Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-21


nations, wards In the orient beneficent acts.
not merely remote and possibly delusive
promises, The position of those who pledge
so much of abstract rights for a glttering
future that they neglect to meet the Fill
pinos urgent present needs is Illogical and
indefensible.
We have freed the Filipnos from Spanish
ecclesiastical and military oppression: we
have saved them from the blood-and-iron
! despotism of the natural European
cessor to the sovereignty of bankrupt Spain;
we have spared them anarchy, internecine
war and the cruel absolutism of a native
dictator, whose despotic rule would be
based on murder; we have protected them
| in their opportunities of self-sustaining la
Dor against the threatening invasion of the
Chinese; We are opening up the land of the
archipelago to their occupation and use,
pushing and persuading out of the islands
the friars whom the Filipinos hate, and
returning to the people the vast rich areas
of ecclesiastical lands; and finally through
tour Intervention ''the Christian Filipino
people, Governor Taft declares, "are
now enjoying greater individual liberty and
a greater voice in their government than
ever before in their history, and with the
official declaration Of peace now near at
hand both will be increased"
A Modern Balaam,
The beneicence of the guardianship of
greater America in the orient and the need
of the exercise of this sovereignty for an
indefinite period for the welfare of the
Fiiipinos themselves are so firmly estab-
lished by the reaffirmed testimony of Wit
ness Schurman himself, that no mere as
sertions of opinion, based on less direct
and authoritative evidence can suffice to
overturn his convincing statements Schur-
man. desiring to declare against the ex-
panson of Americanism in the orient. is
compelled by truth and conscience to bear
witness in its favor. His strange case is
like that of Balaam who, when called upon
as prophet of anti-expansion to curse the
conauering Israelites, against his own will
did bless them. and as an involuntary ex-
pansionist pictured the spread of the
| chosen peoples power, institutions and
privileges over the promised land
Balak king Of the Moabites. offered "the
rewards of divination" and promotion to
very great honor to Baaam of old, If he
| would curse the Israelites and thus enable
Balak Ito drive them out of the land"
BALKAN did his best to earn the promised
reward. and was persistent in the matter
even to the point Of mourning personal
danger. But Gods truth was too strong
for him. Instead of a eontractionist
prophet of evil, the spirit made of him re-
| peatedly the foreteler of expansion for the
chosen people.
Behold the people shall rise up as
great lion Who can count the dust
of jacob and the number of the fourth
part OF Israel? Surely there is no en-
chantment against Jacob neither Is there
any divfnatiop against Israel; according to
this time it shall be said of Jacob and
israel. what has God wrought!
How shall Bi curse whom God has not
cursed! II There shall come a star
out of Jacob and a sceptre shall arise out
of IsraeL1 81
1t is not revealed whether our modern
Balaam is Influenced by any promise of
the rewards of anti-imperialist divination
in the shape OF promotion to very great
| honor" or byTany resentment for past dis
appointments in respect to such official
| promotion and honor; but it is perfectly
obvious that. while like Balaam of old he
has been and is attempting to drive out
| from the orient a chosen people, the words
which conscience and the spirit of truth
compel him to utter, involuntarily testify
against him and his personal desires, and
| indicate. that the American spirit, institu-
| lions and influence, instead of being ex-
| PEELED with curses, will remain to bless the
people of the archipelago, and that in re-
spect to the uplifting and enlightening
work of the republic in the Philippines it
shah be said: Behold what God has
wrought THEODORE w. MOVES
1