The Phillipines have been taken possession of by the armies of the United States because of the insurrection that was raised against the incoming power of the United States. That insurrection was one difficult to suppress, not because the heart of that people was engaged in it. If the heart of the people was engaged in it, then that people is unworthy of independence and liberty; because the time has never been when eight millions of people capable of self-government, whose heart was in the cause, could be subdued by a little army like that the United States sent, with a sea seven thousand miles wide between the shores of the United States and those Islands. Eight millions of people with their hearts in the cause, — eight millions of red Indians, like those that surrounded Custer upon the Yellowstone, like those that rode their horses up against his Winchester rifles, and destroyed his heroic little band of men, could not be subdued by that army of the United States. But we paid very little attention to the red Indians of this country when we took possession of it. We said to them: "Cease to be barbarians; abandon the life of animals, and come. out from under the shadow of the forest; cultivate the earth and subdue it; cease to be murderers; cease to be brigands, and the flag of the United States will give you the same liberty, the same protection as it will to more civilized people. Because they would not do that because of a sort of indomitable spirit that they had they stood in front of their wigwams and they died. It is to be lamented that they did so, yet, it cannot be lamented by the world, by civilization, by progress that the flag of the United States streamed out across the land, and that civilization took possession of this country.

I have no doubt, as far as the policy standpoint is concerned, but what, in a little while, the Tagalos and rebellious inhabitants of the Phillipine Islands will have entirely abandoned their opposi tion to the United States, and in a little while life will be as safe and property as safe in the Phillipines as it is anywhere in the United States. It seems to me, that lying as they do, at the gate way of Asia, —considering the revolution that is not only likely to take place, but inevitable, in Asia, in consideration of the fact that the Pacific in a little while is to be covered with sails as is the Atlantic, that the policy of the United States in taking posses

sion of the Phillipines will be by all our citizens acknowledged, as the policy of Seward is now acknowledged in taking possession of Alaska; although it was at that time cursed, and denominated "Seward's Folly".

Now, as to the other status, the question of morals, in supressing the insurrection, and in holding the people of the Phillipine Islands under military control until such time as they are fitted to be citizens of the United States. Nations have always been formed upon the theory that the most intellectual, the best, the strongest men had the right to determine that life ought to be safer, that property ought to be safer, that homes ought to be built, that the earth ought to be won from the wilderness, that the swamps should be ditched, that the forest should be cut down, and the light should be let in, and that the earth should be subdued and cultivated, and that men should be safer wherever they might go; so the strong and wise get themselves together, and they don't ask every man whether he is willing to have a government formed, but the strongest the brainiest, the bravest get together and say "We will form a government; we will bring order out of chaos. We wont ask the turbulent and the riotous whether they may agree with us or not, but we will form a government, and we will see then that the turblent and riotous are suppressed." That is the only way in which a government can be formed. It would not do for the strongest and the best to wait every where for the riotous and turblent and the barbaric to come up to their level and give a unanimous vote before a nation is formed. And so, through all time, the best and strongest have compelled the weaker, the turbulent and the riotous to submit to them and to submit to government. We did it in this country. We did it when we landed here- -a little fringe of white people upon the eastern shores of the United States. We found this a new country, and we found a lot of wild people lurking in the shadow of our forests, that lived by war. Away back yonder, no man knows just how, the white race had its beginning; but we do know that a few of the white men came down from the "Roof of the World"-the Pamir Plaeteau, and descended to the western shores of Asia. They built cities along the Mediterranean. They grew and flourished. They poured across Europe, and they found Europe occupied by wild.

men. They subdued them. They took possession of Europe. The fate of the wild people was a harsh fate-perhaps the manner in which they were exterminated seems to us a cruel manner; but no man doubts now but what it was best for the world, best for civilization, best for all men that it took place.

