New-York tribune., 1909-01-19

blind ourselves TO the fact that on the prbo1e
ouF "hlte administrator and the Christian mis-
s'ohd1Y nave exercised a profound and whole
some influence for good in savage regions
Let me illustrate what I mean by particularly
TLuGlIS IuS TO three cases. Aigiers. India and the
fhiHppines. The North African coast was a
mere nest OF pirates during the first decades of
tue nineteenth century. Punitive expeditions
were sent against these pirates again and
"eoii' out uey could not be permanently sup
pressed by such expeditions and all the great
coihfherclaI nations were forced to pay them a
more or less thinly disguised tribute or black
t me United states was among the num-
per 1t was the French conquest of Algiers
%Mhlch % put final stop to this blackmail, and il
dlso put q stop TO the unspeakable baTbarism
ana cruelty inevitably attendant upon the slave
hunting piracy Of the dweIlers in the indeDen-
dent North African states In other words the
tnoependence of these states was a menace to
every peaceful people. and incidentally il meant
Dreadful wrong and injustice within the states
themselves.
In India We encounter the most colossal ex-
ample history affords Of the successful admin
lstration by men of European blood of thickly
populated region in another continent 1t is the
greatest feat OF the kind that has been per-
formed since the breakup Of the Roman En-
pre-. Indeed, it is a greater feat than was per
formed under the Roman Empire. Tnques
uonably mistakes have been made It wCad
indicate qualities literally superhuman if
gigantic task had been accomplished without
s IiIieldhes II Is easy enough 10 point out snort
Comings; but the fact remains that the success
fui administration of the Indian Empire by the
Enghsh has been. one OF the most notable and
most admirable achievements of the white race
during the last centuries. On the whole
1t has been for the immea asurable beneht of the
natives of India themselves. Suffering has been
caused in particular cases and at particular
times TO these natives; much more often. l be-
lieve. by well intentiOn6 ignorance or bad judg-
ment than by any moral obliQuity. But on the
whole there has been far more resolute effort
to do Justice. far more resolute effort secure
fair treatment for the humble and the oppressed
during the days Of English rule in India than
during any other period of recorded Indian his
tory. England does not draw A penny from
India for English purposes; she spends for
India the revenues raised in India. and they are
spent for the benefit of the Indians themselves
Undoubtedly India is d less pleasant place
than formerly for the heads of tyrannical states.
There is now little or no room in II for sue
cessful freebooter chief1ains, for the deSpots
who lived in gorgeous splendor while under
their cruel rule the immense mass of their
trymen festered in sodden misery; but the
OF the people have been and are far better off
than ever before. and far better off than they
would now be If English control were over
thrown or withdrawn. Indeed II English con-
troll were now withdrawn from India the whole
peninsula would become a chaos of bloodshed
and violence; all the weaker peoples. and the
most industrious and lsw-abiding. would he
plundered and forced to submit to Understandable
wrong and oppression, and the only beneficiaries
among the natives would be the lawless. violent
and bloodthirsty. / have no question that there
reforms to be advanced--tflis Is merely an
other way of saying that the government has
been human; have also no question that there
is being made and will he made successful
effort to accomplish these reforms, but the great
salient fact is that the presence OF the English
in India, like the presence Of the English in
Egypt and the Soudan, of the French in Algiers
of the Russians in Turkestan, of the Germans
in Southwest Africa and East Africa 'and Of
all these people and of other white peoples in
many other places) has been for the advantage
OF mankind. Every we'll wisher Of mankind
every true friend of humanity. should realize
that the part England has played in India has
been to the immea sura Bile advantage Of India
and for the honor and profit Of civilization. and
should feel profound satisfaction in the stahiI-
ity and perna renee Of English rule ! have seen
many American missionaries who have come
from India. and 1 cannot overstate the terms
Of admiration in which they speak Of the Eng
lish rule in India and Of the incaiculehe hene
fits it has conferred and is comforting upon IN"
natives.
EXPERIENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Finally. take our own experience in tho Phil
ippines Spain finally lost power to he OF ben
eft to the islands: hut do not forget that Spain
more than two centuries. and that the islands
their present possibilities to the fact that
the Spaniards took possession Of them. Then
came in I sure that when international
history is written. from the standpoint Of ac-
claiming international justice chapter VIII
tell with heartiest praise what people have
ribbean Sea have endeavored to give genu-
inc and disinterested help to the Independent
peoples OF Cuba and San Domingo, so in the
same spirit-though the task is Of quite differ
ent Character-we are endeavoring to educate
and train the native races under our sovereign
ty in the Philippines. In treatment Of the
F'ilipinos have acted UP to the highest stand
ard that has vet been set marking the
proper way in which powerful and advanced
nation should treat weaker people. Cuba We
are at this moment leaving for the second time
10 work cut a destiny which we now hope and
believe will be one of stable and orderly indie
pendence and prosperity.
In the Philippines constantly giving
an increasing measure Of self government. OF
course. in one sense of the word self government
can never he bestowed by outsiders upon any
people II must be achieved by themselves. L
means in this sense primarily self control self
int and
that is. if the people are unable 10 govern them
selves-then. there must be government some
where il has 20 come from outside. But We are
constantly giving to the people OF the Philip
pines an increasing share in, an increasing op-
portunity to learn oy pract,ce' the 6eglt ar, an
at the outset to their own devices, II we had
shirked our duty and sailed out Of the Islands
leaving them in a bloody welter Of confusion.
the chief sufferers would have Feen the Philip
pine people themselves. We are leading them
forward steadily in the right direction and we
are doing II because our people at home desire
that they shall be treated right, and because
our people in the islands, in the civil govern
Inent in the army and among the missionary
representatives OF the various creeds, work
primarily for the advancement or the people
among whom they dwell. believe that am
speaking with historic accuracy and importantly
when I say that the American treatment or and
attitude toward the Filipino people IN It's com,
bination of disinterested ethical purpose and
sound common sense, marks new ana ions
stride forward, in advance Of all steps that nave
hitherto been taken. along the path OF wise and
proper treatment Of weaker by stronger races.
MISSIONARY WORK IN FOREIGN LANDS
Now. in speaking to- night wish to lay stress
unon the missionary side OF the general work In
the foreign lands. America has for over cen
tury done it's share Of missionary work we VINO
stay at home should as matter of duty give
cordial support to those who in a spirit of de
yotiou to all that is highest In human mature
spend the best part of their lives IN trying 70
carry civilization and Christianity into ianos
which have hitherto known little or nothing Oh
either The work is vast. and 1t is Done under