The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-30

obeyed the rules of civilized warfare,
and he refers for confirmation to the
official reports of both Admiral Dewey
and the American military officers at
Manila. Then he comes directly to the
point in these words:
We first of all desire absolute inde-
pendence. IL the United States IL unNill-
ing to accord us that from the first, then
the next thing which would meet with
favor by our people would be the estab-
lishment of a rrotectorate by the United
States, and third to become a colonial pos
session of this country. One thing is
certain and that Is that the United states
cannot Justly ask us to lay down our
arms and accept any terms OF peace un-
I'll we are absolutely assured by America
that our islands will never be given back
to the control OF Spain, and viii never
more be colonial possession of that
country which has through long ages OPP
pressed and misruled us That point
guaranteed TO us, we Will willingly lay
down our arms, and accept what the
American government believes in justice
and right we should be accorded. Should
all OF these three propositions which |
have named fail, we would prefer to- be-
come a possession OF Great Britain II not
of the United States We want to be-
come associated and connected even II we
have our independence with a nation of
progress and advancement. We have i'm
plicit confidence that we will be awarded
our rights and just deserts at the hands
of the American people, and in fact our
fate is in their hands, but should they
finally decree that we must revert to The
rule of Spain. we will continue our strug-
gle. as Cuba has done, to the death. and
until every Philippine has been eXtermin-
ated by the ravages of war. Never vii!
we return to the rule of Spain; we prefer
humiliation first"
In every particular save one we con-
slider that this presentation of the
Filipino point of view is accurate,
truthful and worthy of profound Amer
ican sympathy and respect. II is not
clear that Senor Agoncillo is corrobor-
ated by facts when he asserts that the
leadership of Aguinaldo is representa-
tive of the whole population of the
Philippine archipelago; there is good
authority for Contradicting this asser-
ton. Concerning this point the pres-
dent and the American peace commits
sioners must be guided rather by Dew
ey. Merritt and other unbiased Ameri-
can witnesses than by Aguinaldo or any
of his personal supporters. Yet it is a
matter which does not affect the main
question before the Paris commission
That question is whether Spain shall
or shall not retain sovereignty over
the Philippines. Senor Agoncilo's s
statement as to Spanish oppression,
supported as it is by the uniform tes-
timony of all other witnesses, affords
decisive reasons why Spain, in any
event. should get out
That much decided-and we take it
that the administration has already
reached this conclusion--the matter of
providing a substitute government will
arise. On this point Senior Agoncillo's
declaration that the Filipinos will
willingly lay down their arms and ac-
cept what the American government
believes in justice and right they
should be accorded is most satisfactory.
1t shows that the intelligent element
of the native population of the Philip
pine archipelago merits the humane
aid which this country has gone to
great expense and trouble to bestow.