Willmar tribune., 1899-12-27


Americ 81 i I receive ~ under
the Amerio oan ilag. Il 81 ss5.j5
coRp z o11 i ~ i FIIIP1No
But re will not "a i TO maintain
our territoria Al and1 50 ollitical integrity.
Remember that The ippine Repub-
lie has q arecord thA no other nation
can boastso Of. W thin twenty one d avs
after General Aguinal l,do proc claimed
the estab blishinent Sof our government
We established telegraphic and postal
munication ana org ganized schools.
All that was done IL three weeks.
Surely that. in itself Indicates capacity
and purpose. sszs TIL *#=:. & . 81
y ''There ought to be peace and
friendship Instead Of war and hatred
between the Philippine people and the
government of the United States. /
have told you Of the solid advantages
which the American people can secure
by treaty Of peace which will recog-
nize our independence and guarantee
it against foreign interference for a
few years, while we develop our re-
sources sufficiently to put invasion
out of the question. We would not
ask you for single soldier, rife
or round of: ammunition We
would ask only for the protection of
the warships which you keep in Asia
tic waters. - 'r ,~'. -:
"There would be no burden of ex-
pense to you. My government would
cede tinefcoaling station for your
navy. You would have to maintain q
squadron in Asia even if the Philip
pines did not exist. A single word Of
warning from the United States would
be sufficient to end all dreams of in
reference or conquest by European
nations. And then your country
might pursue q triumphant career of
commercial enterprise in Asia, with
special and exclusive. rights in the
Philippines, strengthened in prestige
and in power by the cooperation of
an Asiatic republic, bound'to you by
every tie OF gratitude and friendship.
''Let President Mckinley appoint a
commissioner to meet me and a treaty
of peace could be arranged on terms
that would mean honor, instead of
shame, to both countries" :"
"But." I said, ''the treaty with
Spain provides that the future gov.
ernment OF the Philippine Islands
shall be determined by Congress.
What power has President Mckinley
to do anything but continue the war?
What could you do we're you in Mr..
McKinleyas place."
WERE AGONCILLO PRESIDENT.
'If were President of the United
States would declare the treaty with
Spain null and void, on the ground
that the Spanish government sold to
the United States something which did
not belong to Spain. would demand
from the Spanish government the re-
turn of the $40, ,OO0, 200. would also
annui the treaty and all that has been
done in consequence of it in the Philip
pines, on the ground that it is con-
trary to the spirit Of American policy,
as laid down In the Declaration al In
dependence to take territory. by con-
quest or to goyern s. people without
their consent. ~ ~ :as jss
"This war. against the Philippine
republic is q terrible mistake. Those
who support it do not understand that
we have been ready to make the, con-
cessions I have mentioned fto the
United States. President Mckinley
has created the Impression that Ad.
miral Dewey armed our forces at the
beginning or, rather, that he allowed
our soldiers to take arms from the
Spanish arsenal at Cavite. The truth
is that Admiral Dewey furnished Cen
eral Aguinaldo' . men with only six
teen rifles. am, prepared to prove
this. Neither Admiral Dewey nor any
other American officer gave>or lent to
US, directly or Indirectly another
.ze
weapon. %n '@ - '.'.='
.''''Sixteen .rifles! Is that an equip.
ment for an army? 1 have here Gene
raj Aguinaldo's Official letter.. sent to
me from Cavite, asking me to use the
Philippine funds Ito buy arms. He
notified me that he had received only
sixteen rifles fromSthe Americans and
declared that unless I was in haste to
send him rides and ammunition his
soldiers would have to fight the Span
iards with bolos and bamboos. I sen,
him two thousand. rifles and q hall
million rounds Of ammunition. ..~> {
''These are the arms with which the
army Of the Philippine republic began
it's victorious campaign against Spain.
Not one dollar of American money
was contributed toward the purchase
of5this equipment. Admiral Dewey
wrote, as HIS deliberate opinion, that
the Philippine people were more cap
able Of self-government than the Gu.
bans. Now he turns around. y s. 8
why? Have the people 81 the
Philippines changed? .a=.Es
s. iINy - "A r0... = : . l =. . Il. I,