Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-27
HOLD THE ISLANDS
IN L|BERTY'S CAUSE
CONTINUED from First Page.)

pine problem and explained the reasons
which actuated the American commission
ers in accepting the islands in behalf OF
this government. That was on the occa-
sion Of dinner given in New York by the
Ohio Society. in February, 1892 Present
at that dinner were Mr.. Whitelaw Reid
and Senator John T. Morgan. members OF
the commission, and Mr.. John Bassett
Moore secretary Senator Davis, now de-
ceased, and Mr.. William r. Day, now on
the United States Supreme bench. were de-
tanned from the dinner by illness. The
Philippine question was then at white heat.
Senator Gray was fresh from deliberations
in conference and in executive session OF
the Senate over it, and he spoke from
full heart.
There may have been some questions as
to the policy of acquiring the Philippines at
ALL" he said at that time. There may
have been grave doubts as to whether we
should go outside OF the declaration with
which the war was commenced and con-
fined and extend Views outside OF this
hemisphere to the distant orient, but there
came time In the course OF those negotia-
lions when. after four or five weeks OF
doubt and anxiety, 1t became apparent
that the negotiations must either be broken
of and your commissioners return without
treaty at all and that we would be rele-
gated to the necessity of taking not only
the Philippines. but Cuba and Porto Rico.
by the ruthless hand of military conquest
or by some concessions that comported with
the magnanimity and greatness and charac-
Ter Cl lHlS COuHtIS gam tiich W eiic 'OAe..
tary cession of treaty Of peace. and.
therefore, we believed that 1t was better
for this country, strong In the hour or lts
victories, great in the hour of Its triumphs'
that 1t should to a beaten and PROSTATE Zoe
exhibit that magnimity of which L spoke
and take from them by voluntary cesslon
and by purchase, SO to speak. those dls-
tant islands rather than to expose our
selves in the eyes of the world in role OF
barbaric conquest and by military power
treading the path of medieval rapine and
warfare.
Plain Path Of Duty.
IT speak as one who was reluctant to
enter this role that we are now playing.
I speak as one who shared perhaps the
most conservative views on this question
that anywhere are expressed in this broad
land of ours; but when 1 find that those
who now are or lately have been opposed
to the ratification Of a treaty at all, all
with one voice and one accord from Sena-
tor Hoar down through the ranks OF the
opposition, declare that whatever might be-
tide us we must drive out Spain from the
Philippine Islands and keep her out. then
there was but one plain path of duty be-
fore those who thought as I did. and L
could form no other opinion then, as l have
no other opinion now, than that 1t was
our duty to take those islands and hold
them in trust for the great purpose Of
American freedom and American liberty.
guided by all of our history that lie be-
hind US and moving forward to goal that
must bring happiness with law and liberty
to peoples who never before had known
what they meant.
How idle In view of the opinion thus
formed must seem the criticisms of those
who are invoking the Declaration of indie
pendence and the time-hoDOred maxims to
which we all adhere, that all just govern
ment rests on the consent of the governed
Why, don't we know that after all the
achievement Of liberty ordered and gov
nod hv Ia Ia
a thing of phrases? Don't we know that
1t would be absolutely impossible that those
people who for four hundred years had
known no other government but that Of
Spain, who had no realization Of civiliza-
ton except what had been filtered down
through the expressions Of the conquering
race-dont we know that 1t was impossl-
BILE for them to conceive. much less achieve.
the notion Of American liberty, until the
strong hand of American power had es-
tablished the law and thes order which
would give place and opportunity for the
blessings that are spoken Of when we SO
apostrophiZe the Declaration of 1ndepend-
ence and liberty?
Let US see to 1t that what we have I'M
dertaken in the sight of the world Is car
ried out, and let not turn our backs upon
duty that is 50 plain that no man can
mistake 1t. Let US tell these poor people
that we have come to give them the liberty
they are fighting for. and which they can
never attain except with our aid. Why, we
were their allies and they have shed our
blood. And yet with 1t all 1 bespeak for
them a patient and long suffering consid-
Grafton that Is becoming the greatness and
the power and the precepts Of the great
nation to which we belong.
No Retreat Possible.
I'VE will give them better government
than they have ever dreamed Of having.
We will give them liberty governed by law,
and we will do it at all costs and all haz-
no U
manhood and American citizenship and the
principles of American liberty in doing It,
We cannot retreat. We cannot sail away
from those Islands now.
II grant you that the situation is serious:
I grant you that the difficulties on the path
we treading seem to me very great in
deed; but because duty is difficult and dan
gerous even it cannot be avoided or eyaded
by manly men. We must face our duties
and look them sQuarely In the face. We
have got those Islands and we have got
them bad. and we are going to live through
it, and with or without foreign interference
we will SO regulate our conduct as that we
will give no just cause Of offense to any
power people or potentate In the world,
and In doing we may let the conse-
quences take care of themselves.
But If, as the opponents of the ratification
OF tne treaty Sdlu, anu dS Sdiu before. we
must drive out Spain then surely. having
driven her out, We cannot leave those island
derelicts on the wide Pacific ocean to be
picked up by any aggressive, grabbing Eu-
ropean power that chooses some fine morn
ing to sail by and plant Its flag there
Those were the words uttered by Senator
Gray In 1899 which, In view Of what has
occurred since, might have been called
prophetic. If he should allow himself to be
interviewed at this day and should talk for
columns, could he say anything which
would be more complete answer to the
demand for the REIMBURSEMENT of the Phil
ippines than this sentence which he uttered
in that memorable speech:
1T was duty to take those islands
and hold them in trust for the great pur-
nose of American freedom and American