Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-05-05
FRIDAY, MAY 5, 1903.
FACTS IN THE CASE.
Last Sundays Minneapolis

the Philippine islands. The
Inter- Ocean reproduces the article
entire, and hopes its readers will
give it q careful perusal.
Editor Tribune-Why does not the president
put an end to the war In the Philippine islands
BY promptly assuring the Filipino people that
they will be guaranteed their Independence as
SOON as order is restored in the islands and a
government by the Filipino people organized as
in Cubai This would be genuine Americanism,
and more becoming than q wal Of conquest and
~subjugation against the brave and capable
natives, who deserve their independence by
reason of their ~resolute fight against Spanish
tyranny. The Philippine islands belong to the
Filipino people. They long for independence
for theft native land. What brave and aspiring
people do mott And should this natural and
patriotic feeling be treated as q crime by
Americans, who were themselves .rebels''
against British tyranny a century ago, and in
sisted upon their independence notwithstand-
ing the promises and cajolements Of their
former rulers. I say for one, no!
NIB. SM1THwELL,
Mayville, N. D.
One fundamental error made by our
correspondent is in comparing the
Tagals Of Malays of the Philippine
islands, who have demonstrated their
unf1tness for elf-government, notwith-
standing his assertion to the contrary,
to u revolutionary fathers. Our
revolutionary fathers were civilized
men, who did not fire upon flags Of
truce, who did not stealthily kill sur
geone and hospital nurses, or. cruelty
captured prisoners of wal. It might
as we'll be asked why u forefathers
did not give the red Indian whom they
found in this country the right Of self
government. They we're "brave and
capable natives"-at least as capable
as the Filipinos, and no one disputes
the bravery Of the American aborigine.
The logic of u corresponding would
have compelled the white men who
discovered the North American CONT
nent to leave it to the savagery of the
natives, who fought even more res
.olutely for their kind of "freedom''
than the Filipinos are fighting today.
The assumption that Aguinaldo and
his followers had conquered their in
dependence from Spain is equally
false; 50 also is the assumption that
we are carrying on a war Of conquest
and subjugation against them. In
1897 Aguinaldo. surrendered to the.
Spaniards, the stipulation being that
his followers should give up their arms
and ammunition and formally ac-
knowledge SPANS sovereignty. For
this surrender he received a large sum
of money, which he deposited to his
cWa credit In China, and himself took
refuge there. When he next appeared
insthe Philippines it was. under Ameri-
can protection. Dewey with his guns
destroyed the Spanish power and made
it possible for the former rebels
against Spanish rule to go back.
When Dewey fought the battle Of
Manila bay and the Americans took
possession Of the suburbs OF Manila,
and finally Of. the city itself, there was
no insurgent government in existence.
The island Of Luzon became ours by
right Of conquest, and that and the
other islands by the additional right
Of treaty stipulations and purchase
from the power that had held the title
and sovereignty for 400 years. Nor
did we make war upon the Filipinos.
They began the war by attacking the
American lines on February 5 last
and since then the United States
forces have simply been defending
themselves and asserting the American
sovereignty 90 gloriously won by
Dewey and Merritt.
And now, to answer our corSes
ponrdent's specific question. we ma,
say that President Mckinley has as
sured the people Of the blessings o
liberty under American protection
but al the same time has very properl!
notified them that American SOY
ereignty must and shall be maintained
The inhabitants Of the island, nativ
aud immigrant, will be given full
measure Of local autonomy as soon q
they are fitted for it. Will u Col
respondent contend that the people Q
the states of this union, who enjo
local self-government, are victims G
tyranny because they are subject t
federal authority? The word tyranny
In connection with the spread {
American institutions is q slande
upon the United States governmer
and people.
The trouble with Mr.. Bryan
that he is still fighting the col