The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-28

connect the Pacific and the Atlantic has been recognized; and ever since the pirth of our nation such a canal mas oeeh planned At last the dream has become reality. The isthmlan canal is now pelhg buiIt hv the government of the United States We conducted the negotiation ioI It's construction with the incest and most scrupulous honor, and in a spirit of the largest generosity toward those through whose territory it was to run. Every sin- ister effort which could be devised by the snirit of faction or the spirit or sell interest was made In order to defeat the treaty with Panama and thereby prevent the contamination of this work. The con struction of the canal Is now an assureo fact; but most certainly 1t Is unWlse 10 entrust the carrying out of so momen- tous a policy to those who have endeaV- ored to defeat the whole undertaking.
 Our foreign policy has been so con- ducted that, while not one or our Just claims has been sacrificed, our relations with all foreign nations are now or the most peaceful kind; there is not clouo on the horizon. The last cause of irri- tation between us and any other nation was removed by the settlement of the Alaskan boundary.
 In the Caribbean sea we have made good our promises of independence to Cuba, and have proved our assertion that our mission In the island was one Of Justice and not of self-aggrandizement; and thereby no less than by our acton in Venezuela and Panama we have shown that the Monroe doctrine is living real ity, designed for the hurt of no nation. but for the protection of civilization on the western continent, and for the peace of the world Our steady growth In pow CT has gone hand in hand with strengthening disposition to use this power with strict regard for the rights of others and for the cause of interna- tional justice and good will.
 Friendship With Nations.
 We earnestly desire friendship with all the nations of the new and old worlds; and we endeavor to place our relations with them upon basis of reciprocal ad- vantage instead of hostility. We hold that the prosperity of each nation is an aid and not a hindrance to the prosperity of other nations. We seek international amity for the same reasons that make us believe in peace within our own borders; and we seek this peace not because we are afraid or unready, but because we think that peace is right as well as ad- vantageous.
 American interests in the Pacific have rapidly grown. American enterprise has laid a cable across this, the greatest of oceans. We have proved in effective fash ion that we wish the Chinese empire well and desire it's Integrity and independence.
 Our foothold In the Philippines greatly strengthens our position In the compe- tition for the trade of the east: but we are governing the Philippines in the in- terest of the Philippine people themselves. We have already given them a large share in their government. and our pur- pose Is to increase this share as rapidly as they give evidence of increasing it- ness for the task. The great majority of the officials of the islands whether elective or appointive, are already native Filipinos. We are now providing for a legislative assembly This is the first step to be taken in the future; and it would be eminently unwise to declare what our next step will be until this first step has been taken and the re- suits are manifest. To have gone faster than we have already gone in giving the islanders a constantly increasing measure of self-government would have been disastrous. At the present moment to give political independence to the is lands would result in the immediate loss of civil rights, personal liberty and pub lie order, as regards the mass of the Filipinos. for the majority of the is- flanders have been given these great boons by us. and only keep them because we vigilantly safeguard and guarantee them. To withdraw our government from the islands at this time would mean to the average native the loss of his barely-won civil freedom We have es tablished in the islands a government hv Americans assisted by Filipinos We are steadily striving to transform this into self-government by the Filipinos assisted by Americans.
 Should Appeal to Aall.
 The principles which we uphold should appeal to all our countrymen. in all nor. lions of our country, Above all thor should give us strength with the men and women who are the spiritual heirs of those who upheld the hands of Ahraban, IJncoln; for we are striving to do o,,r work in the spirit with which Tinoo1, appreached his. During the seven vaars that have just passed there Is no duty domestic or foreign. which we ba,,a shirked; no necessary task which .-. have feared to undertake, or which VI. have not performed with reasonable arr, ciency. We have never pleaded ,r,- notence. We have never sought rof,,.-. in criticism and complaint instead of a tion. We face the future with orr ,,as. and our present as guanantors of our promises; and we are content to stand or to fall by the record which we have Ar....