The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-08-15
SOLDIERS HOT SHOT
An Ex-pemocrat Answers Aguinaldo
SYmpathlzers.
IT E "A THROUGH
The Philippine Question From a Soldiers
Standpoint.-No Sympathy For
Traitors.

graph upon the Philippine question,
and as some friend ~ who seems more
interested in my welfare than the
others-in fact SO deep was his interest
that he forgot to sign his name-has
sent me q list of six questions regard
ing the same. I hope you will accord
me sufficient space in your columns to
answer the questions, both for the bene-
fit of this nameless friend and the
oilers who have written as all their
questions are along the same line.
I shall take up each question separat-
~ and answer all to the best of my
ability, beginning with
QUESTION ONE.
.sDid we not begin this war in the
name of humanity, and are we not con-
Quoting it as a war Of conquest which
is contrary to the principles of true
Americanism?"
Yes, we certainly began this wal in
the name Of humanity and the best of
my knowledge and belief we are con-
ttnuing upon the same lines, or, il there
has been any change in the course, i,
in my years connection with the army
have failed to notice it. The same men
who responded to the conntry's first
call in the name Of HUMANITY are the
n "a who are now shedding their blood
for the old t1ag-the same old star
epangled emblem for which a Washing
ton and q Lincoln gave their lives and
which was hOisted in pride and honor
upon the blackened walls of Santiago
and the proud forts of Havana. and
simply because Of our number who give
their lives for ssOld Glory" today fall
before q mauser in the hands of Fill
Pine instead of a mauser in the hands
Of a Spaniard, both races of whom
brought the val upon themselves, / re-
fuse to believe that we who fall today
are any the less entitled to the respect
andagratitude of our friends at home
than those of our comrades OF the same
regiments who fell a few mouths ago.
When we enlisted we each and all held.
up our right hands and sw0re to pro-
tect our flag and our cOuntry'S interests
from any and all enolnl&8of the
United States 3 and In defS3aing those
interests against earned opponents
to the legal decree of my cOuntry's
recognized authority, be they black,
yellow or white, Filipino, Spanish or
even American by birth. feel that I
doing my duty to my country
and thus Am still fighting for the cause
OF. humanity for tits through the lawful
government Of the United States that
humanity has received all its great
gifts.
QUESTION TWO.
f.Is it not one of the fundamental
principles of u constitution that all
governments derive their just power
from the consent Of the governed, and
IL 80, by what authority do we pretend
to govern the Filipinos who have never
given such consent?"
From the foregoing it would seem
that my friendinterpets the Declaration
OF Independence to mean that the
United States does not consider that
its Jurisdiction extends beyond those
who willingly hold themselves amend
able to its laws, and by suchlogic / pre-
Messrs. Bryan. Mason, HOar, Carnegie,
Laughlin, Atkinson ct al cannot be
held to answer to the people Of the
United States for their acts of treach-
cry: because they do not consent" to
beERoverned by the laws that are being
enacted BY our present duly elected and
legal lawmakers. Now as regards any
considerable bodyof people. / think if
my friend will put in q little more time
lns studying lis country's history instead
OF the reasonable works Of such
wretches as Atkinson which he has un.
dodbtedly been reading, he will find
that on several occasions the country
has been forced to resort to the force Of
ATfn0 m hrinN Ynfn orhen{unSnn roor1e
who would not Consent to Obey its
lawful mandates. Take the annexation
OF Florida and Alaska for instance, die
we ask the consent of the former
when our forces marched into that ter
ritOry and declared it to be American
territory and placing it under tn,
stTictest of military law, or that W,
seek the consent" of the latter pe0pl,
when we purchased their territory ant
proceeded to appropriate to our owl
use; and he might interview the Mexi
can and the Indian and find out from
them when It was that they give thei
consent" to our occupation and annex
alton of considerable of the territor,
which they had alwaysconsidered to b
theirs by the right of birth and Occupa
in u national history which I nigh
mention to show that the wise an,
patriotic lawmakers of past generation
have always interpreted that clause ii
U declaration in the same manner II
which the lawmakers of today interpe
it. There is but one instance in which
their wisdom was questioned, and tina
instance was in 1860 when a certain
body of men refused to consent to b
governed by the laws of the land upol
slavery and their cause was champion
manner as the cause of the Fiiipinos i
being championed TO-DAY and thei
names can be found in the history O
that day occupying a position which viii
now be ably filled by their moderI
scholars andimitators IN the history O
today. Now as regards the consent
OF the Filipin0s, it is a well-known ant
recognized fact that a larger numbe
of them never desired war with tn,
y--P H. =