The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-19

destiny, was not appreciated by us
in the fun significance with which II
IS regarded today.
| Did Mckinley himself appreciate
the full significance of his words;
and, II so, did he, or what far-seeing
statesman did, look ahead to the
Pacific ocean as the theater of world
interest during this generation?
Sometimes, perhaps, as in this
case, a statesman is driven by the
fate itself to violate a precedent
and run counter to the traditional
policy of race and nation, and, I'D
searching for vague, high-sounding
expressions to justify his conduct
springs something like "manifest
desiny": and then when subsequent
events Justify the action, and II be-
comes apparent that providence did
guide. or rather force, his hand, he
Is credited with almost prophetic Wis
ion.
Such has been the case with the
Philippines. Going to war with
Spain in the cause OF an oppressed
people. this nation has faithfully
kept her promise by Cuba, but II was
necessary TO strike every possession
of the enemy. Had we not sent
Dewey to Manila, some other power
would have struck it from Spain's
hand or bought it from the tottering
power. Supposing 1t had been ia
pan: she would have held the key to
the Pacific with a great island pos
distance of our shores, while her own
remained safe from our navy. We
could not coal ships in California
and send them acrosS the Pacific to
Japan, without recoaling, and the
neutral ports of Asia would be
closed to us in time OF war. Our
fleets would then arrive in japanese
waters helpless hulks, awaiting Ja-
pans own good time TO be crushed.
But manifest destiny, whether
Mckinley meant that this nation was
forced into the acquisition of the is
lands. or whether the administration
anticipated the situation as it exists
today. and felt that the time was
not ripe TO declare it-"manifest
destiny has placed in our hands the
coaling station of Guam within
striking distance of Asia, the great
harbor of Manila, and Pearl harbor
OF Hawaii, the key to the Pacific side
of the Panama canal, while Porto
Rico on the Atlantic side is another
guard.
That 1t requires a great feet and
more fortihcations TO protect outly-
ing possessions, goes without saying;
but who Is there among those anti
administrationists, who abused
Roosevelt for overriding the AsiatiC
discrimination of California with the
supreme law of the land, that will
deny we would need just as bis
navy to protect our Pacific coasi
from Japan, II we did not have tht
Islands? And who can glance at 9
map of the Pacific and deny that We
would be reduced to the humihatint
extreme of guarding our own coas
in case OF war with Japan, did W.
not have the harbors and coaling sta
tions. along the route across the Pa
cific so that we may act aggressively
To the eastward across the Allan
tic the inspiration of our institu.
tions has been slowly influencing tn,
ancient monarchies of Europe fol
the welfare of mankind To the
westward across the Pacific the force
our declaration that "all men arr
endowed by their creator with Ger.
tain inallenable rights; that amone
them are life, liberty and the pur
suit of happiness; and that to pro
tect these rights governments are
Instituted among men,. must beat iti
way into the oriental mind, until the
message, radiating eastward and
westward from this nation, girdles
the earth with peace and the spirit
of the brotherhood of man.
Whether he was expressing his
simple belief in God. that all will be
well with his people. or whether he
spoke as prophets speak, We thank
William Mckinley for again remind
ing us that this nation has a mani
fest destiny, and that we see II
most clearly when we shirk the least
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