Anti-Imperialist League (was Re: The Lerner Affair)

[JBrown72073 at cs.com]

Yoshie quoted:
>"Imperialists assume that with the destruction of self-government in 
>the Philippines by American hands, all opposition here will cease. 
>This is a grievous error. Much as we abhor the war of 'criminal 
>aggression' in the Philippines, greatly as we regret that the blood 
>of the Filipinos is on American hands, we more deeply resent the 
>betrayal of American institutions at home. The real firing line is 
>not in the suburbs of Manila. The foe is of our own household. The 
>attempt of 1861 was to divide the country. That of 1899 is to destroy 
>its fundamental principles and noblest ideals" -- "Platform of the 
>American Anti-Imperialist League" (1899)

For the 'my country right or wrong' crowd, the 1899 Anti-Imperialist version:

"Our country right or wrong.  When right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be 
put right." Carl Schurz, at an Anti-Imperialistic Conference,  Oct. 17, 1899, 
Chicago.  (He was probably answering the toast attributed to Stephen Decatur, 
1816, "Our country!  In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always 
be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.")

Jenny Brown