I suppose that was,
however, intended as a bit of jocose extravagance, which that
most excellent gentleman did not mean to have taken too seriously.
Mr. Day, the Secretary of State, and Senator Gray of Delaware,
were understood to be utterly opposed to the policy of expansion
or Imperialism.
I do not know about Mr. Day. But it appeared, when three
years afterward the correspondence between the Commissioners
and the Department of State became public, that Mr. Day expressed
no objection to the acquisition of Luzon, but objected to
a peremptory demand for the whole Philippine Island group,
thereby--to use his language--"leaving us open to the imputation
of following agreement to negotiate with demand for whole
subject matter of discussion ourselves."
The public impression as to Senator Gray is confirmed by the
following remonstrance, which appears in the same correspondence:
PEACE COMMISSIONERS TO MR. HAY
[Telegram]
PARIS, October 25, 1898.
The undersigned cannot agree that it is wise to take Philippine
Islands in whole or in part. To do so would be to reverse
accepted continental policy of the country, declared and acted
upon throughout our history.
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