The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-11

can tolerate the thought of permanent
ly denying the right of self-govern-
ment to the Filipinos. Can we hope to
instill into the minds of our descend
ants reverence and devotion for
government by the people, while de-
nying ultimately that right to the in
ha.bitants of distant countries whose
territory we have acquired either by
purchase or by force? Can we say
to the Filipinos, your lives, your lib
erty and your 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 has become Incorporated, in sub
stance and effect. into the constitution
of every state, as well as into the
Fourteenth Amendment to the consti-
tuition of the United States?
Can we hope for the respect of the
civilized world while proudly guarantee
ing to every citizen of the United states
that no law shall be made or enforced
which shall abridge the privileges or
immunities of citizens of the United
States, or deny to any person the
equal protection of the laws, and al
the same time not only deny similar
rights to the inhabitants of the Phil
ippines, but take away from them the
right of trial by jury, and place their
lives and the disposition of their prop
erty in the keeping of those whom we
send to them to be their governors?
We shall certainly rue it as nation
if we make any such attempt.
Viewing the question even from
the standpoint of national sell
fishness. there is no prospect
that the twenty millions of dol
Ears expended in the 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
possibility which thus came to us,
but that responsibility will be best sub
served by preparing the islanders as
rapidly as possible for self-government
and giving to them the assurances that
it will come as soon as they are rea-
sonably prepared for 1t.
There need be no fear that
the assertion so aften made of
late, that we have now become 4
world Power, will then be with
out support. Ours is a world Pow
er, and as such it must be maintained
but l deny that it is at all recently
that the United States has attained
that eminence. Our country became a
world power over a century ago, when,
having thrown off foreign domination,
the people established a free govern
ment, the source of whose authority
sprung, and was continuously to pro-
coed, from the will of the people
themselves. 1t grew as a world pow
err 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, reduced
the prairies and forests to cultivation,
built cities. constructed highways ana
railroads, till now nation which at
the formation of the government num-
bered 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 the prosperity of its
citizens, not any career of conquest,
that make the country world power.
This condition we owe to the bounty
of Providence. unfolded in the great
natural resources of the country, to
the wisdom of our fathers manifested
in the form of government established
by them, to the energy, industry. moral
character and law-abiding spirit of the
people themselves.
Not n People of Conquest.
We are not a military people, bent on
conquest, or engaged in extending our
domains in foreign lands, or DESTROYS OF
securing natural advantages. however
IAxyfp o
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,
but IL cannot bring to the country the
brains Drawn and muscle of single
Immigrant, nor induce the investment
here of a dollar of capital. OF course
such armament as may be necessary
for the security of the country and the
protection of the rights Of its citizens,
at home or abroad, must be maintain
ed. ANY other course would be not only
false economy, but pusilanimous. /
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 I'm the disputes and broils of for
eign countries. and that because we
in every important question that arises
I'm other parts Of the world. I also pro-
test against the erection of any such
military establishment as would be re-
ouired TO maintain the country in that
attitude. We should confine our inter-
national 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
independence.
A Home Government.
The government OF the United states
was organized solely for the people
Of the United states. While II was
contemplated that this country should
| become "A refuge for the oppressed OF
! every land. who might be fit 20 dis
| charge the duties OF our citizenship.
/ ana while we have always sympath-
! ized with the people OF every nation
| In their struggles for Disagreement,
/ the government vas not created for
| a career Of political or civillzlng evan
] qeiization On foreign countries or
| among allen races. The most efficient
! work we can DO IN uplifting the people
Of other countries is by the presenta-