Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-12-06
The president then gives the details

| OF the uprising and slaughter proposed
by the insurgents in Manila, the success
Of which was prevented by General Otis,
Into whose hands fell copy of the order
or the insurgent government, directing
the massacre. This, the president says,
was the unhappy condition of affairs
which confronted our commissioners on
their arrival in Manila. What they
actually found can best be set forth in
their own words:
| Deplorable as war is, the one in which
we are now engaged was unavoidable
! by us. We were attacked by bold, ad-
| Venturous and enthusiastic army No
alternative was left to us except igno-
minous retreat.
1t Is not to be conceived of that any
American would have sanctioned the
surrender of Manila to the insurgents.
/ Our obligations to other nations and to
the friendly Filipinos and to ourselves
| ana our haS demanded that force should
be met by force. Whatever the future
OF the Philippines may be. there is no
course open to us now except the prose-
cuuon of the war until the insurgents
are reduced to submission"
! The course thus clearly indicated, says
the message, has been unflinchingly pur-
sued. Civil government cannot be
thoroughly established until order is
restored Although operations have
been somewhat interrupted and checked
by rainy season of unusual violence
| and duration, our soldiers have gained
ground in every direction, and now look
forward confidently to a speedy compile
ton of their task. The unfavorabIe
circumstances connected with an active
| campaign have not been permitted to in
terfere with the equally important work
of reconstruction. Here, again, the
president invites attention to the re-
| port of the commissioners for the in
teresting and encouraging details of the
work already accomplished in the estab-
lishment of peace and order, and the
inauguration of lf-governing munich
pal life in many portions of the archi-
pelago. The system of government es-
tablished in the Island of Negroes which
was the first to accept American sover-
eighty. is given in detail in the mes
| sage.
The president then says: Everything
indicates that with speedy suppression
of the Tagalo rebellion, life in the
archipelago will soon resume it's or
binary course, under the protection OF
our sovereignty, and the people of those
favored islands will enjoy a prosperity
and freedom which they have never
before known. Already hundreds of
schools are open and filled with children.
Religious freedom is sacredly assured
and enjoyed. The courts are dispensing
iuSticp RugtnpSS 10 hpyrinniper To pir
culate in its accustomed channels.
The future government of the Philip
pines rests with the congress of the
United States. Fewer grayer re-
sponsibilities have ever been conGded to
us. If we accept them in a spirit worthy
Of our race and our traditions a great
opportunity comes with them. The
islands lie under the shelter of our flag
They are ours by every title of law and
| equity. They cannot be abandoned.
| If We desert them we leave them at
once to anarchy and finally TO bar
barism. We fling them, a golden ap-
pie of liscord, among the rival powers,
no one of which would permit another to
SEIZE them unquestioned Inc sug-
gestion has been made that we could
renounts our authority over the islands,
and. giNiH them independence, could re-
tain proteetorate over them. The
pr position viii not be found, I am
sure, worthy of your serious attention.
such an arrangement would involve at
the outset a cruel breach OF faith. 1t
would place the peaceabIe and loyal ma
Jorlty, who ask nothing better than to
accept our authority. at the mercy of
the minority of armed Insurgents. 1t
would make lis responsible Tor the acts
OF the insGlseht leaders. aad give US
no power to control them. 1t would
charge US with the task oi protecting
them against each other, and defending
them against any foreign power with
which they chose to quarrel In short,
ii would take from the congress of the
United states the power of declaring
war and invest that tremendous pre-