The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-09-14


tobacco. corn. rice and hemp are among
its many products. There grow without
cultivation In prolific abundance the
cocoanut. the mango. the banana and
hundreds Of varieties Of natures choic-
est fruits. In their uplands and among
their hills can be grown also the fruits
Of the temperate zone. Gold and other
minerals await the discoverer's pick.
and coal. that agent of civilization.
only awaits to be developed. lneN-
haustible forests of the most maRnif-
cent hard woods cover and adorn their
hills and mountains. Rivers and their
estuaries give cheap and convenient
access to all parts Of the archipelago.
They are Inhabited by tribes of the Ma
lay race, semi-civilized, but debauched,
degraded by the rule to which they
have been subjected. Superstitious and
Credulous, they have engrafted upon
their national characteristics the les
sons taught for hundreds Of years by
an oppressor's treachery. For three
hundred years these islands were the
undisputed property Of the crown OF
Spain. During all that time when Eu-
ropean nations were jealously seeking
we're eagerly appropriating to them
telves, even at the risk of conflict with
their neighbors, portions Of Egypt. AZ
rica, India. China and of almost the
whole known world. no one ventured
to infringe upon the rights of Spain
in this archipelago, so firm and stable
was her title. Here she ruled with
out comment. and without observation,
until one May morning Dewey rent as
sunder the veil OF concealment and
brought Saxon civilization to their
shores. Why did not Dewey sail away,
after destroying the Spanish feet?
We believe that no mortal man can
answer why-but we believe also that
his long and lonely vigil In Manila bay.
rs he looked anXiously towards his ma
tive land. was but to carry out the
destiny OF the American nation. Every
happening since then seems to confirm
this belief. and there seems to have
been laid upon this country a duty in
regard to the Philippines impossible to
escape. Had we allowed Spain to re-
tain possession of the Philippines we
would have stultified every profession
we had made in the interest Of hu-
manity. Had We deprived her Of pos
session and then abandoned the islands
the archipelago would have become a
derelict In the sea of civilization. IL
able to have produced universal war.
Had we thus abandoned them Aguin-
aldo and his savage followers would
have destroyed property. would have
butchered Spaniards and oil foreigners
alike, and there would have been uni
versal anarchy. 1t was generally un-
derstOOd that the loot of Manila was
to be the pay of Aguinaldo's army.
We would have incurred the censure of
every civilized nation and In addition
would have become involved in the
gravest international questions Of re-
sponsibility for loss of lives and prop
erty. The great mass of the people are
untitled, and do not care for national
self government, II for no other reason
than the lessons taught them by Spain,
and while with them liberty is now q
name to conjure by, yet by nature and
education they are untitled to admin
lister its principles. and left to them
selves would have become q prey to
ambitious and designing powers.
SOVEREIGNTY OF THE UNION.
"Spain's title was undisputed; by
treaty that title passed to US. unim-
peachable and unimpeached. When
our army was assailed in the Island of
LuzOn the sovereignty of our Union
itself was attacked and our flag was in
suited before the world. The attack
was not made by the united inhabit-
ants Of the archipelago. or Of the ISL
and Of Luzon-it was made by a small
part Of the people of the latter island
residing in the seven provinces imme-
diately surrounding the city Of Manila.
and known as the Tagalos tribe. This
tribe is fierce and warlike, and Is on
friendly terms with scarcely anv other
tribe in the whole country, and IL the
peacefully inclined inhabitants OF the
Island of Luzon itself could be re-
lieved of their fear Of this tribe they
would have no sympathy whatever
with this war for so-called indepen-
dence. Although a constitution has
been prepared and published to the
world, yet in reality the war is not
q war for independence. but rather
for self aggrandizement. AsuiMaldo
himself, who has been hailed by senti-
IuCHl6sl hLhCt the fsDOollC VA
liberty for his people, lived In kingly
state and splendor-his people were
taxed to keep up this magnifcence and
1t was kept up until he was compelled
to take flight from Malolos. His gen.
eral and associates maintained the
same pomp and parade. and 1t was this
barbaric splendor which the United
States was expected to support for the
benefit of the Filipino leaders.
"The fact is. the Filipino leaders
did not believe that they could estab-
lish and uphold a permanent govern
ment themselves. for prior to the out
break. when attempts at conciliation
were being made, when asked whether
they wished the American army and
navy to be taken away and they left
to themselves they invariably answered
no." but that they wished protector
ate. This word "protectorate" seems
to have charms for many people In
America who do not understand its
significance in the Philippines. Ac-
cording to the Philippine construction
1t meant that they should have sole
control of the government and the