The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-23
FOR DUTCH CONSERVATISM
Grover Cleveland on Imperialism
The Rep1b1ic is in Dancer

Grover Cleveland on Imperialism
The Repob1ic is III Danger.
EXPresidcnt Cleveland made
speech at the annual dinner of the
Holland society in New York, in which
he plead Tor the need of "Dutch cor
servallsm' to steady the popular i'm
pulse, III "thls time OF hcadloug national
hcedlessness." lie said
The question is suggested .whcth
er in present condition this conseryn-
tlsn charactcrizes the conduct or
/ guides the sentiment of our pcople.,
There eau be but one answer t. this
| question. Conservatism has IN a yreat
degree been jauntlly cast aside, or con
demncd as opposed to our country's
welfare and glory. A strange VOYAGE
has been entered upon without count
! of cost, and without chart or comnass
The tried and sure foundations OF our
liberty aud national happiness have
been discrcditCd. Reverence for our
national traditions has been relaxed
ana satisfaction with our country's
mission has been undermined. The
restraints and limitations Of our Con
stltutlon have become CALLING and irk-
some under the temptations of national
greed and aggrandlzemcnt. Our old
love of peace, honor and Justice has
been weakened, and frugalty and con-
.chtmcnt aie not now traits inscparablc
from American character.
War, even with the worlds adj
vanced civilization, may still be some
times necessary and iusthable, but
whether necessary and iustiiiable or
no., the demon alization that follows i'm
its train can never be cvadcd. 1t
teaches bloody instructions, which, in
a country whose citizens DO the fight
ing cannot fail to leave their impress
Tor time at least upon public and pri-
vatc life in time of peace.
Thirty years after the close Of the
war for the preservation of the Union
treaty of arbitration was formulated
between the United States aud Great
Britain, which, If completed. would
have gone far towards removing every
preteXt OF war between the two coun
tries. This treaty failed of conlirma-
ton in the Senate of the United States
Less than five years passed and these
English. speaking champions of peace
and arbitration are still operating on
i
and thc other in South Africa--but no
longer for peace and arbitration. Both
are killing natives in an effort to possess
their lands.
"This indicates sad relapse, and
N our case 1t is a most serious one. If
England succeeds in her attempt in
South Africa she will but add another
to her list of similar acquisitions;
brave people will be subjugatcd, and
because of our engagement in Il similar
venture IN another quarter they will
miss the expressions Of American
sympathy which we are accustomed TO
extend to those who struggle for ma
ti"n&i life and independence. On the
oii cr hand, with success in our sub
ju3atlng effort, new, untried and ex-
cecdingly rorilous situation Will be
forced upon US. We can conquer the
Philippines, and after conqucring them
can probably govern them. 1t is in
the strain upon our institutions, the
generalization OF our people, the eva
sion OF our Constitutional limitations
and the pcrversiOn of our national
mission that our danger lies. ASS dis
tinguishcd Bishop has said: 'Thc
question is not what we shall do with
the Philippines, but what the Philip
pines will do to US
"Our country will never be the
same again. For veal or woe we have
already irrcvocably passed beyond the
old lines.
The Republic will IN some sort be
saved. Shall it be only in name and
scmblance, with fair external APP
pearance, but with the germs of decay
fastened upon its vitals; or shall it,
though changed still survive in such
vigor and strength as to remain the
hope and pride of Americans
"The problem is momcutous one.
In the midst of reckless tumult and in
the confused rage of national greed
and bloodincss let it be proclaimed
that American freedom and popular
rule can not perish except through the
madness of those who have them IN
their kceru,g and by the blood and
sacrifices of our fathers, by the lofty
achievements of the free institutions
they established, by our glorious vic
torres of peace and by our reliance on
the promises of God, let Dutch con
servatism cnjoin upon our people a
faithful discharge of their sacred
trust.n