to conquer districts, coercing the people.  The people will soon be glad to see the soldiers of the United States, the representatives of the downfall and 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 and weighed.  In Eastern Asia, which we have invaded, and a part of which we have appropriated for a time, the people use silver for the measure of value, and in the islands that interest us, as they do not deal in the mysteries of rupees, but in dollars, the facts in the case are plainly within the common understanding.  In Manila the Mexican dollar goes in ordinary small