nd departure of the instruments of Spain. Aguinaldo
and his party have a Congress. It might be an approved beginning of
a Territorial Legislature, and the insurgent General might be the
presiding officer. There would be abundant reason for the auspicious
exercise of all his rights in the public service. As for the cost
of the Philippines under our Government, that would fall upon the
treasury of the United States. There can be no doubt that it would be
for several years a considerable sum, but the public men who favored
peace for the liberation of Cuba, did not make counting the cost
the most prominent feature of the war they advocated, but accepted
the fact that the national honor and fame, the glory of heroism and
deeds of daring and sacrifice, are priceless, and their achievement
beyond price. There is to be said under this head, that the Philippine
Islands are of natural riches almost without parallel. The great isle
of Luzon teems with productions that have markets the world over,
and it is commonplace for the savages in the mountains to come out
of their fastnesses with nuggets of gold to make purchases. Cotton,
sugar, rice, hemp, coffee and tobacco, all tropical fruits and woods,
are of the products. There is profusion of the riches that await the
freedom of labor and the security of capital, and the happiness of the
people. Under American government the Philippines would prosper, and it
would be one of our tasks to frame legislation. The laws of Congress
would be the higher code of law, and the Philippines would desire,
and be invited, of course, to send their ablest men to be Territorial
representatives in the Congress of the United States. In the name
of peace, therefore, and in behalf of the dignity and authority of
this Nation--in mercy to the Spaniards, in justice to the Filipinos,
it is due ourselves, and should have the favor of all who would see
our country expand with the ages, and walking in the footsteps of
Washington and Jefferson, finding the path of empire that of freedom
and taking our place as a great Power, accepting the logic of our
history, and the discharge of the duties of destiny--we should hold
on to the Philippines--and when the great distance of those islands
from this continent is mentioned, remember that the Pacific may now
be crossed in as few days as was the Atlantic forty years ago.

The labor questions and the silver questions even come into the
Philippines problem to be scanned an