New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-01


Let us begin with the matter Of
"wlthdrnwal" The obvious and intend
ed implication of that term is that OF
the retirement Of On intruder or tres
passer from a place IN which he has no
right 20 be, OF OF ono whose occupancy
Of the place was intended TO be tenn
porary and IS now ended through full
fllment Of the conditions for which It
was made. Thus, Germany withdrew
from France when tho indemnity OF
tho Terrible Year" was fully paid.
Russia withdrew" from Kulja when
after ten years occupation she restored
that territory to China, In 1881. The
United States withdrew" from Cuba
when Il reuquished that island TO the
government of its own people. The
international forces withdrew" from
China after the suppression Of tho
Boxer outbreak ard tho eVaction Of in-
dcmnity.
Such Is tho accepted meaning Of the
term. But it would DO preposterous
md lmpudcnt Co pretend that there
was any similarity between any Of
those examples and the "withdrawal
from the Philippines which is now be-
ing demanded. In those islands we
have not been and are not intruders or
trespassers in a place where we have
no right 10 be- On the contrary, we
have the best Of rights 20 be there; as
good q right, both morally and legally,
rs we have 20 occupy any Of our ter
ritorv or &c any nation has 20 occupy
It's domain. since we "have full power
70 do all acts and things which inde-
pendent states may Of right do" Nor
was our occupancy Of the Islands In
tended 70 be temporary until certain
conditions should be fulfilled, but Il
was meant 20 be. and the whole world
was given to understand that IL was 90
be, permanent and absolute. We are
under not the slightest obligation, past
or present, expressed or implied, legal
or moral, TO get out OF the islands and
abandon them On the contrary, We
are under both legal and moral obliga-
tions TO remain there which no honor
able nation or government could afford
90 ignore.
Historic Titles Pass in Review.
Il will be pertinent and instructive
briefly TO compare our title TO the
Philippines with our titles 90 the vari-
GUS other parcels Of territory which we
have from time to time acquired since
the estab lishment Of our independence
and the adoption Of the Constitution.
The first was Louisiana. We &C
ouired that through cession. by pur-
chase. Our title deed reads: "The
First Consul Of the French Republic
doth hereby cede to the said
United States forever and in full SOW
ereignty the said territory"
The second was West Florida. We
took that by conquest, and did not until
years atterward 60 to the trouble Of
confirming that military title by treaty
of cession. We just applied
the good old rule
the simple plan,
That they should take who have the
power,
And they should keep who can"
Years afterward, incidentally in con-
nccUon with another matter we did
make a treaty formally ratifying that
conquest.
The third was East Florida We
partly conquered that, and then die
tated treaty of cession under threat
of completing the conquest. That
treaty, which also covered the conquest
of West Florida of years before, read:
Ellis Catholic Majesty cedes TO the
United States, in fun property and
sovereignty, all the territories which
belong to him, situated east Of the
Mississippi, known by the name of East
and West Florida"
The fourth was Texas. We colonized
that with our own people, with the
purpose Of having them, when thRs
grew strong enough, revolt against and
socedo from Mexico; and when that