The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-29

fore the arrival of General Green's forces
Admiral Dewey and General Anderson were
reluctant TO assume the responsibility or
protecting all interests in Manila from the
disturbing element represented by the in
SurgentS, but upon the arrival or General
Merritt. clothed by the President with
preme authority ashore and with the force
exceeding six thousand we'll armed and
equipped soldiers. there will be no further
THE authority given to General Merritt
in his instructions from the President pre-
cludes the possibility of any recognition OF
the pretensions of dictatorship proclaimed
by the insurgent chief, Aguinaldo, ana IL is
not likely that this aggressive young man
or his forces will receive any. greater con-
sideration from General Merritt when Ma
Mia sUrrenderS than those of Garcia had
from General Shafter at Santiago In tact,
there are the best of reasons Tor DelleV-
ing that the Presidents order OF July 10
fixing the line of conduct of the command
ing officer of the United States forces IN
Santiago to be observed during the mill
tary occupation of that province were al
most identical with those given to General
Merritt. This order, unprecedented in
American history, provides, among other
things, that citizens are entitled TO security
IN their. persons and property ana IN an
their private rights and relations, and that
the municipal laws. such affect private
rights and provide for the punishment of
administered by the ordinary tribunals,
substantially as they were before the occu-
patton, If the judges and other officials ac-
cept the supremacy of the United states;
1t was made the duty of the commander
of the army of occupation. whose control
is supreme under the President, to announce
and proclaim in the most public manner that
the Americans have come not to make war
on the inhabitants, nor upon any party or
faction among them, but to protect them IN
their homes, in their employments and in
their personal and religious rights, and 1t
is stipulated under all circumstances that
such local systems as are continued in OPP
Grafton shall remain under the supervision
of the American commander-in-chief.
The problem of the disposition of the
Spanish prisoners who will be thrown on
General Merritt's hands when Manila sur
renders has not yet received much consld-
Grafton at the War Department, 1t being
deemed advisable to have the benefit or Cen
eral Merritt's recommendations before amy
actual steps are taken. If it appears to
be advisable to send the men back to Spain,
as in the case of those who surrendered
at Santiago, no difficulty is apprehended In
securing any amount of transportation IN
neutral vessels now in Asiatic waters. This
question promises to assume considerable
magnitude if peace negotiations proceed
with any rapidity for it is considered GER
tain that the United States, after having
destroyed Spanish sovereignty in the chlef
island of the Philippines will not be ready
to undertake the re-eStabliShment or the
overturned authority there. 1t is recognized
that the Insurgents could never again be
compelled to respect Spanish rule, and this
fact would probably prove an lnsuperable
obstacle to the inclusion in a treaty or
peace of the very terms which Will prop
ably be most strenuously insisted upon by
Spain looking to restitution of her Aslatlc
possessions. 1t is therefore thought to be
beyond question that the complete separa-
ton of the Philippines from Spanish SOW
ereignty will be one of the inevitable con-
SeoIanceS of the war