Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-14

Senator George #. Hoar, Of Massa-
chusetts, has contributed an article on
Our Duty to the Philippines to the
Independent. which appears to-day He
begins with review OF the circum-
stances leading I'D to the war with
Spain, Of which he says:
II think 1t might have been averted
and that Cuba could have been 1iber-
ated by peaceabie means IL the counsel
of Grant and Fish had been followed,
and IL our public men in the Senate
had remembered that they were a
part Of the diplomatic power Of this
country and it was unbecomlng In them
to indulge in bitter and singing invec-
tiNes against Spain, whether such in
Veotiyes were just or unjust.
But I do not feel inclined to judge
these utterances severely. Something,
as Burke said, must be pardoned to
the spirit Of liberty, and those utter
anoes. though in my judgment unfort-
innate, camo from brave, humane and
hberty-loving SOULS"
Continuing, the Senator says that
down to January I, 1899. the American
people and the Republican party were
Committed to the doctrine that Just
governments rest upon the consent Of
the governed, and that every people has
the right to dissolve Mt will the pollti-
cal connection that binds It to another
people. In dealing with Cuba, says the
writer, we acted upon those principles,
but the treaty Of peace disclosed DIFF
ferent purpose as to the Philippines,
the Inhabitants OF which were much
nearer independence when the treaty
OF peace was signed than ever had been
The people Of Cuba.
RECOGNITION OF AGUINALDO.,.
Their leader" writes Senator Ioar
"had been brought over to the islands
In n United States ship by the United
States authorities, and was in arms at
the head OF his forces, with our full
concurrence and. operation. II tho
statement attributed to q high official
In one of our departments, who Is
sometimes called upon to sit in the
Cabinet with the President were ac-
tually made, their leader had been Of
fered by President Mckinley the high
Office OF colonel in the regular army
of the United States, an offer which IT.
self is sufficient REPUTATION of all the
charges against him. They had framed
provisional constitution, a model OF
its kind. establishing n dictatorship
like those established by Bolivar in
South America. to give place to n re-
public as soon as the military condition
should make 1t possible
Looking back, can any sane man
doubt the wisdom OF those who desired
to amend the treaty and to deal with
the Philippine Islands as we did with
Cuba; to compel Spain to renounce her
sovereignty; to keep off aal foreign ma
tions, and to aid The Islanders in es-
tablfshing their own government ac-
cording to their own desire?"
The Senator refers to the epithet
TRAITOR" and other harsh words ap-
Piled to those who voted against the
peace treaty, and asks:
WHO IS THE COPPERHEAD?
when the President said that forci-
BILE annexation, according to our Amer
lean code of morals, would be criminal
aggression, was he a copperhead? Was
he dlsloyal to the flag? Was not he
Republican? Was there ever an utter
ance so calculated to give courage to
Aguinaldo and his people as that?"
AS to our future attitude toward the
Fiaipinos, Senator Hoar writes:
"The time has come to make ND your
minds. If you are to declare that you
do not mean to subjugate them or to
enslaye them, that you will act to-
ward them on the principles and In the
spirit OF your own declaration OF in
dependence, the war can be ended In
an hour. The refusal to make this de-
claration in the beginning brought on
this war, and your refusal now to de-
clare yourselves is what Is alone re-
sponsible for it's continuance
Now we have got to settle the ques-
tion. which the President has repeated
ly declared is for Congress or for the
people, whether we will complete the
subjugation OF the Filipinos; whether
we Will undertake to govern them MS
subjects or serfs, or whether we will
aid them to become self-governing
nation, either as a republic, IS they
seem to desire, or as limited mon
archy like Japan, or whether they shall
exist hereafter as an absolute monar-
chy after the fashion In which we are
maintaining in power to-day the Sultan
OF Sulu, with his slaves and his ha-
rem"
EXPANSION THE WAY. TO PEACE
Senator Hoar then writes that this
great question has been discussed with
levity, with an intolerance, and with
an appeal to low motives and to cheap
passions rarely paralleled in political
history. A notable exception, he says,
ia Gov. Theodore Roosevelt. whose late
address, in which he maintains that OK
pansion is the way to peace, was q
"thoughful and able argument. worthy
Of serious consideration" In conclusion
the>Senator says:
"The American people, the brave and
just people. who made the immortal
declaration and who maintained it with
! life and fortune and sacred honor, who
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