In the very beginning of every race, it seems natural in some way, that they should either be given or create a religion, and to the white race was either given, or by it created, the Bible. Some of you believe, no doubt, that it was a direct gift from the Almighty to the white race. I believe that it grew out of the very spirit of the white race itself. I think the demand the innate demand of the conscience and soul and spirit of the white race created it; and the very first command laid dow in that Book is that they should "Go forth and subdue the earth and make it fruitful." They are the only people that ever went forth and subdued the earth and attempted to make it fruitful. That command was never given to any other race. That Book was never given into the hands of the Negroes of Darkest Africa. The Malays didn't have it, the Mongolians didn't have it, it wasn't found in the possession of the Red Indians of North America when Columbus landed on its shores; nowhere except in the hands of the white race. And I think it grew out of the very spirit of the race itself, and marked its destiny, and that was the all-controlling principle of destiny which decreed that the white race should go forth, should conquer the earth and should subdue it and render it fruitful, and make it fit for homes of men. It brought civilization as it went. That race made Europe different from Asia.

Asia had gone perhaps for twice three thousand years in darkness and obscurity, and has remained in that condition until now; but Europe assumed a different phase when the white race took possession of it. That race poured across the sea, and took possession of North America, and the Red Indians faded before it, although perhaps the most dauntless the earth ever knew. Now the pale people have filled the whole country. Before them the forests crumbled, the rivers were bridged as though they were rivulets, the mountains were split as though they were paste board, the swamps were ditched and cleaned - the light was let in, and the land was made fit for civilization; colleges and churches

and cities grew up. Now, we are holding the dominion, no more a wilderness, but a great, glad, free, strong country.

man doubt from a moral standpoint, that now that the vast starry flag has lenghtened out across the Pacific and shadowed the Phillipines, that our reign over there will be anything less than a beneficient reign? Can anyone doubt that the people who, in the battle with Spain, sunk her ships in the harbor of Santiago, and then took her sailors out of the water, and grasped them by the hand and had them come aboard our ships, and brought them into the United States, and treated them like guests instead of putting them in prison pens, as of old nations dealt with each other-can anyone doubt that that kind of civilization taking possession of the Phillipine Islands, will be soon cutting down the forests and ditching the swamps and letting in the light? From a moral standpoint, as well as a physical one, we will ditch that country and let in the light, and make it fit for civilization, and after a while the time will come when representatives will be sent from the Phillipines to the national Congress bold, strong men of the white race, who will give that country a beneficent government, who will take care of its interests, who will make it great and prosperous. Some have supposed that it will be an evil that the United States should have outlying countries, whether states or territories, far off from the shores of America; that it will be necessary to guard it with our fleets if we ever chance to get into trouble with a foreign government; but it will be no more difficult for us than it has been for England. It will be no more difficult for us than it is to guard the shores of Alaska; it will be no more difficult than it will be to guard the shores of the United States. It is only necessary for us to have a certain part of our standing army located there, as we have in different portions of the United States, for the purpose, simply, of preserving order, and for the purpose of fortifying and guarding the shores should unfortunately a conflict ever arise between us and any other strong government. Hour by hour this nation is growing stronger, and greater respect for our power is being bred in the minds of the nations from over They begin to realize that a flag is unfurled over this country, under which nearly a hundred million strong, brave men huddling. No kingdom is likely to wake the power of the United

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States in the near future. Nations are beginning to understand that little is to be gained by a grapple with any great, strong power; and in a little while the navy of the United States will be so strong, the power of the United States so respected, that it will be no more trouble to guard and protect our interests in the Phillipines than it will be otherwhere. They say revolutions never go backwards, but certain it is that the United States never goes backwards. It has never planted its flag anywhere and declared that a certain portion of the earth's surface had become its dominion that it ever receded. Even though there be many of us who doubt the propriety of the government's course, who doubt the morality of the government's course, who doubt the legality of the government's course, need we lift our voice against it? For the great stream that has poured westward across the United States, that has added territory after territory to our dominion, that has followed the flag with a gentle reign; that has built cities and colleges and temples-that same power is going on. I thought at one time, myself, that when the star of empire had taken its course westward until it had looked across the Pacific Ocean towards the shores of Asia, that the course of the empire had halted; but I perceive that I knew as little as my fellows in that respect, and that the course of empire is still going westward. It has not recoiled at the shores of the peaceful sea. The guns that are echoing through dense China are building more empire for civilization; we are preparing to have more swamps cleaned out and ditched; we are building for the young men of this country another future, and the time will come when the civilized nations of the earth will see to it that there is no land anywhere that a man cannot travel in peace and safety; that there is no land where property will not be safe; and so far as I am concerned, the United States having performed their duty, as I believe, I am ready to stand by the government, come what may, and to stand by the old flag, wave where it may.