Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-05-29

| time for seven weeks. These ter
rible campaigns Of ours In the heat
OF summer, making speeches day afI
ter day, sitting for four or five hours.
your clothes wet with perspiration..,
In the sun, and one-half the time
| without dinner, there are but few,
men who have gone through with It
and not had their health impaired. +
have no doubt but ttat 1t shortenel'
tho days Of the gallant Earle and
even rugged John Irby.
THE TREATY WITH SPAIN.
While was In this physical and
mental condition. the war with Spain,
came on and I had to grapple with
these new questions. l was sick.
heart, body and soul. All that /
| wanted was peace and to be lot
alone The cruel taunts and sneers,
Of Republican and traitor" hurt me-
then. while can laugh at them now
| | made up my mind not to create any
further issues. but tamely fall I'M
and follow the lead of Jones, T1'd
man. Pettigrew and Co.. and then to
| My intimate friends know that this
was my intention. When they con-
cluded to defeat the treaty, could
| not see what great harm could come.
| to the country from forcing the Re-
publicans to call an extra session. It
would only postpone matters by one
month. At the request Of some OF
the Democratic leaders. made o.
speech, not against the treaty but
was at the time land with the lights
before me, my opinion. had not
drawn the distinction between Ex-
pansion and Imperialism. and fully
Intended to vote against the ratiflca-
tion OF the treaty, | was so tired Of
being abused and accused Of dis
loyalty to my party. At that time.
however. contended in private that
the rejection of tho treaty was I'M
wise even from party standpoint.
| had then. as | have now, very lit
tie confidence in the political sagacity
OF Senator James X. Jones, and be-
lieved that Senator German was at
heart an EXpansionist because he
voted for the acquisition OF the Haw-
allan Islands, and l suspected him
OF an ambition after Bryan advised
the ratification OF tho treaty to de-
feat it and thus supplant him in
the leadership. Not that | objected
| TO this, for German is a conservative
man. and might have been elected
President the last time, could he have
commanded the nomination. However,
on Sunday afternoon. tho day before
the treaty was to be voted upon,
the news was flashed over the wires
that our troops had been fred upon
by the very people whom we had
freed from the tyranny Of Spanish
oppression. This presented an en-
! urey new situation, and before had
/ finished reading the extra" the cor
respondents Of the New York
Sun and I think ot the World.
called at my house before had con-
suited with any human being, and 7
expressed this opinion, as the tiles Of
the newspapers will show. One month
OF delay might mean serious conse.
quences to the people Of the United
states. 1t must be remembered that
spain had the sympathy of entire
Europe. and after the battle Of Ma.
ntlla nothing but the tact Of Dewey
and the attitude of England prevented
us from being forced into q war for
which we were totally unprepared.
10 defeat the treaty meant that wa
were still at war with Spain, and
that our soldiers were intruders in
the Philippine Islands. To ratify the
treaty meant not n state of war, but a
mere insurrection and deprived other
nations OF an excuse for IN.
torference. 1t seems to me any
way, that no matter what the
situation or causes may be, that the
|
we arc engaged in foreign war is
to stand by his own country, right
or wrong. Let me review the situa-
| tlon moment. In the first place I
had not, as long as 1t could be avoid.
ed, been in favor Of the war, and
had but little sympathy with the In.
lammatory addresses made In Con-
gress, which embarrassed the Presi-
dent In his humane efforts to avert
I l,,x =
distrust upon those men who forced
the war on by frantic appeals and
then. the very moment that hostili.
tles were begun. criticised every
movement made to bring the war to
a speedy and successful end. 1t was
a small and petty part for Senators
TO play. Aguinaldo had many warm
sympathiZcrs in Congress, who com.
pared him to George Washington"
ana his half naked followers to the
heroes of Kings Mountain and Bunk.
or Hill. Some of them now cannot
conceal the chargrin which they feel
at the capture Of Aguinaldo and the
cessation Of hostiltics. 1t is charc.
ca that my vote ratified the treaty
and stopped the war. If so, am
proud of the fact, and ! am thank.
ful that had the strength to 60 nv
duty and cast that vote. fear that
would not have had the courage
10 do it. had | not felt that my vote
was absolutely nccosGnry; but re.
aiizing the farroaching effect and the
fearful responsibility. cast my vote
, accordingly. have never soon tho
day when | regretted it, and my .!nl.
! drcn will remember it after | am
dead, with pleasure AMI pride. as the
most glorious act Of my life.
| EXPANSION.
|