The Forrest City times., 1899-10-27
IMPERIALISM A CRIME
McKinley's Philippine Policy De-
 nounced by Carl Schurz
PrerOgatives of Congress Usurped by the President-Treat of Fili- pinOs a Blot Upon Amer
 ican Honor.

lean Honor.
 The great anti-imperialist conference
 in Chicago. Tuesday. October F, was
 opened by leading democrats and anti imperialists from all over the union.
 In the evening, at Central Music hall, a
 large gathering listened to lengthy
 address by Carl Schurz, of which the
 following is liberal digest:
 More than eight months ago had the
 honor of addressing the citizens of Chi
 cago on the subject of American imperial
 ism. meaning the policy of anneXing to
 this republic distant countries and alien
 populations that will not fit into our demo-
 cratic system of government 1 discussed
 at that time mainly the baneful effect the
 pursuit of imperialistic policy would
 produce upon our political institutions.
 After long silence, during which l have
 carefully reviewed my own opinions as
 well as those of others in the light of the
 best information l could obtain, l shall
 now approach the same subject from an-
 other point of view. We all know that the
 popular mind is much disturbed by the
 Philippine war and that. however highly
 We admire the bravery of our soldiers, mo- body professes to be proud of the war itself. There are few Americans who do not frankly admit their regret that this war SfOutQ ever nave ndppeHeu I lHlHh FISK
 nothing when l say that il is not merely
 the bungling conduct of military opera
 tions but a serious trouble of consciences that disturbs the American heart about this war; and that this trouble of con- science will not be allayed by a more suc- cessfu military campaign. just 50 years ago the trouble of conscience about slav- cry could not be allayed by any com promise.
 Many people now. as the slavery com promisers did then, try to ease their minds by saying: Well, we are in it. and now
 we must do the best can In spite of
 the obvious futility of this cry in some
 respects l will accept it with the one pro-
 viso, that we make an honest effort to
 ascertain what really is the best we can
 do. To this end let us first clearly remem-
 Der what has happened.
 Tn April, 1S9S we went to war with Spain
 for the avowed purpose of liberating the
 people of Cuba who had long been strug-
 gling for freedom and independence. Our
 object in that war was clearly and em-
 hatically proclaimed by a solemn reso-
 lution of congress repudiating all inten-
 tion of annexation on our part. and declar-
 ing that the Cuban people are. and of right ought to be, free and independentf This solemn declaration was made to do justice to the spirit of the American peo- pie. who were indeed willing to wage a
 war of liberation, but would not have con- scented to a war of conquest. It was also 10 propitiate the opinion of mankind for our action. President Mckinley also de- clared with equal solemnity that annexa-
 tion by force could not be thought of. be- cause, according to our code of morals, 1t would be criminal aggression
 Purely War of Liberation.
 Gan 1t justly be pretended that these declarations referred only to the island of Cuba? What would the American peo-
 pie, what would the world have said, if congress had resolved that the Cuban peo-
 pie were rightfully entitled to freedom
 and independence, but that as to the people
 Of other Spanish colonies we recognized no
 such right and if President Mckinley had
 declared that the forcible annexation of
 Cuba would be criminal. but that the
 forSible annexation of other Spanish col
 onies would be righteous act? A general
 outburst of protest from our own people,
 and Of derision and contempt from the whole world. would have been the answer. No, there can be TO cavil-that war was proclaimed to all mankind to be war of liberation, and not of conquest, and even now our very imperialists are still boast ing that the war was prompted by the most unsehsh and generous purposes, and that those insult us who do not believe it.
 Tn the course of that war Commodore # Dewey. by a brilliant feat of arms. de- # s,Foyed the Spanish fleet in the harbor # of Manila. This did not change the her q aided character of the war-certainly not n Deweys own opinion. The Filpinos, constituting the strongest and foremost E trloe of the population of the archipelago, had long been fighting for freedom and q Independence. just as the Cubans had. S The great mass of the other islanders sympathized with them. They fought for me same cause as the Cubans. and they fought against the same enemy-the same enemy against whom we were waging our war of humanity and liberation. They had the same title to freedom and independence which We recognized of right in the Gu pahs-nay, more; for, as Admiral Dewey lelegraphed to our government, they are lar superior in their intelligence, and more capable of self government than the na- tlNes Of Cuba The admiral adds: I am familiar with both races. and further in- tercourse with them has confirmed me i'll this opinion'
 Indeed, the mendacious stories spread py our imperialists. which represent those people as barbarans, their doings as mere saNagery,' and their chiefs as no better than 'cut-throats,' have been refuted by such mass of authoritative testimony, coming in part from men who are them selves imperialists. that their authors should hide their heads in shame: for sure ", Il IS not the part of really brave men to them.
 Recognized as Allies. Now, whether there was or not any for maj compact of alliance signed and sealed, no candid man who has studied the official uocuments will deny that in point of fact the tiiptnos, having been desired and in- Nted to do so Were, before the capture of Manila, acting, and were practically rec esnlzed, as our allies, and that as such they did effective service, which we ac- cepted and profited by. This is an indis- putable fact, proved by the record. It is an equally indisputable fact that dur Ing that period the Filipino government constantly and publicly, so that mo-
 body could plead ignorance of it or misunderstand it. informed the
 world that their object was the achieve
 ment of national independence, and that they believed the Americans had come in good faith to help them accomplish that end as Tn the case of Cuba. It was weeks
 after various proclamations and other pub ne utterances of Aguinaldo to that effect Ihat the correspondence between him and
 Gen. Anderson, which I have quoted, took Piace, and that the useful services of the r HlllllnOS OHr allies were acppptad IT