Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-15
THURSDAY.."......JUNE1 Is, 1899
4 PYRRnuC CAMPAIGN.

A PIRRHIC CAMPAIGN.
From the beginning we have stead
fastly deprecated Mr.. Mckinley's Philip
pine policy. agreeing. as we DO. with hin,
In one thing. at least, that forcible an
nexation is criminal aggression, holding
that benevolent assimilation Is q
hypocritical protext for subjugating pco-
ple whom we had promised emancipo-
zion from tyranny and maintaining
that our far East venture not only in
wolves shameless disregard Of our solemn
pledge e. o., rest of the civilized world,
br: is American ana pregnant with
menace % ..r institutions. But with
equA st,adf we have c0ntended
that whether Mr NlcEinley's policy
whether imperialism-is 10 be consum-
mated or not, since we have been rushed
into a war with the Filipnos American
prestige must be upheld. Whatever else
cventuates. the end must embrace honor
for American arms. So far have We gone
that we cannot afford to have it other
wise. We cannot afford TO sink in The
eyes Of the nations Of the world TO the
position in the scale of the standing of
Powers in which failure of our arms TO
triumph finally would place US. War be-
tng on. the moral aspect Of the matter,
and all other considerations, are for the
nonce in large measure obscured by the
necessity of proving that we are first
Glass Power, thus removing the tcmpta-
ton for other nations TO make this coun-
try the object of agsression-a tempta-
tion that would surely arise should we
not succeed in indicating our boosted
strength. We have no alternative in
the premises but that of making our
Insertion of strength practical object
lesson to the world
At the same time We cannot blink the
fact that every new development
In the Philippines seems to put the reali-
satlon Of that alternative farther of. 1t
would be foolish TO attempt to blink it.
The campaign in Luzon has been going on
for a year. and the statement that al
best II has been a pyrrhic one, cannot
De successfully challenged. our opera
tons are now costing US at the rate Of
S3OOOO0O per month at the lowest calcu-
,tation, hundreds of our soldiers have
been killed in battle, the rolls of those who
have died of disease and from wounds
20 up into the thousands, scores upon
scores of others have been permanently
invalided, and the latest engagements
have demonstrated that the "robels' are
more defiant, more aggressive, and better
equipped for fighting than they were the
day the first gun was fired. Moreover,
ihe points at which these engagements
took place show that our brilliant eXpe-
ditions" for the purpose of clearing the
country around Manila demoraliZing the
rebels. and driving them into the interior
have been absolutely futile. In the series
of fights commencing Tuesday the Fill
pinos were, for the most part on the
Aggressive, and the fighting took place In
territory Immediately adjacent 20 Manila,
and which we were positively assured"
several weeks ago was entirely under our
control.
Therefore. while reasserting our conf
dence in the final triumph Of American
arms, we are, We think, justified in saying
mat lnt OuliVoh lbi q SIhNAS Nl'HN
of the war is gloomicr than ever be-
fore. We are justified, we think, in be-
aieving that those who estimate that 1t
will take from 10000 to 10000 men TO
subiugate the natives know fun well
whereof they estimate, unless 1t be true,
as charged by private soldiers in the
Philippines, that for some reason the ad
ministration does not desire to end the
war for some time yet. and. therefore,
much OF our available lighting force is
not utilized. We can hardly credit this
charge, though it is declared that ii Is
made upon the best OF authority. But
81 1t is TO be credited, all the more sum
mary should be the reckoning which the
people should have with Mr.. Mckinley
and his impcrialisuc supporters when
peace shall have been declared, and the
moral issue involved in bringing about
the war with it's train of usurpation
burdensome taxation, and bloOdshed
comes 20 the front again, as II inevitably
Will.
-@------~~---
western newspaper correspondent who
represents his paper at Washington re-
Gently disclosed an Interesting little bit
OF gasp which has for some time past
asiiated the upper crust in tho nation-
al nd Il