The San Francisco call., 1898-12-25

 FROM THE
 F|L|P|NOS Do Not Recognize the Paris Treaty of Peace as Binding
 U pon Them.
Representative AgonciIo Calls Upon President Mckinley to Fulfill Promises Made
 Before the War
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
on of force, which lasted almost a cen

ton of force, which lasted almost cen tury.
 At length, at the end of the present century, the spanish forces have been completely routed by those of the natives, and Spain cannot now even allege the possession by her of fIlr islands because the permanency of handful of penin- suiar soldiers Approximately 600) who are existing, besieged, in one or two Actresses in the south of the archipelago, cannot constitute such a right.
 The Spanish Government has ceased to hold any dominion by deed and by right. and the only authority which exists there and preserves order is that constituted by the Filipinos with the solemn sanction of their votes, the only legal font of posi- tive modern power.
 Under such conditions the Spanish com missioners in Paris have not been able, within the. principles of the law of na- tons, to give up or to transfer what, if they ever had, they have totally lost be- fore the signing of the protocol of Wash l. lngton, and arranging 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 independent nation. He says that without that aid the speedy subjugation of the islands would be impossible.
 In closing his letter he says:
 Now, if the Spaniards have been able to transfer to the Americans the rights w wnich they did not possess, the former of the Philippines; if the international oincials and representatives of the re pubic of the United States of America sovereignty of the Philippines, solicited and accepted their alliance, how can they now constitute themselves the sole dis Posers or the control, administration and lands?
 1f, 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 f11plno territory; If America, on accept ing peace, had signed the treaty without prejudice to the rights of the Filipinos and with the view of coming to a subse- quent settlement with the existing Fiji pino government, thus recognizing the and the carrying out of their promises of honor to the said Filipinos, it is very evident that no protest against their ac- tion would have been made; but in view of the terms of the third article of the protocol, the proceedings of the Ameri- can Commissioners and the imperative necessity of safeguarding the national rights of my country I make this pro- test, which have made an extensive one for the beforesaid reasons, and with the 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 1 claim in the name of the Filipino nation, in that of their President and Government the fulfillment of the solemn declaration made by the illustrious William McKin- ley, President of the Republic of the United States of America, that on going to war he was not guided by any inten- tion of aggrandizement and extension of national territory, but only in respect to the principles of humanity, the duty of liberating tyrannized peoples and the de- sire. to proclaim the unalienable rights with their sovereignty of the countries released from the yoke of Spain.
 God keep your Excellencies many years.
 FELIPE AGONCILLO.