Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-12-11

of which, was prevented by General Otis
into whose hands fell a copy of the order
of the insurgent government, directing
the ma ssacre. This, the president says
was the unhappy condition of affairs
which confronted our commissioners on
tE,ir arrival in Manila. What they
actually found can best be set forth in
their own words:
'Deplorable as war is, the one in which
We are now engaged was unavoidable
by US. We were attacked by a bold, ad-
Venturous and enthusiastic army. No
alternative was left to us except igno-
minOUs retreat.
1t is not to be conceived of that any
American would have sanctioned the
surrender of Manila to the insurgents.
Our Obligatio to other nations and to
the friendly Filipinos and to ourselves
and our flag demanded that force should
be met by force. Whatever the future
of the Philippines may be, there is no
course opeH to us now except the prose-
cution of the war until the insurgents
are reduced to submission"
The course thus clearly indicated, says
the message, has been unfiinchingly pur-
sued. Civil government cannot be
thoroughly established until order is
restored Although operations have
been somewhat interrupted and checked
by a rainy season of unusual violence
and duration, our soldiers have gained
ground in every direction, and now look
forward confidently to a speedy compile
ton of their task. The unfaVora BILE
circumstances connected with an active
campaign have not been permitted to in
terfere with the equally important work
of reconstruction. Here, again, the
president invites attention to the re-
port of the commissioners for the in
tereSting and encouraging details of the
work already accomplished in the estab-
Eshment of peace and order, and the
inauguration Of self-gOverning munich
pal life in many portions of the archi-
pelagO. The system of government es-
tabiished in the Island of Negroes, which
was the firs1to accept American sover-
eighty, is given in detail in the mes
sage.
The president then says: Everything
indicates that with speedy suppression
of the Tagalo rebellion, life in the
archipelago will soon resume it's or
binary course, under the protection OF
our sovereignty, and the people of those
favored islands will enjoy a prosperity
and freedom which they have never
before known. Already hundreds of
schools are open and filled with children.
Religious freedom is sacredly assured
and enjoyed. The courts are dispensing
justice. Business is beginning to cir
culate in it's accustomed channels.
The future government Of the Philip
pines rests with the congress of the
United States. Fewer graver re-
spons:bilities have ever been conGded to
US. If we accept them i'm a spirit worthy
of our race and our traditions, a great
opportunity comes with them. The
islands lie under the shelter Of our haG
They are ours by every title of law and
equity. They cannot be abandoned.
If we desc't them we leave them at
once to anarchy and finally to bar
barism. We fling them, a golden APP
pie of discord, among the rival powers
no one of which would permit another to
seize them unquestioned. The sug-
gestion has been made that we could
renounco our authority over the islands,
and, giving them independence, could re-
tain prOteCtOrate over them. The
proposition will not be found, I am
sure, worthy of your serious attention.
Such an arrangement would involve at
would place the peacs able and loyal ma
jority, who ask nothing better than to
accept our authority, at the mercy of
the minority of armed insurgents. 1t
would make us responsible for the acts
of the insurgent leaders. and give US
no power to control them. 1t would
charge us with the task of protecting
them against each other. and defending
hOn i'm
which they chose to quarrel. In short,
it would ia from the congress of the
United Sta,es the power OF declaring
war and invest that tremendous pre-
negative in the Tagal leader of the hour.
1t does seem desirable that I
should rec }mend at this time a spe-
cific and final form of government for
these islands. When peace shall he
it will be the duty of congress
to construc a plan of government,
which shall establish and maintain free
dom and order and peace in the Phil
ippines. The insurrection is still eX-
listing, and when it terminates further
will be required as to the
actual condition of affairs before inau-
gurating a permanent scheme of civil
AS long as the inSurrec-
ton continues the military arm must
necessarily be supreme. But there is
no reason why steps should not be
taken from time to time to inaugura
especially popular in the,
form, as fast as territory is held and
controlled by our troops. To this end
am consider ing the ACCESSIBILITY of the
return of tn commission, or such of the
members ii ~eOf as can be secured, TO
aid the ext ing authorities and facili-
tate this w TX throughout the slan|s.
[ have believed that reconstruction
should not begin by the establishment
Of one central civil government for all
the islands, with it's seat at Manila, but
rather that the work should be COM
menced by building up from the bottor1,