The record-union., 1898-11-23
THE PHILIPPINE NEWS AND
OUR POLICY.

occurs the passage: Il hope the en-
tire Philippine archipelago will be re-
tanned by the United States. Any other
arrangement will lead to no end of
trouble" The opinion of Admiral
Dewey will go far in the correction
and formation of public opinion. He
has proved to be so clear-headed.
president and bold, yet conservative,
that his judgment comes to the people
as weighty and ripe.
Op the heels of this news we have
the official statement that the United
States Commissioners at Paris have
presented the ultimatum of this Gov
ernment to the Spanish section Of the
Peace Commission, and that it includes
a demand for surrender to our control
of the whole Philippine archipelago,
this Government paying to Spain as
repsenting excess of indemnity the
sum of $2O,OO0,O0O The Spaniards are
given until the 2Sth to make reply to
this demand, which it is understood
Is the final and irrevocable expression
of the United States upon the SUBJ
ject.
Contemporaneous with receipt of this
news two Filipinos arrive in San
Francisco with letters of comimenda-
ton from the American Consul General
at Hongkong, who declare that the
educated and better conditioned
glasses of the people of the Philippines
wish the islands to be annexed to this
country. One Of these men gave to
Aguinaldo to aid his insurrection the
sum of $1,000 upon the understand
ing that he would not antagonize
Americans. These representative men
Representatives of the wealthy and
educated classes. and in the Philip
pines we must remember that class
distinction is marked, and that is a
condition We must recognize in the
present-declare that Aguinaldo's late
procedure is not supported by the peo-
pie most representative Of what is
hopeful among them, and that his
agent, Agoncello, is no more to be
trusted than his principal in his rep
resentations concerning the wishes of
the Fflipinos.
The new arrival has demonstrated
his regard and respect for Americans
by turning over to our forces at
Manila, rent free, palaces and houses
owned by him, that they may be used
for army purposes. He is now on his
way to Washington to personally pre-
sent to President Mckinley the
thought of the wealthy and educated
Filipinos concerning the disposition of
their land
Not long prior to this news we had
Rdvices of the successes of the insur-
gents in the southern part of the ISL
and Of Luzon. their investment of
towns and cities, their persecution and
murder of the Spanish, their looting
of houses and other excesses; and
hina1ly, that they have so far DOM
mated the whole southern section that
Admiral Dewey has felt it to be neces-
sary ito send two men of war to south
ern ports to protect American inter-
ests. In the meantime, Aguinaldo,
thirty miles or SO from Manila. posing
as President of a Republic, sulks
in camp OF several thousand men,
declares that General Merritt has lied
about him, insists upon independence
for his people, demands control of
Manila, and clearly makes manifest his
desire for retiracy OF the American
forces, that he and his followers may
make an end of the Spanish.
This appears to be a fair outline of
the situation in the Philippines. It is
BIS the American forces at Manila and
nearby posts see things It indicates
that there is but one course for the
United States to take. It must control
by the military arm, for the time, the
Philippine group. 1t must protect the
Spaniards remaining there from muir
der and outrage at the hands of the
insurgents. It must witness the COM
plete withdrawal of Spanish sover-
eighty over the islands, and it must
command respect for the American
flag throughout the archipelago.
But all this does not affect the uues-
ton as TO what the future government
of the Philippines is to be. That is
an open question. It may be possible
to build up sufficient native strength
to maintain practically an independent
and free government, and yet to retain
to the United States all the adj
vantages, commercial and otherwise
which ought to flow to US by reason
OF our victory in the Orient. On the
other hand, it may be impossible for
many years to withdraw the military
hand from the new acquisition, and ii
may be found that absolute possession
and unreserved control, with special
lied form of government suited to the
conditions, must be our Philippine
policy for all the future.
But Of one thing there IS absolute
certainty; it is to be effected, If not
already accomplished, despite the
warnings and pessimistic forecasts ol
the doubling and fearful; namely, the
philippines are to pass forever from
Spanish domination. and are never t.
he wholly free from American control