Page:Carl Schurz- 1900-05-24 For American Principles and American Honor.pdf/10

 Can we who have been and are slaughtering them by the thousands with no end in prospect—can we presume to refuse to them independence, on the ground that there may be disorders that may cost some of them their lives? Can hypocrisy be more impudent and disgusting?

It is also said that there are great difficulties in the way of their having an independent government, differences of tribes and the like, and that, therefore, they cannot be left to govern themselves. Admiral Dewey, emphatically and repeatedly, from his knowledge of them, pronounced them far more capable of self-government than the Cubans. But if the Cubans are less capable thau the Philippine Islanders, must we therefore give up our efforts to secure independent government to that island.

No doubt, there are difficulties in the way; but I venture to say that at present the greatest of those difficulties is in ourselves. There are two ways to approach the solution of such a problem. One is to take the problem in hand with a sincere desire that it be solved. Then many of the difficulties which at first sight appeared most formidable will be found not to be insurmountable at all to an honest, intelligent and persevering effort to overcome them, The other way to approach the problem is with no sincere desire to solve it, or even with the desire that it not be solved. Then difficulties are diligently looked for and magnified until they appear so great that the task of overcoming them seems hopeless.

Here is the trouble with our imperialists. Determined to make the Philippine Islanders our subjects, they find no end of reasons to show that those people cannot be their own masters. Nothing would be easier than to convince any one desiring to be so convinced that the Cubans, or the Mexicans, or the Chilians are incapable of maintaining decent independent governments, and that therefore we must rule them. Why, it might even be shown that the people of New York City, or of Philadelphia, or of Chicago, have proved themselves unable to