The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-18
FUTURE or AMERICA.
Mr.. Cleveland Thinks
Outlook Is Bad.
Country Can Never Re Same Country
1t Was.
Has Wandered From
Old Traditions.
EK. Presidents Address Before
Holland Society.

New York, January 1.-THE Holland
Waldorf Astoria tonight.
The Rev. DIR. Henry Van Dyke, president
OF the society, presided. On his right sat
ex-President Cleveland and Tunis q.
Bergin at his left. Covers were laid for
three hundred and all the places were
taken. Among the speakers were Grover
Cleveland, DIR. Andrew Hermance Smith
and Charles W. Dayton.
kx-President Cleveland said;
ut has been my lot TO be much on ths
sober side OF life and TO feel the pressure
of great res possibilities am quite will :
ing to take an humble place among
the serinonizsrs In this time OF headlong
national heedlessness and to invoke the
cultivation and saving grace of Dutch
conservatism.
but conservatism has in q great de-
gree been jauntiiy cast aside, or con-
demned as opposed to our country's
welfare ana glory. A strange voyage has
heen entered upon without count OF cost
and without charts or compass, The re-
straints and limitations OF our Consti
tuition have become CALLING and irksome
under the temptations OF national greed
and eggrandizement. Our old love OF
ened and-frugality and contentment are
not now traits inseparAble from Amer
loan character.
WAR, even with the worlds advanced
civilization, may still be sometimes
necessary and justitable; but whether
necessary and justifiable or not, the de-
moralization that follows In Its train can
never be evaded.
Thirty years after the close OF the
war Tor the preservation of the Union,
treaty of arbitration was formulated
between the United States and Great
britain, which, irscompleted would have
gone Tar towards removing any pretext
OF war between che two countries, This
treaty failed of confirmation in the SEN
ate or the United States. Less than five
passed, and these English speaking oham-
o.ons Of peace AMI arbitration are still
operating in parallel lines-one in the
Philippines and the other in South Afri-
oa-put no longer for peace and arhitra-
ton. Roth are killing natives in an
effort to possess their land.
This indicates q sad relapse; and In
our case it is a most serious one. II Eng
land succeeds in her attempt In South
Africa, she will but add another 20 her
list of similar acquisitions, and brave
people will be subjugaled. On the other
hand, with success in our subjugatinR
effort a new, untried and exceedingly
periloue situation will he forced upon
us. We can conquer the Philippines,
and after conquering them can probab-
Iy goysrn them. Ib is the strain upon
our Institutions, the decentralization of
our people, the evasion of our consti-
tutional limitations ana the perveTs Tsion
of our national mission that is our danger.
AS a disti nguished bishop has said /:
'The question Is not what we shall do
with the bilippines, but what the
Philippines will do to u.s.
"Our country will never be the same
again. For veal or woe we have already
irrevocabiy passed bey ond the old lines
1.-The republic will In some sort be
saved Shall It be only In name and
semhlance, with fair external appear
snce, but with the germs of decay fast
ened upon Its vitals; or shall 1t though
changed still survive in such vigor and
strength as to remain the hope and pride
of free AmerioansP
=. The problem is momentous one Its
solution depends upon the extent to
which the old patriotism and z God sense
of our countrymen can be rescued from
impending dangers. Thus these are sober
days for thoughtful citizens--days for
preaching, days for sermonizing. IL we
are to be saved from disester, it must be
tn orugh the cultivation and enforcement
OF that sort of conservatism that should
find oongenial home In the Holland So
ciety."
Following MIR. Cleveland DR.. Andrew
II. Smith spoke on Dutch Discoveries, :;
and tho Hon. Charles W. Dayton spoke
to the toast 'The Dutch Danes