemnity for an unrighteous
nd accursed war. A pirate was properly
.illed on a vessel flying without
uthority the English flag Th sanctity
# the English flag must be guarded
whether floating over pirates or Chris
ians. The result was new acquisition
1 territory.
In speech in St. Louis on February
S, 1899 (oyer eighteen months ago)
sed the following language:
The plundered sDois in Africa and !
he partition oil China cannot be peace
bly, adjusted. For fifty years the strong
ations OF Europe have been preparing .
'r the strife; and the first gun OF the 4
lost stupendous war known in history
lay be. fired before the opening OF the {
century. What interest have :
e in this threatened conflict? In the |
nguage Of our own Washington, the
urest patriot the world has produced :
Why quit your own to stand on foreign !
round1 Why by Interviewing our O
ssuny with that Of any part OF Europe, !
ltangle our peace and prosperity in
lie tolls OF European ambition. rivalship 5
terest. humor and caprice? 1
THE present Chinese situation is but n
e iu6llmeht Of the prophecy. speak
r my country, and It's glorious Con
tuition guarantees o me the freedom
speech" Z