The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-19
OUR NATIONAL MISSION PER-
VERIFIED

VERIFIED.
It is worthy of notice that both of our
| ex-Presidents are against the govern
ment's policy in the Philippines. Ex-
President Harrison on several occasions
recently has expressed the opinion that
the constitution follows the flag, and
that. consequently. the Filipinos are now
citizens of the United States. He has
pointed out that it is not advisable to
have them as citizens, that the people do
not want them to be citizens and that it
would not be a good thing for the repub-
lie TO have them as citizens. The conclu-
sion to be drawn from what he says is
that a very grave mistake was made
when the United States took possession
of the Philippines.
In his address on Thursday night at the
annual dinner of the Holland Society of
New York, ex-President Cleveland was
very emphatic in expressing the opinion
that the greed for territory threatened to
radically change the character of the re-
public. Indeed, he did not hesitate to
say that its character had been greatly
changed by the events of the Spanish
American war. There is not the same re-
gard for constitutional limitations as
there was before that war. Efforts are
being made to give interpretations to the
constitution that will permit of the hold
ing of the Philippines as possessions with
which Congress has the right to deal out
side Of the constitution.
In his address MIR. Cleveland made a
strong point of the fact that thirty years
after the war of secession a treaty was
negotiated between Great Britain and the
United States which, If ratified, would
have made war between them impossible
The Senate refused to ratify it, but it
nevertheless had the approval of the best
sentiment of both countries. Only about
five years have elapsed since that treaty
was under discussion, and Great Britain
is trying to crush a brave people in
South Africa and the United States are
engaged in subjugating the people of the
Philippine Islands-a people who ask for
the same sort of liberty for which the
American people fought over a hundred
years ago. In the greed for territory both
nations seem to have forgotten that only
recently they wanted to put an end to
war by having all international disputes
settled by arbitration Now neither ma
ton desires arbitration in matters which
1t regards as Immediately under it's con-
troll.
The fact that both of our ex-Presidents,
one a Democrat and the other Republi-
can, are against the policy that is be-
ing pursued in regard to the Philippines,
is sufficient to make the people wonder
whether they are not making a mistake
in not protesting against that policy. 1t
is a matter of far greater Importance to
them that the republic shall be main
tanned in accordance with the principles
ON which it was founded than that addi-
tional territory-territory situated on the
other side of the world-shall be acquired
Already, in the effort to acquire that
territory, reverence for our national ira
ditions," MIR. Cleveland says, has been
relaxed and satisfaction with our coun-
trys mission has been undermined" Is
this statement true or is Mr.. Cleveland
mistaken? When 1t is seen that some of
the ablest men of both political parties
think about this matter just as he does
it is certainly time to pause. take bear
ings and see If it be fact that the re-
public is drifting away from its ancient
mornings and into the dangerous sea OF
uncertainty. 1t is time to ask if Nc
Kinley. Hanna, Lodge, Foraker are as
safe pilots for the republic as are Cleve-
land. BRYAN. Harrison and Hoar.