Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Democracy, Imperialism and Christianity: Address at the Annual Meeting of the N. E. Anti-Imperialist League at Wesleyan Hall, November 30, 1901
It is to a positive purpose, therefore, that we must address ourselves. It is a definite aim that we must announce. It is to a specific end that we must direct our energies. And having once framed such a purpose and announced it, we must patiently and without faltering keep to its announcement and advocacy till the end is accomplished. I think I may, without wearisomeness here this afternoon, say a word on this point. At the moment that we are assembled, one would almost be willing to say that imperialism in America is an accomplished fact. Certainly, with a president whose entire career is marked by emphasis upon those principles of personal government which translated into national life become imperialism, with a country prosperous beyond the dreams of men even a generation ago, with wealth increasing and become so centralized that it is an open question where the seat of government actually is, with one great political party apparently so hopelessly demoralized that sound and capable leadership is not immediately to be looked for, certainly the average man, looking on, would naturally judge the policy of imperialism firmly grafted into the fabric of the government. But this would be a grave error, nevertheless. The present imperialistic policy is not so firmly grounded as was the policy of slavery. No such a series of attempts to root up imperialism have been made with failure as were made to handle the fundamentally false policy of slavery, with failure in every case. Men now living can remember when the cause of abolition was vastly more unpopular than that of anti-imperialism is today. They can recall violence to the leaders of the negroes' cause, which no one would be willing to attempt against the advocates of liberty and self - government for the Filipinos. It would be the grossest of skepticism, therefore, to pause and be discouraged under the present circumstances. Such unbelief in the redemptive processes among men would warrant challenging the sincerity of the advocates of liberty. No, my friends, so far from being discouraged or skeptical of the ultimate success of the ends for which this league is established, the very freedom of the discussion, the very opportunity for the widest dissemina tion of the views that we hold, through the publicpress, all are indicative of certain triumph in the end. But 01n advocacy must be constant, in season' and out. Te must become all things to all men that by all means wemay save some. We must plead, exhort, enlighten, instruct and advocate. No man who thoroughly knows what genuine democracy is will feel the slightest fear for the ultimate success of democratic principles. Few causes have been so often or so cruelly betrayed. Few causes are so naturally the prey of self seeking and ambitious men. W'hen tempted by the view of the king doms of the earth from the points of privilege and power, few men resist the temptation to be imperial, when their duty is to remain free.
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