New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-29

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But THEN IN path Of clear. absolute 49,
ihtr'Si AI-So. unavoidable duty The onfv
point IN the whole National
line or conduct from the spring o., 1sqs -
TO this March morning % 1900 AZ wh,.s
our Government could have stopped x,,h
honor, was at the outset for one v,o,,,s
gladly have stopped there. How was 4, tha,
with some at the West who arr discontentes
now? Shake not your CORY locks at me ~ :.
my feliow-citizens in the East You eapno, ..,,
We did It, In 1898. just as a few years 4arI,e-
in the debate about Venezuela. the IoDdss, ..,.
for a belligerent policy came not from the Ea.,
the cowaEdIy. commercial East" as We va-a
sometimes told. but from the patriotic and war
like West. The further West you got The
louder the cry for war. till IL reached its vs-v
acme and climax on what we used 20 eau ,b
frontier. and sent ringing eastward a.
the National capital in rolling reverberations
from the Sierras and the Rockies which few
public men cared 10 defy. Perhaps then ~ Phi,
popular and Congressional demand had not
pushed us forward. we might have stoppsd With
honor;-certany not later. From the esv VA
fragrant down TO this hour. there has bee,
no forward step which a peremptory National
or International obligation did not require To
the mandate alone Of Duty stern daughter %
the voice OF God. the American people have
bowed. let hope. they always will us
true that. in the final decision as to any one
step in the great movement hitherto our inter
ests have been first chiefly considered. Thus
far the path has been dictated by Duty and
Duty alone has led Us where We are
But in all these constitutional discussions N
which referring. one clause in the Con-
sttutIon has been CurfOUsly thrust aside Ths
trainers placed II on tho very forefront OF tha
edifice they were rearing. and there declared
for our instruction ard guidance that the peo-
pie do Ordain ard establish this Constitution
. TO promote the general welfare BY wha,
right de statesmen venture 10 think thar
they can leave our National interests out % tha
account? Who and where is the sentimentaIist
who arraigns us for descending TO too sordid a
level. when recognize our interest 20 hold
what the discharge OF duty has placed in our
hand? Since when has II been craftsmanship
| TO shut our eyes to the interests 81 our own
country; and patriotism TO consider only the
| interests or the wishes Of others? For my own
part l confess 70 a belief IN standing up frs,
for my own-and find II difficult 10 cherish much
respect for the man who wOn't;-hrst for nv
own family rather than some other mans; first
for my own city and State rather than for some
| body else's; first for my own country; FIRST
please God, for the United States OF America.
And so. having in the past. too fully perhaps
and on more than one occasion. considered the
question of our new possessions in the light o,
our duty. 1 propose 10 look at them fur
| Their and unblushingly. in the light OF our In
terests.
Which way do your interests LEE Which way
| do the interests Of California and the city Of
San Francisco Ie9 Three or
| THE OLD four days ago. when your
FAITH OF CAL President honored me with the
| IFORNIANS. summons I am now obeying.
there came back TO ne a vague
memory OF the visions cherished by the men you
rate the highest in California your Pioneers and
Forty Miners as to the future OF the empire they
| were founding on this coast There fingered IN
my mind the flavor at least Of an old response
| by California public 20 the compliment
| a "tenderfoot' New-Yorker. in the innocence Of
| his heart. had intended TO pay. when he said
that with this splendid state. this glorious bar
Dor and the Pacific Ocean, you have all the sls-
ments to build up here the New-YOrk Of the
West. The substance OF the Californian's reply
| was that through mere lack OF knowledge o,
! the country to which he belonged. the we'll
! meaning New-Yorker had greatly underra'et
/ the future that awaited San Francisco;-that
long before Macaulay's New-Zealander had
| transferred himself from the broken arches q
| London Bridge to those OF Brooklyn. Il would
! be the pride and boast Of the denizens OF thoss
! parts that New-York had developed so nneiy as
4
! While the human memory is the most tena-
cious and nearest immortal Of all things known
! 10 us, il is also at times the most elusive Even
! with the suggestion OF Mr.. HtteH and the
! friendly files OF the Mechanics Library, did
/ not succeed in finding that splendid example OK
| San Francisco faith which my memory bad
I treasured Yet I found some things not very
/ unlike it, TO show what manner Of men they
were that laid the foundation OF this common
wealth the Pacific. what high hopes sus-
! tanned them and what radiant future they con-
| fidently anticipated.
! Here for example was Mr.. William A How
ard. whom 1 found declaring not quite third OF
century ago that San Francisco would yet %
the largest American city on the largest ocean
| of the world. AT least he is reported In Inc
| Bulletin" though The Alta puts il with an
| If" its report reading; IF the development Of
| commerce require that the largest ocean snai
| have the largest city. then IL would follow tns'
| as the Atlantic is smaller than the Pacinc' 80
| the course OF years New-YOrk will be smaller
| than San Francisco
| And here again was Mr.. Delos Lake. ram
tanning that the United States is now on EVE
| with the most favored nations; that us 81
| graphical position. its line Of palatal steane'
| established on the Pacific Ocean by Amer''A-
| enterprise. and soon 10 be followed by ~sa
| telegraphs must before long render this eonu-
| nent the proper avenue of commerce oet"ee
| Europe and Asia. and raise this metropolis .
| the Pacific to the loftieSt height OF mone'A'
| power"
| There a reason. too. widely held Vy -
great men Of the day, whose names nave pAs
| into history for some such faith Thus az %
Californian of high and happy fame Nav