New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-02
HE ATTACKS HIS FELLOW DEMOCRATS
FOR THEIR OPPOSITION
TO EXPANSION.


prominence in tho LIVth Congress by his ear
nest championship of free silver, assailed his
Democratic colleagues to-day for their opposi-
ton to expansion in a speech that made the
floor and galleries roar. Mr.. Sibey has recanted
his views on free silver, and is now generally
out of line with his colleagues on the Democrat
ic side He insisted to-day that expansion was
an original Democratic doctrine promulgated by
jefferson and adhered to by Madison. Jackson,
Tyler Polk and Buchanan In eloquent IAN
guage he pictured the destiny of the United
| States carrying the arts Of peace and the story
of the Cross to the remotest of the globe.
When Mr.. Sibley closed he received greeting
such as has not been accorded to any other
speaker In the House at this session. The ap-
plause from the floor and galleries was loud and
! prolonged, and when he sat down he was sur
rounded for several minutes by members. who
congratulated him.
! EXPANSION A DEMOCRATIC DOCTRINE.
Mr.. sbIey had, he said. heard no argument
/ against territorial enlargement which was not
urged against the annexation OF Louisiana and
Texas
| rs there any parallel" asked Mr.. Cochran, of
Missouri between the territory in the Louisiana
Purchase. then practically without population,
and the Philippines?"
Nothing has been said about the Philippines"
replied Mr.. Sibley, (which was not said about
the territory Missouri You in Missouri
were classed as barbarians."
But are the Philippines with a population
denser than Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Ne
braska, available for occupation?" asked Mr.
Cochran.
Il think they are said Mr. Sibley when
Jefferson negotiated the purchase of Louisiana
he was the target Of vituperation, rdicule and
reproach. From New-England came such cpl
thets as 'Jacobin fmperialist,' 'perverter Of the
Constitution yet all admit now that Jefferson
acted wisely
do you believe the people in the Philippines
are susceptible of the civilization of the inhab-
tants Of the Louisiana Purchaser"
II am not placing limitations upon the powers
of Almighty God" answered Mr.. Sibley amid
Republican applause.
Proceeding Mr. Sibley pointed out that mod
ern methods had brought the PhiliT pines nearer
than the Louisiana Purchase Texas when
they were annexed. When Louisiana was pur-
chased, he said, no man ever lived long enough
TO go to its western limits and return To-day
we can hear from Manila in few hours and
make the round trip in few months. In reply
TO Mr.. Cochran's taunt that civilization was be-
ing shot into the Filipnos, Mr. sibley said that
the history of civilization had been traced in
human blood. Wendell Phillips had said that
every achievement OF human justice had gone
from rack to rack and scaffoId to scaffold.
RIGHT TO HOLD NEW TERRITORY.
Shall we hold Puerto Rico and the Philip
pine archipelago" asked Mr.. Sibley. Every
foot. No nation earth has higher right of
title 10 a rod of soil. We hold by the double
title OF purchase and OF conquest, and my belief is
that where once the shadow of our banner has
fallen there will survive race Of free men, ana
/ would hold Cuba until stability, order, good
government and the protection Of life and prop
Presidents query Who will haul down the
fag? Who planted it there? What Cabinet
council, what warrior, what statesman. what
Senator or Representative. what body OF men
formed any plan Of conquest? The cries Of suf-
fering humanity rang in our ears and we
stopped our ears. The groaIts We're heard, bat
we answered not We them stripped and
wounded on our way to Jericho, and like the
priest and the LeVite We passed by on the other
side. Not unheard those cries and groans at the
throne Of the Almighty. who to awaken Us from
apathy, our almost criminal indifference, per
mitted the engines of His wrath 10 hurl their
thunderbolts under the bows OF the Maine. lying
peacefully at anchor IN the Havana Harhor.
Nor keenest sighted statesman nor most daring
warrior had dreamed even OF the possibility Of
great gain growth or greatness 10 come to US
nation from that war Of which the blowing
up OF the Maine the first declaration. Those
lands and people, unworthily ruled We're to pass
from the House of Saul to the House Of David.
God and the Valor OF American arms gave us
that territory, not because we are nation al
together free, altogether pure, altogether blame
less, but because, working through Him as an
instrumentality He has given IT 10 the holdest,
the freeSt, the most progressive, the most en-
lightened and the most Christian of all the ma
tions of the present age" CApplause).
Mr. sibey believed that the United states was
destined to carry the arts of peace and the
stcry Of the Cross to the remotest corners of the
globe. If the people listened to the utteTances
of such men as the senior Senator from Mdssa-
chusetts CMr. HoaT), rrand old philanthropist
as he hey would be as unwisely guided as
they would had they listened to Pickering Jo-
siah quincy and Charles Sumner from 1903 to
1850. He appealed to the Democratic side to
come back to the teachings Of the Democratic
fathers Expansion was a Democratic doctrine,
he asserted. 1t had been fathered and advocated
| by jefferson, Jackson, Polk and Buchanan.
only towards oppose It," Buchanan said, and
he the last Democratic President we have
/ had. Laughter.) The Nicaragua Canal should
be built he said and the Subsidy bill to encour
| age American shipping passed China was to he
! dsmembered We must reach out and get our
! share Of her commerce.
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE
view the magnificent harbor Of Manila" said
| he, from which Dewey said he could meet the
navies Of the world. Who dare counsel sur
| render? Shall we play the part OF politicians?
The politicians content themselves with the
political; it is the province of statesmen to look
! far into the future. Within the life of men now
living this Nation will have population of two
/ hundred million
IF this Administration shall surrender the
! Philippines, the historian OF the future who
tolls Jefferson Madison. Tyler and Polk will
write down McKinley's action the most pusil-
! luminous in the record. But this Administration
will not surrender. Its critics will be forgotten.
! Every advance to higher and nobler forms of
! life has been opposed by some old, conservative
mossbunker who prateu OF the good old days
when his grandfather swung by his tail in the
forest primeval
| 'Mr Chairman, every dictate of reason and of
! prudence, every dictate of business sense and of
! commercial advantage. every prompting of hu-
mainly and every obligation Of plighted frater-
| nifty unite in the demand that we go forward.
| (Appause) We have a mission to fulfil des-
% ACCOMPLISH. example afforded