Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-02-04
EAGAN'S COURT-MARTIAL.
The Treaty to be Ratified Congress-
man Cousins on the Army
Bill Senator Plat on
the Philippines.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3o-President
Mckinley will not receive the finding
of the Eagan court martial for several
days yet. as it is customary for the
Secretary of War to refer the finding
of the court martial to the Judge Ad-
vocate General for legal review be-
fore forwarding it to the President.
There is no doubt that the finding
was guilty on both counts. This
finding may be approved, set aside, or
mitigated in the judgement of the
President, and the general impression
is that it will be mitigated. While
the opinion that Eagan deserves
punishment is general, there are few
who think, IN view of his long and
honorable service. that it should be as
severe as dismissal from the army.
There has been decided change in
tie attitude OF the "aunties" since
the Senate agreed to vote on the
treaty February 6. Instead of talking
of expecting to reject the treaty of
peace, as they were doing week ago,
they are now begging the supporters
of the treaty to let them down easy,
by having the Senate adopt mean
ingless resolution declaring that the
treaty does not bind the United States
to permanent retention of the Philip
pines, something that everybody
already knows. There would be just
as much sense in adopting a resolu-
ton declaring that the treaty did not
lind us to lick Spain again. The
treaty will be ratified. That is con-
sidered to be an absolute certainty.
Representative Cousins, of Iowa, in
a speech in favor of the Hull army
bill. which will be voted upon and
passed tomorrow by the House, paid
his respects to those who have ex-
pressed so much fear of the necessary
increase in the regular army. He
said: II have not lived long enough
to learn Of any thing in the history of
the exploits of American soldiery or
of their service. to justify that suspi-
cion which is cast upon the institution
known as the regular army of the
U S., by the imputation that ii could
ever be used as a menace to the liber-
ties of American citizenship. Does
the history of valor and glory in the
Revolution prompt the gentlemen of
the minority and of the opposition to
warn America against American
soldiery? Does the record of the
regulars, led by Gen. Jackson, at New
Orleans, fill the hearts of the gentle
u en- with fear or apprehension for the
safety of our citizens1 Does Chepul-
tepec send warning even into modern
Washington? Did there ever issue
from the lips, now closed in everlast-
ing love and fame in that silent maui
solemn by the Hudson, any word of
menaceto future citizen, any thought
save peace, any oracle save liberty
and unionl God spare a grateful
country and an adniring world from
and doubt about the matchless mag
nanimity of Appomattox. In all the
years of toll and strife and victory
that make the history of our republic
great, the regular army has been its
shield and buckler."
No speech made on the Philippine
question has contained more common
sense or a palmer statement of the
actual situation than that made by
Senator Plat, of New York. the first
he has made during his present term
in the Senate. His arraignment of
the Senators who are largely respon.
sible for Aguinaldo's bumptious posi-
ton follows: There are reasons
why the natives of those islands, after
their experience with Spanish mis-
rule, should misunderstood the pres
ence at Manila of an American army,
but there is no reason why an Ameri-
can Senator should misundertand it,
and no justification of his course in
misrepresenting it. He knows that
there Is no American in all this broad
land who wishes any other fate to any
single native of the Philippine islands
than his free enjoyment of prosper
GUS life. He knows that close in the
wake of American rule, there would
come to the Filipinos a liberty that
they have never known, and far
greater liberty than they could ever
have under the arrogant rule of a