The herald., 1898-07-03
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY


Philippines, attracting scarcely more
than passing attention in this country,
may yet have considerable influence as
a factor in solving the problem as to
what we shall do with the Islands after
they shall fall into our hands, if, indeed,
federal authority shall ever be extended
over their area of one hundred and fifty
thousand square miles.
In the province and town Of Cavite,
and almost in the shadow of our frown-
ing war vessels, Aguinaldo and his fol-
lowers gathered, in a, more or less rep
resentative capacity, and organized re-
publican form of government. How Gin
dependent" or stable" it is or may be-
come will depend somewhat upon circum-
stances and events. 1t Is now scarcely
more than a military compact, with the
idolized revolutionary chieftain at its
head, and that it is SO regarded, by him,
at least, is evidenced by the fact that
he proclaimed 1t with something of a
flourish of martial trumpets and. q blare
Of martial drums But 1t may prove the
nucleus of something else. 1t may de-
velop into something quite different.
Admiral Dewey recently notified the
Washington government, that, I'M his ad-
ministration of affairs and his intercourse
with the representatives of foreign pow
ers, he had been careful not to commit
the United States to any fixed policy.
He has also expressed a degree of con-
fidence in his ability to control the move
ments Of Aguinaldo, and hiS insurgent
followers, who have been supplied with
arms and ammunition from the captured
arsenal at Cavite. And he has succeeded
in restraining their impetuous determine
ton to fall upon Manila and thus further
complicate the situation and add to his
perplexities, pending reinforcement and
definite instructions from the president.
Nevertheless the patriots have been
employing their spare time in organizing
a government which, 1t is fair to assume,
they expect the United States sooner Or
later to recognize-as soon as such recog-
milton may be made valuable consd-
Grafton, not later than the formal recog-
milton of the government which the Gu
bans are expected to organize.
Aguinaldo has already and with ap-
parent justification, declared that his peo-
Pile, are as. capable Of self-governmen as
are the Cubans, and that the great and
good and humane and philanthropic
American nation, which expressly de-
clared at the outset that it was not en-
tering upon war of conquest, could not
consistently vary it's treatment of people
struggling for freedom at one and the
same time in two hemispheres.
1t does not signify that. because rival
ries and jealousies have already sprung
up among the patriots, the government
they have established will not survive
their chickering's and constitute an en-
barrassing factor In the contemplated
permanent occupation Of the islands. An
army of civilians will at once be required
to administer the affairs of the archi-
pelago, under the direction Of General
Merritt, who will naturally replace the,
Spaniards, with natives drawn from the
ranks of the patriots, eager for perfer-
menr and pelf The new governor-gen
eral may succeed in persuading the in
surgent government to remain quies-
cent and non-assertive for a time.
and until he shall get the machinery
Of his government in operation. But
liz is obvious that, sooner or later,
the members and supporters of 1t
will have to be reckoned with. They
are disposed to welcome the Americans
as deliverers, rather than as conquerors.
With us, they affect to believe in the
doctrine of Jefferson, that governments
/ derive their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed" The more intelli-
gently they proceed along these lines the
more troublesome they are likely to be-
come in the exploitation of the scheme of
imperialism.