The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-04

lJ3tt2fOs W 93B-. lay y. ISsV-
To thA Editor: VIII you answer the two
following Quessionsy
n history rightly Informs M. France.
during the revolutionary struggle Of our
patriot forefathers With England. while
estenxibly PRESERVING neutrality. freely
gave tts moral aid and influence 20 the
"rsbeis" of the American colonies. led by
tho '-insurgent chieftain' George Wash
tngton: and with willing hands placed any
obstacle II dared In the path Of British
saecess. Let M suppose that during sssis
struggle France had made war against
and conquered England. part OF it's plan
Of operations being the invasion Of Amer
len. then In revolt against the mother
country. Would France, then. In the event
of succsss. In your opinion have been JUS
ttnsd IN continuing the war against the
American ''insurgents." with view to
their subtugatto even though they did
20 under the pretense Of Establishing law
and order" and for the more appetite rea-
son that In consideration Of q certain sum
OF money paid TO England her colonies
then In rebsliion should revert to and be-
GENE the property Of France! Would the
change Of masters thus made have
changed In any degree the principles for
which Washinston and his followers con-
tendedf
Can you give any valid reason why Pres
hent Mckinley should not, at the very
beginning have guaranteed through
proper representatives to the Filipino peo-
pie that the policy Of this government
should be for the complete independence
OF tho islands. instead Of employing long,
winded prociamations which evaded every
vital point ~ issue. and which have sue
eeeded-not In deceiving any of the parties
interested, but In protEscttng bloody con-
atct which VASTLY differing from that be-
Ing wassd year agol thousands Of citi-
sens. equally ~ good and patriotic n
President Mckinley. can never wholly
sanction? E. II. PERRY.
This correspondent takes undue iiber-
ties with the record Of history in his ef-
fort to force an analogy between the
American revolution and the insurgent
uprising in the Philippines. France gave
aid and comfort to the American rebels.
and actually furnished troops. an act
Of war against England performed the
sooner to break the power of her old
enemy. II America. with French as
sistance. had expelled England. as 1t
did. II would have been the govern
sssUAA 0S SS~s~s ouO A0A@W W aSSoan~
plish its purposes Of territorial con-
quest must have then made war upon
an independent power. 1t throws no
light upon the present question to make
the impossible superstition that France
might frst have conquered England.
and then have turned Its attention to
the young republic across the sea
What did the United States do in the
Philippines? We were At war with
Spain. Spanish authority was domi-
nant In the islandA and its title to
them was unquestioned. and its author
ity IT that time supreme.
Dewey went there on his own initia-
tive solely 10 smash the Spanish. He
encountered . spanish feet and Span
ish forts protecting the Spanish city
Of Manila. He conquered the fleet. and
the army later took the city. with prac-
tically no aid from their putative al
lies. the Ag1inaldoans. While in peace
had capitulated to them. while stln
nominally at war with Spain, and be-
fore peace had been contaminated. the
American troops were attacked by the
Insurgents Dewey did not Intervene be-
tween the Insurgents and the Spanish,
rs France did In America He acquired
his own title TO Manila and the Philip
pines by the prowess Of his arms. and
with no aid from the allied insurgents
that was rendered for any other pur-
pose than to conquer the common enemy.
II any promises were made to Aguinai-
DO, by his haste and aggressive hostii-
ity he has himself forfeited any right
OF consideration In consequence Of them.
our correspondent il evidently In
spired by the 'tconsent-of the-goyeyned''
cant that has moved Edward Akin
son and other Little Americans to 90
TO such extremes But who are the gov
erned in the phiiippines9 The rebels.
who are ana always have been insubor-
ainate. or the citizens az Manila and
similar cities who welcome American
rule, What right has the United states
10 turn the lives and property Of these
people over 10 the incompetent rule OF
the insurgents. Outside the question o.
It's ultimate purposes for retention 81
these islands~-if IL has any such pur-
roses-the United states owes II to IL
self and to civilization 60 substitute. for
the government II eseeied by fierce from
the Philippines ether authority al least
equally adequate TO maintain law >an 1
order. Therefore the question as ~
whether the Filipinos are capable II
self government forces Itself into conss3.
eratson- and must be a determining sae
tor with Us The Eres, weight Ct eorn9e-
tent cystrsor, go far as tested. is tha;
the rebels are 40, capable % sels;scy
eminent The e0nsant-os- the-g governed