The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-28
THE ONLY ARGUMENT.

|
It must be apparent to the President
now, II it was not several weeks ago thar
the only argument that is likely to prove
! effective with the Fhipinos is force. -Four
! Filipino commissions have met our com
mission, and absolutely nothing has been
| accomplished in the direction of peace.
| The last commission left Manila a day or
two ago. after having had an opportunity
to visit their friends in that city, and
make arrangements with them to assist,
| in some manner, in continuing the insur-
| rection.
No one of the commissions that have
visited Manila has been clothed with au-
thority to negotiate terms of peace. They
don't appear to have had authority to do
anything. It may be that they had no
other object than to find out the condition
of affairs in that city and to gain from
their friends there information which
would be valuable to the Filipino lead
ers
From the very beginning Gen. Otis has
discouraged the peace commission pro-
gramme. He has said that there was but
one thing to do, and that was to push the
war vigorously until the Filipnos an
nounced their willingness to surrender I'M
couditionally. Developments are proving
that he understands the situation and the
Filipino character. Kindness, leniency and
willingness to negotiate terms of peace
before they are conquered are interpret
ed by them to mean that we are tired
of the war, or are unable to carry it on
much longer, and that if they but hold out
they will get whatever terms they ask
probably their full independence.
1t would have been better for our cause
If the President had never sent com
mission to Manila. The gentlemen who
compose that commission are undoubtedly
well-meaning, but they are utterly igno-
rant of the Filipino character. They are
very DESTROYS that their mission shall be
successful, and hence they have tried to
convince the Filipino commissioners that
It would be better for the Filipinos TO
accept the terms offered them and bring
the war to close. They have even tried
to coax them If reports are to be credited,
to use their influence with Aguinaldo and
MS duNlStIb 10 euIIHIlQtl anu aCttpl NiC
authority of the United States. They
don't seem to have realized that the
course they we're pursuing had the effect
Of making the Filipinos more determined
to continue to resist.
A week ago il was announced from
Washington that the President was conf
dent that the instruction was practically
at an end. Yesterday. in our dispatches,
it was announced that more troops were
needed, that Gen. Otis had not a sufficient
force to hold the territory. which he had
captured. At the outbreak of the war one
of the Spanish generals said that Gen.
Otis would win every battle, but would
lose the campaign. He knew the Fill
pinos, and was well acquainted with their
method of fighting. He expected that they
would retreat before our soldiers, would
fire upon them from ambush, and when
the rainy season began, and our forces
retired to their barracks In the towns,
would return and occupy the country from
which they had been driven.
The question which confronts the coun-
try now is not what policy shall be adopt
ed for the Philippines. but how to establish
our authority there in the quickest posi-
bic time. 1t is admitted, practically by
all, that we cannot retire from the coun-
try without establishing our authority
there. That being the case, the thing to
do is TO prosecute the war vigorously and
with sufficient force to bring 1t to an end
promptly. The time for commissions has
not yet come. When the Filipinos agree
to surrender Internationally there will be
something for a commission to do, and
not before. If the whole matter had been
left in the hands of Gen. Otis and Admiral
| Dewey the probability is that the war
would be much nearer its end than 1t is.