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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1899)
< > Conservative * social life , in application principles nro always subject to qualification. Thus our cherished rights ami liberties are subject to the rights and liberties of our follows and to the burdens imposed by society. The principle of consent , the result of the evolution and experience ) of the ages controlled by laws that trans cend human power does not mean mob law. It does not preclude war , because war is sometimes necessary for its de fence. As it presupposes the existence of society , it cannot apply to wander ing tribes which have no homes except where they sleep at night and possess no social organization. It is like the pre cepts of the Master in the New Testa ment precepts impossible to fulfill in their perfection , but which constantly lift us up to loftier heights until we are lost in all the abounding love of the Divine Father. So the doctrine of consent is mi ideal , an aspiration , which , while it may bo the controlling motive of our lives and is always antagonistic to the spirit of conquest , is continually modi fied by the conditions which surround us. Yet whatever these conditions may bo. Sic ilitr ad astra. It was natural that the people of New England should be most hostile to the Louisiana purchase. They comprised the most thrifty , industrious and wealthy portion of the country. They had no direct interest in the purchase , while their proportion of the burden in volved in the purchase would be greater than that of any other section. In their history and in the form of their organ izations they were more intensely demo cratic than the other states. A greater intelligence diffused among the people who with intense devotion had fought for the principle , magnified its importance above all other ideals. Their fears were justified by a new departure which might lead to such fearful consequences upon their future condition. But as the treaty was actually admin istered these doubts and fears were dissi pated as the mists before the sun. The laws and institutions of the people of Louisiana were recognized and re spected , and the superior jurisdiction of the general government was used only to protect those laws and institutions. Not a protest was heard ; and the people received with joy a change which as sured them the free exercise of their rights and a future happy prosperity. The doctrines then established for the control and occupation of the common territory have been followed to this day , to-wit , that such territories are held only until their people can organize society , and under their own laws , take their places as equal members of a great re public. In 1819 Florida was purchased from Spain without a protest and the people were allowed the same liberty. lu 183G Texas revolted from Mexico , and after deeds of heroism which rivalled those of Sparta at Thermopyhc drove the armies of Mexico across the Rio Grande , organized a government , and in 1845 sought and received admis sion into the Union. What is notable in this case , was , that our government did not wait until Mexico had acknowledged the independence of Texas , but with this principle as the excuse , accepted a war with Mexico to vindicate the right of self-government. After the war with Mexico was concluded , and after that country , under the Guadalupo Hidalgo and Gadsden treaties , had ceded Cali fornia , Arizona and New Mexico to this country , the. same policy was pursued. The rights , interests and customs of the few scattered people were protected until they could form governments of their own and apply for admission as states. One of them is now one of the most populous states in the Union : the other two have framed governments and applied for admission , but have not yet been received into the Union. We cannot forget that in beginning the war just closed with Spain , the congress of the United States declared to the world , that the war was not for conquest , butte to vindicate the right of the people of Cuba to that self-government for which they had contended during so many years. Justice. Thus it is seen that throughout our his tory , our flag has consistently represented that all just government rests upon the consent of the governed , and that na tural and healthy expansion does not mean imperialism. Yet doubt and fear again fill the minds of our people. The accidents of war have to some extent placed in our control the destinies of 10,000,000 people in territories more thickly settled than our own couutry.aud organized into societies possessing a re ligion and institutions in the main adapted to their condition and wishes. A Solemn Declaration. When the treaty of peace was ratified , the senate declared , "That by the ratift- cation of Ihe treaty of pence with Spain , it is not intended to incorporate the inhab itants of the Philippine islands into the citizenship of the United Slates , nor is it intended to permanently annex said islands as an integral part of the territory of the United States ; but it is tin : intention of Ihc United States to establish on said islands a government suitable to the wants and conditions of the inhabitants of said islands , to prepare them for local self- government , and in due time to make such disposition of said islands as will best promote'the interests of the citizens of the United Slates and the inhabitants of said islands1 In concise language , does not this glit tering declaration mean that we are to hold those islands as conquered pro vinces subject to our absolute domina tion ? Assurance of Mc'Kiuley. It is true that the president has as sured us that the idea of conquest is not to be thought of , but ho has such a happy faculty of pointing his words in one direction and his actions in another and has so beclouded his policy with such phrases as "destiny guided by duty" as to confuse the minds of the people as to what is his real purpose. What does ho mean by "destiny" and what by dxity ? Can destiny be guided by duty ? Will destiny compel him to hold the islands as conquered provinces ? Or will duty induce him to maintain the constitution as construed by the uniform practice of the government ? Gab and GIIIIH. While we listen to these declarations of the president and senate , the sound of cannon reverberates 10,000 miles across the Pacific ocean , and proclaims that the people of those islands are rebels , and that by thousands our army is slaughtering men who claim to bo fighting for a government of their own choice. Posterity Determines. The judgment of posterity has decided that the people of New England were right but mistaken in their fears as to the effect of the Louisiana purchase. The judgment of posterity will also de cide that Grover Cleveland and George F. Hoar and Andrew Carnegie were right in their fears as to the effect of the late treaty with Spain. Let us pray that their fears shall be equally groundless. There is a growing sentiment not a homo production , but a foreign importa tion that we must act the vulgar role of a conquering nation. If this be the end , then Thomas Jefferson in the declar ation , and George Washington by his farewell address , and our heroic ancest ors by their deeds , have appealed to pos terity in vain. What do you , their de scendants , say ? What will the freeborn - born and liberty-loving people of the United States say ? With them the de cision will finally rest. Will they cast down the ladder by which they have lifted themselves to supernal heights ? THKKIOTS platform which IN IDAHO. , denounces the su premacy of the federal authority when the writ of injunction is invoked to maintain it , found no firmer or more fervid advocates and supporters than in Idaho. And recently at Wardner , in that state , there was a great and devas tating riot. This riot was an evolution of a mining strike. It was promoted and stimulated to frenzy by about eight hundred union miners who demanded the discharge of two hundred non-union miners who had declined to strike. The union miners armed themselves and drove the non-union men into the moun tains , killing one and mortally wound ing another. Then these game and gal lant patriots placed powder in plenty under the mills and other buildings of the company employing non-union men
