New-York tribune., 1902-05-27
ETHICS OF COLONIZATION.


Mr.. Alleyne Ireland in THE Annals of the
American Academy of Political and Social
Science" for May discusses the morality of
civilized domination of inferior races. Mr. Ire
land has been a close student of tropical life
and knows we'll its possibilities and limitations.
He squarely challenges the notion that the ma
tive races Of the Southern regions have in them
the germs Of civilization. and consequently he
denies the validity of the argument-evcn if II
is true-that no inferior race was ever made
sef-gOverning through condition of depend
ency As the Southern races viii accomplish
nothing by independently this alleged fault OF
dependency does not matter For our part
we do not believe 1t has this fault Time and
again inferior races have had higher state OF
civilization imposed upon them, and finally
evolved from a condition of dependency their
own civilized national life Rome civilized
Gaul. Spain civilized the Mexican Indians who
form so large a part OF the Mexican population
The spread of civilization Is almost entirely due
TO the dominion of races which had advanced
step beyond those they ruled. II immediate IN
dependence is more important than civilization
perhaps the process is evil; but every people
that Is in the van of civilization and an exem
plar of self government learned sclf-control ana
obedience to law. and evolved its free instltu-
ernment not founded on the consent OF the
governed Every one OF them went through It's
neriod of tutelagp No modern people has main
tained free civilized governments without hav-
ing first been governed by civilization 1t Is
conceivable that some Malay people might In
thousand years develop an individual civlllZa-
ton of its own but there is no indication or H.
Whatever has been gained is due TO external
imposition, as is the case with the Spanish
veneer on the FillpinOs.
Shall civilization draw line about the In
ferior races and say their baCkwardness shall
not he invaded? Shall say that it is more
important. that the barbarians develop self
governmental they ever will-than that they
be subjected to civilizing influences, whether
those influences prepare them for ultimate self
government or absorption into the higher ma
tion: Mr.. Ireland says no. He declares that
the principle which forbids holding an inferior
race in tuteage lest it should not develop civil
ized selfdcpcndcnce is precisely that advanced
"by anarchists against the regulation OF an
.individuals actions within state or society
..hy other members of that state society
Critics Of colonization declare that good order.
good roads and good schools are all very well,
but the prime requisite is freedom. Mr.. Ireland
answers: The absence OF murder and pillage
lin community says the anarchist is no
doubt TO be desired But if it is obtained by
'coercion-that is, by police force and n
"'crimnal code-it is of no avail. since the de-
'sirable condition does not rest on the develop
"'ment of the moral consciousness Of the crimi-
nal but on the fOrcible direction Of his aC
"'tions into other channels. He paraphrases
the argument that colonization does not tend
toward selfgOvernment thus: "A so-called in
.'ferior section of a community cannot he ele
o1,a do 10 oFn
'dered self government through condition of
''tutelage" Everybody knows this is not true.
Every school and refOrmatory is a witness to
the power of promoting self-gOvernment by
tutelage
The larger interests of a community justify
restraint upon inferior individuals, and Mr.. Ire
land argues that the larger interests Of the
world Justify restraint upon inferior races. He
practically accepts the principle stated some
time ago by DIR. Lyman Abbott in the form.
'Barbarism has rights which civilization is
bound 10 respect" by that meaning not that
barbarans have no rights that civilized men
bound to respect-for they have-but that bar
barism as a system has no rights against civil
ization as n system. If we deny that principle
we must admit that the United States ought to
lie undev veloped, roamed over but not used by a
few thousand Indians, perhaps not many more
than now exist government reservations.
We must think it a pity that almost the lowest
of aboriginal races was not left in undisturbed
possession of the whole Australian continent;
that South America did not remain to wander
ing Caribs; that India is not still torn by dis
sensions. We must admit not only that 1t is
wrong for the superior English civilization to
dominate the more primitive Beers, but that
the Beers are equally criminals in that they
have invaded the land of the KaffirS and estab-
lished certain degree of civilization where
negro barbarlsm reigned. India has not gained
in power of self-government it is said. Which
is better British dominion and justice or con-
stant warfare and hardship. to-day under one
and tomorrow under another petty tyrant? If
civilization could shut the door on barbarism
the anti-colonization scruples might be needed.
but ii cannot. The civilized world is crowded.
Whatever its governments do, its people will
push where they see natures resources unim-
proved. They will trade with inferior races.
In time they will demand protection. and, will