Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-11

the Il lllplnOS, your llVeS, your liberty
and "our property may be taken from
you without due process of law for all
time, and expect we will long glory In
that feature OF Magma Charta. which
mas become Incorporated, in substance
and effect, into the Constitution Of
every State, as well as into the Four
teenth Amendment to the Constitution
of the United States? Can we hope for
the respect of the civilized world. while
proudly guaranteeing to every cltlZen
OF the United States that no law shali
De made or enforced Whlcn shaii
abridge the privileges or immunlties OF
citizens of the United States. or deny
to any person the equal protection or
the laws, and at the same time not only
deny similar rights to the inhabitants
of the Philippines. but take away from
them the right OF trial by jury. ana
place their lives and the disposition or
their property in the keeping of those
whom we send to them to be their gov
ernorS? We shall certainly rue 1t as n
nation If we make any such attempt.
Viewing the question even from the
stand point of national selfishness.
there is no prospect that the twenty
''''''''''' vi NollstiN NNPti'''' - 80
purchase of the islands and the six
hundred and fifty millions said to have
been since disbursed will ever come
back to us. The accident of war
brought the Philippines into our
possession and we are not at liberty to
disregard the responsibility which thus
came to us, but that responsibility will
be best Subserved by preparing the
Islanders as rapidly as possible for SELF
government and giving to them the as
Surances that it will come as soon as
they are reasonably prepared for 1t.
1'here need be no fear that the asser-
ton so often made of late, that we
have now become a world power, will
then be without support. Ours is Il
world power, and as such it must be
maintained. but l deny that it is at all
recently that the United States has at
talnec that eminence. Our country be-
came world power over century
ago. when, having thrown off foreign
domination, the people established a
free government. the source of whose
authority sprung, and was continue
ously to proceed, from the will of thu
people themselves. 1t grew as a world
power as its sturdy citizens, to whose
natural increase were added immi-
grants from the old world seeking to
obtain here the liberty and prosperity
denied them in their own countries
spread over the face of the land re-
duced the prairies and forests to culti-
walton, built cities, constructed high
ways and railroads, till now a nation
which at the formation of the govern
ment numbered only three millions in
population. has become eighty millions
and from ocean to ocean and the lakes
to the gulf, the country is the abode Of
free and prosperous people. advanced
In the highest degree in the learning
and arts of civilization 1t is the
liberty. the advancement and tho
prosperity of its citizens, not any
career of conquest. that make the
country world power This condition
we owe to the bounty of Providence
unfo'ded in the great natural resources
Of the country. to the wisdom of our
fathers manifested in the form of gov
eminent established bv them. to the
energy. industry moral character and
law-abiding spirit of the people them
selves.
conquest or engaged in extending our
domains In foreign lands or DESTROYS of
securing natural advantages however
great, by force: but people loving
peace not only for ourselves, but for
all the nations of the earth.
The display of great military arma-
ments may please the eye and. for the
moment, excite the pride of the citizen,
hut it cannot bring to the country the
brains. Drawn and muscle of single
immigrant. nor induce the investment
here of n dollar of capital. OF course
such armament as may be necessary for
the security of the country and the pro-
lection of the rights of its citizens. at
home or abroad must be maintained.
Any other course would be not only
false economy, but pusillanimous L
protest, however against the feeling. now
far too prevalent. that by reason of the
commanding position we have assumed in
the world, we must take part in the dis
putes and broils of foreign countries;
and that because we have grown great
We should intervene in every important
question that arises in other parts OF the
world. I also protest against the erection
of any such military establishment as
would be required to maintain the country
in that attitude. We should cOnfine our
international activities solely to matters
in which the rights of the country or of
our citizens are directly involved. That
is not a situation of isolation, but of in
dependence.
The Government of the United States
was organized solely for the people of the
United States. While it was contemp-
lated that this country should become a
refuge for the oppressed of every land,
who might be fit to discharge the duties
of cur citizenship. and while we have
always sympathized with the people of
every nation in their struggles for self
government, the government was not
created for a career of political or civil
izing evangelization in foreign countries
or among alien races, The most efficient
work We can do in uplifting the people
of other countries is by the presenta ton
OF happy, prosperous, Safeguarding
nation AS an ideal to he emulated. a model
TO be followed. The general occupation of
our citizens in the arts Of peace, or the alb
sence of large military ornaments. tends
to impair neither patriotism nor phySi-