The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-25
TEXT OF THE PROTEST
Spain Had No Right to Sell the
Philippines.
AND Is DEVOID OF POWER
The FIiipinos Have the Exclusive Right
to Decide Their Own Destiny-spain
Could Not Transfer Rights
She Did Not Have.

Correspondence OF the Associated Press.
Paris. Dec. 16.-The text Of the pro-
test lodged with the American and
Spanish peace commissions by Agoncil-
10. agent of Aguinaldo. the insurgent
leader in the Philippines, an outline II
which was cabled to the associated
press under this date. reads as follows:
Paris. Dec. 12.-Their excellencies.
the president and delegates of the Spon-
ish-American peace commission, Paris.
Your excellencies: The very noble and
gallant general. A~guinaldo, president Of
the Philippine republic. and his govern
ment have honored me with the post of
official representative to the very non
orable president and government of the
United States of America. devolving on
me at the same time the duty Of pro-
testing against any resolution contrary
to n independence OF thai country
which might be passed by the peace
commission in Paris.
This has already terminated its ses-
sions and the resolutions passed cannot
be accepted as obligatory by my gov
eminent. since the commission have
W III any NlH' ahlIllNNtu
to Its deliberations. the Philippine ma
ton. who held an UNREASONABLE right
to intervene In them in relation to what
might affect their future.
II fulfill. therefore. my duty when !
protest, as I do in the most solemn man.
ner. I'm the name Of the president and
the national government of the Philip
pines. against any resolution agreed
upon at this peace conference in Paris,
as long as the judicial. political indie
~pendence n personality OF the Phil
ippine people is entirely u~nrecognized
n attempts are made in any form TO
impose on these Inhabitants resolutions
which have not been sanctioned by
their public powers the only ones who
can legally decide as to their future in
history.
Spain Is absolutely devoid of a stat
us and power to decide in any shape or
form the aforementioned matter. The
union of Spain and the Philippines was
founded solely OF two historical facts,
In which the exclusive rights of the
Ftlipinos to decide their own destiny
was implicitly recognized.
First, the blood treaty (pacto de
sangre) OF the 18th OF March, 1865. en-
tered between General Don Miguel Lo-
peg de Lespi and the Filipino sovereign,
Sikaluma, "A compact which was con-
firmed on the one side by the king of
spain, Iulilp lf.s anu On NHt olntT slut
by the monarchs OF Mindanao, Nisayas
and Luzon and by the supreme chief of
that confederation, the Sultan Lacan-
dola, proclaiming, as a consequence. the
autonomous nationality OF the kingdom
OF New Castillo formed by the Philip
pine Islands under the scepter OF the
king of Spain.
'~Second-The so-called constitution of
Cadiz, I'm IN discussion, vote, promul-
CATION and legislation of which the dep
uties and F1lipinos people took an active
part, and by which constitution the ma
tionality of the SPANS was made eff
~fective.
But from the very first moment in
which the peninsular public powers at
tempted to impose their absolute sover-
eighty oil the islands. the Filipinos pro-
tested energetically by force OF arms.
N from the first attempt, in 1914. the
truggle In defense of the political per-
s~onality was implanted.
when, In 1897. the deprivation of
their rights was contaminated, the FIJI
pinos again protested. Spain sustaining
against them a fratricidal and inhuman
struggle. which has lasted from that
time onward up to the present day.
Falsehood, which always characterized
the actions of the peninsular authorities,
constantly hid from the world the fact
Of the real situation OF force which
lasted Almost a century.
AT length, at the end of the present
century, the Spanish forces have been
completely routed by those of the ma
tives, and Spain cannot now even al
lege the possession by her of the islands.
because the permanency of a handful of
peninsular soldiers approximately 600),
who are existing. besieged. In one Or
two fortresses In the south of the arch
ipelago. cannot constitute such n right.
ssTha Gna nfqh unNarnn,nnt hag .aagal
90 hold any dominion by deed and right.
and the only authority which exists
there and preserves order Is that con-
stituted by the Filipinos with tbs SOL
emn sanction Of their votes. the only
legal fount Of positive modern power.
Under such conditions the Spanish
commissioners i'm Paris have not been
able within the principles OF the
law OF nations. to give u or 10 trans
fer what. II they ever had. they had
totally lost before the signing Of the
protocol Of Washington and the ar
ranging of the terms of the peace treaty
OF Paris"
Agoncillo then goes on to argue that
in accepting the aid Of the Filipinos
in the war with Spain, the United
States acknowledged them as an in
dependent nation. He says tina with
out that aid the speedy s~ubjugation of
the Islands would have been impOssi-
bile. In closing his letter he y
Now. IL the Spaniards have not
been able to transfer to the Americans
the rights which they lid not possess
II the former have not militarily con-
uuered the positions I'm the Philippines:
II the international officers and repre-
sentatives OF the republic Of the United
States Of America offered to recognize
the independence and sovereignty %
the Philippines. solicited and accepted
their alliance. how can they now cot-
stitute themselves as the sole dispos-
ers Of the control. administration and
future government OF the Philippine
islands,
"If. i'm the treaty Of Paris. there had
simply been declared the withdrawal and
abandonment by the Spaniards of their
dominion-if they ever had uncover the
Filipino territory: N America. OF accept
ing peace. has signed that treaty without
prejudice to the rights OF the Philippines
and with the view Of coming TO a subse-