The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25
RIGHTS OF FILIPINOS
Full Text of the Protest Lodged at
Paris.
RELATIONS WITH SPAIN
THAT NATION had CEASED TO
EXERCISE SOVEREIGNTY,
Therefore Gould Not Cede the Islands
to the United States - Americans
Had Promised to Recognize Their
Independence and Profted By
Their Assistance.


Independence and PrOfted By
Their Assistance.
Correspondence of the Associated Press)
Paris, Dec 16.-The text of the protest
lodged with the American and Spanish
peace commissioners by Agoncillo, agent
of Aguinaldo, the insurgent leader IN the
Philippines, an outline of which was ca
bled to the Associated Press under TINS
date, reads as follows:
Paris Dec. lZ.-Their EXcellencles, the
President and Delegates OF the spanish
American Peace Commission, Paris:
Your EXcelIencieS-Ihe very noble ana
gallant general Aguinaldo, president OIL
the Philippine republic, and ms govern
ment have honored me with the post Oh
| official representative to the very non
orable president and government OF lIle
| United States Of America, deVolVlnS on
! me at the same time the duty OIL protest
! ing against any resolution contrary " lne
! independence of that country when nlSnl
! be PASSED by the psace commission III
Paris.
! sons and the resolutions passed cannot
| be accepted as obligatory by my gov
! eminent since the commissions nave
neither heard nor in any wise adrnltleu
| to its deliberations the Philippine natlon,
who held an unquesuonable right 10 m
! terVene in them in relation TO what might
affect their future.
protest as dc in the most solemn man
I ner in the name of the president ana the
| national government OF the Enlhpplues,
I against amy resolution agreed upon ~
/ this peace conference in Paris, as long as
/ the political Independence ana personality
OF the Philippines people Is ehliIeiy III
! recognized and attempts are mace IN any
! form TO impose on these inhabitants res
/ olutions which have not been sanctlone0
by their public powers, the only ones
-l1g fa.1vo Law =
I in history.
Spain is absolutely devoid of status
and power to decide in any shape or form
/ the aforementioned matter.
RIGHTS OF FILIPINOS.
THE union of Spain and the Philippines
facts, in which the exclusive right OIL
! the Filipinos 10 decide their own des-
tiny was implicitly recognized.
First, the blood treaty Pacto de
Sangre), OF the 18th of March, l55o en-
/ tered into between the General Don Mig
uel Lopez de Ia Gazpi and the tllnAo
/ was confirmed on the one SIDE by the
king Of Spain, Philip II, ana on the o[her
( side by the monarchs of M1ndanao, VS.
! ayas and Luzon, and by the supreme
chief of that confederation, the Sultan
Lacandoia, proclaiminS, as a consequence,
the autonomous nationality. OF the kinS-
dom Of New Castillo, formed by the
Philippine islands under the sceptre OF
the king OF Spain.
Second, the SO-called constitution OF
Cadiz. in the discussion, vote, prOmulSa-
| ton and legislation of which the deputies
and Filipinos people took an active part
and by which constitution the nationality
Of The SPANS was made elective.
But from the very first moment IN
which the peninsular public powers at
! tempted TO impose their absolute soVer-
ignty on the islands, the tflipinos pro
tested energetically by force of arms
and from the first attempt, IN iSl4, the
( struggle in defense Of the political per-
| sonahty was implanted.
AN INHUMAN STRUGGLE.
when, in 1897, the deprivation Of their
rights was consummated, the F1iipinos
/ again protested, Spain sustaining against
( them fartricidaI and inhum2n struggle,
which has lasted from that time onward
up TO the present day Falsehood, Whlch
always characterized the actions Oh the
peninsulaT authorities, constantly ma
from the world the fact of the real situa-
ton of force, which lasted almost cen
'At length, at the end of the present
century, the Spanish forces nave been
completely routed by those OF the nallEeS.
and Spain cannot now even aigge the pos
session by her of the islands, because the
permanently Of q handful OF oeninsular
soldiers approximately GOD who are e&-
listing, besiegeo, in one or two 1ortresseS
in the south of the archipelago. cannot
constitute such & right.
THE Spanish government has ceased 10
hold any dominion by deed and by right
and the only authority which exists there
and preserves order is that constituted by
the Fiipinos with the solemn sanction OF
their votes the only legal fount OF posi-
tive modern power
Under such conditions the Spanish
commissioners in Paris have not been
able, within the principles of the law OF
nations, 10 give up or 10 transfer EiiaL, II
they ever had, they had totally lgsk De
fore the signing of the protocol of Wash
ington and the arranging OF the terms OF
the peace treaty of Paris
Agonciio then goes on 10 argue that in
accepting the aid OF the tilfplnoS in the
war with Spain, the United States
Acknowledged them as an ndeDendent
nation He says that without ut, that ,2t.. aid
would have been impossible.
AMERICAS POSITION
In closing. his letter he. says: Now,
il the Soaniards have not been able TO
transfer to the Americans the rights
which they did not possess, if the former
have not Inilitarily conquered positions in
the Philippines; = the international Off
Gals and. representatives OF the republic
of the United States offered to recognize
the, Independence and sovereignty of the
Philippines. solicited and accepted their
1 alliance. how can they now constitute
themselves as the sole diSDoSeTs Of the
I control administration and future gov
eminent OF the Philippine islands?
II in the treaty of Paris, there had
simply been declared the withdrawal and
/ abandonment by the Spaniards of their
dominion-if they ever had one-Over the
! Filipino territory; if America on accept
ing peace, had signed that treaty without
prejudice to the rights of the Philippines
ana with the view of coming to q SUISSE
quent settlement with the existing
Filipino government thus recognizing the
sovereignty Of the latter and their al
lance and carrying out the promises of
honor to the said Filipinos. it is very evil
dent that no protest against their action
would have been made. But in view of
the terms of the third article of the pro-
tocOl the PROCEEDINGS of the American
commissioners and the imperative neceS-
sity Of safeguarding the national rights OF
my country. l make this protest, which
have made an extensive one, and with tnt,
corresponding legal restrictions against
the actions. taken and the resolutions
passed by the peace commissioners at
Paris and in the treaty signed by them
And on making this protest / claim in
the name Of the Filipino nation in that
Of their president and government the
fulhllment of the solemn declaration made
by the illuStrious William Mckinley
president of the republic Of the United
States of America, that on going to war
he was not guided by any intention of
ACKNOWLEDGMENT and extension of national
territory. but only in respect to the Drin-
ciples of humanity, the duty Of liberatjne
! tyrannized people and the desire to pro-
claim the unalienable rights with their.
sovereignty of the countries released from
the yoke of Spain.
God keep your eXcellencies many Years.
FELIPE AGONCTITO''
-sa~cz7s-zsr