New-York tribune., 1900-08-14
1.-THE ANCIENT LANDMARKS"

In his Indianapolis speech the other day Mr.
Bryan grew most pathetic over our shattered
Constitution and knocked over and hattened
out a great number of straw men whose stuff
ing now litters the ground and offers interest
ing material for study. AS we look over the
field of battle we find some curious specimens
Of his habit Of ignoring historic facts and
assuming anything that suits his purpose. II
is worth while to pick up now and then one of
his specious phrases TO show the quality of this
man of rhetoric and shallow knowledge: for
we will take it for granted that his trouble is
lack of knowledge and not deliberate misrepre-
sentation. At Indianapolis he declared:
That the leaders OF a great party should claim
for any President or Congress the right 10 treat
millions of people as mere possessions ana
deal with them unreStralned by the Constitution
or the Bill of Rights shows how far we have
already departed from the ancient landmarks.
Does itf 1t does If that theory of the nature
OF our Constitution is one. Otherwise it
shows nothing of the kind. Mr. Bryan and his
partisans assume 1t is a new one. and never
can be brought TO face fairly the evidence that
it is old. We have repeatedly put the facts
before them, but they avoid 1t every time and
go on with their outcry over the departure from
ancient landmarks" which never existed.
Now, 1t is an historic fact that Thomas JET
ferson ruled Orleans as a mere possession
unrestrained by the Constitution or the Bill of
Rights. Under the act of Congress he set up
despotic government denying to the people any
voice in their own affairs, and refusing them
even the jury trial of the Constitution. After
Americans used TO self-government moved there
q Territorial form of government was erected
and then q State. But for some time the
country was ruled with all that disregard of
the Constitution and guardianship of depen-
dents which so scandalizes Mr.. Bryan in the
case OF Porto Rico.
James Monroe treated Florida In the same
way. First he sent that Democratic saint,
Andrew Jackson. there as Civil Governor, under
act of Congress conferring on him all the
powers of a Spanish Captain-General. Jack
sons regard for the Bill Of Rights led him to
disregard writ of habeas corpus, notwith-
standing the Constitution, which he held not TO
be in force in his province. The Admins
tration and Congress sustained him in that
view. little later another form Of Territorial
government was esta blished, of which the Porto
Rican government is in many respects the
counterpart To the Porto Ricans, however, is
allowed a Legislature of their own election,
while Florida put entirely under the con-
troll Of an appointed council.
Thomas II. Benton passed as a good Demo
crat in his day, even If he did not accept the
constitutional doctrines developed by Calhoun
for the protection Of slavery in the Territories.
If Mr.. Bryan will study the works of Benton
he will find that the view which he denounces
as so great n departure from "the ancient
landmarks was one which Benton advocated
and one which Congress deliberately gave its
adhesion TO by more than one vote when the
question at issue squarely the tenure of
Territorial privileges. whether held as gifts Of
Congress In the exercise of its discretion or as
rights under the Constitution. This question
was thoroughly settled before 1926, and it is
only in the ina agination of men like Mr., Bryan
that those who hold the old established
view against the inventions of Calhoun become
removers of 'the ancient landmarks"