B * .
Cbe Conservative *
nftor nil wnnt to own their islands , and
who will deny with some reason ? They
claim Hint their shipping has been inter
fered with and nnns and ammunition
seized ; they claim their taxes are
under the American authorities in
creased nnd old custom house abuses
continued. Three times they have
tried , and tried in vain , to secure official
recognition , through their representa
tive , from the United States govern
ment. The United States will not de
clare what its future intentions arc. It
refuses to say that it will not hold the
islands permanently.
Ilfiioxolont Ilurjjlnr.v.
The president talks of "benevolent
assimilation , " nnd when a senator as
suming to speak for the administration
announces that onr duty is to be only
temporary , there is a disavowal of the
statement. Everything looks like ex
pansion , peaceful expansion if possible ,
forcible expansion if necessary , but ex
pansion in every case. The Filipinos
pcent imperialism , and they are right.
Victory has intoxicated this people ; the
commercial spirit is seducing it , making
it forget itself and leave the straight
grand path it entered on a year ago. In
a recent census of the newspapers of the
country it was found that two-thirds of
them were for a "forward policy" and
we know what that means. If the people
ple move or if powerful interests move
our chief magistrate , pure-minded and
just-minded though he is , gives no sign
that he will gainsay. To wait to know
just how to act is legitimate ; to wait
for principles what under heaven is
that but to confess that we have no
principles ? Seeing that the nation has
no mind on this new issue , this all im
portant , life and death issue to them
selves , knowing full well that when
conscience is not alive interests sweep
men away , hearing the ever bolder and
bolder expressions of imperialist policy
from our newspapers , magazines and
public men , and finding that the main
problem discussed among UB is how to
get the islands and yet not give the people
ple rights , who can wonder that the
Filipinos , viftims of disillusionment ,
I lost their patience and made up their
minds to strike a blow before it should
be forever too late ? For my own part ,
I have no wonder and rather admire ,
though I pity their ignorance and folly.
Poor Filipinos ! What are they with
their scanty equipment , with their piti
ful bows and arrows , before the army
and navy of the United States ! But
they will soon learn better or at least
those who survive after our gallant at
tacks ? After the bravest are winnowed
out wo shall no doubt have a docile ,
obedient population to rule over and
"benevolently assimilate. "
Senatorial Itesiutiihihillty.
. The responsibility for the disgraceful
battles of the past week is commonly
put on the senators who opposed the
treaty. There never was a more super
ficial opinion. The real responsibility
lay with those who have refused to say
a single clear word to the effect that wo
and no wish to govern the Philippines
without their consent. One word even
from the president alone to the effect
that wo viewed our offices as merely
temporary , that Tiltimntely we hoped the
Philippines would bo free even as Cuba
is to bo free , would have made the Fil
ipinos our friends , would have made
them not dream of opening hostilities
upon us , would have made them gladly
co-operate with us even as the Cubans
are beginning to do in that long un-
lappy isle. Unless we are to embark on
an imperialist policy , the slaughters
on either side are the sickliest , ghastliest
waste that this war or any war has ever
known. There is no honor for any
American who fell on the plains near
Manila in these engagements ; there is
no comfort for any desolate American
home in the thought that the life was
offered up for liberty or in any holy
cause. If it was all waste there surely
was no honor , and if it was necessary as
a first step toward imperialism , there
was honor only as honor and shame are
one , only as there can be honor in fight
ing to enslave men. As holy as was the
war for Cuba , so unholy is this war
against the Philippines. It is a black
disgrace to America , it makes me hang
my head in shame for my country. If I
had thought of this outcome I would
rather have had the Cubans starved and
rotted out than this people , with its
proud history , with its glorious past ,
should sully itself with such dishonor.
I know , of course , there was nothing
for our soldiers to do but to fire back
when they were fired upon , and I no
wise reflect upon the personal bravery
they may have shown. They were vic
tims , not causes ; but the damnable dis
grace of this business is on ourselves
that we have not known our mind , and
on the highest in the land that they
have not known their mind.
Empire or Republic.
It is high time this country took the
bull by the horns and decided whether it
is for imperialism or against imperial
ism. Everyone who believes in the forc
ible subjection of the Philippines , every
one who believes in prosecuting the
present war oven for a tiny without an
explicit declaration on our part that wo
have no designs on the liberty and in
dependence of the Philippine people and
mean ultimately to do for them only
what wo meant to do for Cuba , is an
imperialist. He nowise differs from
English imperialists , he nowise differs
from those who went plundering the
world ( or approved of it ) under a Roman
emperor ; the essence of imperialism is
disregard of liberty. Those , on the
other hand , who believe in liberty , who
oppose conquest , are the anti-imperial
ists. It is not a question of how much
territory wo shall have , but of how it
shall be acquired. It is not a question
of favoring war or of opposing war , but
of what we have to say to a specific kind
of war. It is not a question of seeking
new markets for American trade , or of
being content with the markets we al
ready have , but of what wo are willing
: o do to get new markets. One thing
at a time , and the nation needs to
clearly envisage this question at the
present moment.
Itlainc Against Conquest.
Already there has been a relaxing of
old sentiments. Even Mr. Elaine op
posed the right of conquest. He in
duced the Pan-American congress to
distinctly sny that the principle of con
quest should not be recognized as ad
missible under American public law ,
and that all cessions of territory made
under threats of war or the pressure of
an armed force should be void. I fear
that there are many who would not find
that this expresses their sentiments now.
President McKinley said in the case of
Cuba that "forcible annexation cannot
be thought of , " that it would by our
code of morals be "criminal aggression ; "
but how many would say it now with
reference to the Philippines ? Would
our chief magistrate himself say it ? It
is not a moment too early to face this
question and to settle it. It is now that
we are at a real parting of the ways.
Let us maintain our authority if we will
in the Philippines , though wo have only
ourselves to thank that wo must do this
at such fearful cost , but lot us say with
out further delay what our end and ob
ject is in asserting our authority. The
whole future development of America
turns on how we answer this question.
If we go on one way , we shall simply
add America to the list of the powers ,
of which the world has too many al
ready that are unscrupulous foes of the
liberty of man , and we shall do so with
out the excuse which old crowded
Europe may plead for itself , do it in a
kind of wantonness and speculative
fever. And sincewe shall be learniuj ?
contempt of liberty abroad , it will be
harder to keep respect for liberty at
home. Little by little individual rights ,
which it has been our glory to defend ,
will come to be regarded as indifferent
matters. If on the other hand we with
stand the temptation , the republic will
be the stronger for this exercise of moral
force , wo shall continue in at least one
respect to set an example to the nations ,
we shall move on further and further
along the lines of our appointed task , to
show how liberty may be guarded at
home and how it may be protected in
the great world outside.
Sometimes ministers say no matter
how the problem is settled , they believe
the nation will prosper. They say they
believe God has yet a work for America
to do and that we shall go on as we have