The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-19
HILL ON REPUBLICS
OUR OWN AND THOSE OF SOUTH
AFRICA.
EDWARD VIII'S ADDRESS.
THE ADMINISTRATIONS POLICY SE-
vERELY CRITICISED.


Stressed-NOt Even n Mild Express
sion of Sympathy Permitted-But
sympathy of American People Has
Been With Boers-A Tribute to the
Irish.
New York, March 1S.-About 200 people
sat down to the fifty-second annual BAN
quet of the st. Patrick's Society in
Brooklyn tonight. President E. J. Car
lin of the society had with him at the
guests table eX-Gov. David B. Hill, Con-
troller Bird s. Coler and about a dozen
others.
Gov. Hill made the principal speech or
the evening, He said in part;
Every true American rejoices in the
fact that he lives in a republic. A rep
resentative form of government, whereby
the people rule not directly as in a de-
mocracy, but indirectly through their
chosen representatives, under a written
constitution wherein popular rights as
well as governmental powers are closely
defined, constitutes the best form of gov
ernment ever devised by man.
''The distinctions which exist between
our form of government and that of
monarchies. limited or otherwise. are par
ticularly emphasized in the recent address
10 Parliament of Edward the Seventh, the
new King of Great Britain and Ireland
and Emperor of India.
He assures Parliament that my reIa-
tions with other Powers continue TO be
friendly he repoices that the capitals
of the two South African republics are
in my possession and he trusts that my
troops will deal effectually with the
forces of the enemy.
Such expressions sound strangely upon
our ears in free America. Here we would
tolerate no such assumption of superiority
and power as those terms imply. Loyalty
here means loyalty to ourselveS-to our
own constituted but not inherited authori-
ties.
THE supineness of this great republic
in the present emergency while witness
ing the destruction of two struggling re-
publics In South Africa, and the substi-
tuition of a monarchial government in
their place, is almost incomprehensible.
IF it be urged in defense of our ma
tional lethargy that the Monroe doctrine
presents no objection to the destruction
of republics elsewhere than on this con-
tinent. it may well be answered that
neither did that doctrine contemplate an
attempt upon our part to extend our jur-
isdiction into the Pacific seas
but whether it can be seriously es-
tablished that there rested upon this ma
ton the positive duty of active interfer-
ence in the first instance to protect its
two sister republics from annihnaion at
the hands of a monarchial government,
it is suggested that at least it was our
national duty to insist that the alleged
grievances of Great Britain, which formed
the pretext for its warfare upon two
weak republics. should have been submit
ted to arbitration before hostilities were
actually opened.
1T is a singular circumstance that
aside from a mere formal tender of the
friendly offices of this government to the
respective belligerents (Which Great Brit
ain promptly and rather tartly declined),
there has been no manifestation of our
national interest in the outcome of the
struggle there has been no protest raised
against the cruel consummation of the
wrong; there has been permitted in Con-
gress not even a mild expression of sym
pathy for the struggling republics; and
they have been confronted not only with
a cold neutrality, but with manifest in
difference TO their fate, and there has been
an apparent abandonment of the new
American doctrine, which was proclaimed
so vigorously and effectively in 1895.
But whatever may have been the at
titude which our government has felt
constrained to assume. there has never
been the slightest question of the senti-
ments of the generous and warm hearted
American people upon this subject. Their
hopes, their prayers and their sympathies
have been with the gallant Beers in their
unequal contest with British usurpation.
1T do not violate any confidence when
] state that az an interview which had
at Washington on Dec. s, last, with ex-
President Harrison-one of our greatest
lawyers and statesmen. whose recent
death the whole country is now lament
ing-in discussing some constitutional
questions not now necessary to be mem
toned. and reference having been made
to the South African struggle, he sudden
ly turned to me- and with much feeling
and impressiveness, said:
"'Gov Hill ! am an American, and
my sympathies are with the cause OF the
Beers l cannot help It,
'It was an impromptu expression of pa
triotic sentiment, credltable alike to his
head and heart which shall always re-
member.
1T is difficult to trace to any one cause
the marvellous success Of the United
States. The high standards Of national
honor and integrity by which our relations
with other countries have been conducted,
have undoubtedly contributed materially
TO our enviable reputation abroad. Our
country's influence is not measured solely
bv the strength of our armies and navies
Our almost uniform policy of national
unselfishness has made a deep impression
upon the governments of the world.
2 "It has ever been our pride and our
boast that we have cordially welcomed 60
our shores the oppressed OF every cline.
Tmrnieration has done much towards
building up our waste places towards IN
fusine new blood in our councils. towards
sfrenRthening our resources, and increas-
INC the volume Of our good citizenship.
"Especially has the patriotism, the en-
thnsiaem. and the industry OF our Irish
fellow citizens. native and adopted, con.
trIbuted much 10 the progress and the
greatness Of our nation. Irish soldiers no
hiv exhibited their American loyalty. not
onlv during the war for the Union, but
In the recent Spanish-Cuban conflict. And
finally. " may be safely asserted that the
homes and the aspirations OF the Irish
American people are centered in the sue
cess and prosperity OF the American I'm.
ion"
Controller Coler spoke OF Dir. carne-
r.le's great gift 70 the city Of New York,
which would reach the plain people ami
vas IN harmony with the true American
idea New York had developed more rap
idiv than any other city IN the world,
ana that 81 q speed which must startle
T,onAop paris and older cities On the
cher afdc Of the water, ard this had