Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-11
NEW YORK, September 10.-The
Evening Post prints the following

In your acceptable letter respecting
the Philippine war, You use the follow
ing words:
I'VE not only know that the F1llplnos
are throwing away their lives in con-
test utterly useless for the establish
ment of the purpose their leaders have
in view, but we know also that if this
purpose should be achieved they would
themselves be far worse Off than un-
der the rule which we intend to bring
them"
| must thank you in advance for
definition Of what you assume to be
the purpose" which the Filipinos have
in view" They established proVls-
ional government at Cavite in the sum-
mer Of 1898, in the presence of our
army and navy, and issued to the world
a declaration of independence much IN
the manner of our forefathers in l776
This proclamation of their purpose
must have received not only the APP
proyal but the active encouragement
and aid of the American officers then
on the islands; for the soldiers OF TINS
new government, having been partly
armed by these officials, took their
nlaces as our allies at the posts of
greatest danger, with the sole object
seemingly of driving the Spanlards
from their country, and maintaining
the independence which they had thus
proclaimed.
If therefore, the Filipinos are hon
estly fighting for the establishment of
a government to be administered by
their own people, and for their own
freedom and happiness, then their
purpose" must commend itself to you
as to all other friends OF liberty
throughout the world. And l do not
hesitate to say that, in my judgment,
such is their purpose and their only
purpose, in resisting forcible sujuga-
ton. And my belief in their sincerity
is not of the sickly and sentimental
kind. 1t is that irresistible convlc-
ton which grows out of an unpreJud-
iced examination of facts. Those facts
| fear. are in some measure purposely
concealed. They cannot be concealed
from the general public much longer.
Your second proposition is that If
the Filipinos were able to achieve their
purpose, "they would themselves be far
worse off than under the rule which
we intend to bring them
| do not doubt your own good inten-
tions; but may l ask you to specify
with some degree of precision the char
actex of that benefit rule which you
would bring to this unhappy people?
| must take it for granted that you
mean self-government for the Islands
that YOU would follow the unbroken
precedents of our political history, and
pledge to these new citizens Of the re-
public all the guarantees of the federal
constitution. Upon their application
you would, no doubt, promptly admit
them as states on an equal footing
with the forty states now consti-
tuting the Union. Their population
is sufficient and they have sealed with
blood their devotion to freedom on
hundreds of battlefelds.
THE SINGLE ISLAND OF LUZON
CONTAINS THREE MILLION IN
HABITANTS, EMITTING IT, UN-
DER OUR PRESENT APPORTIoN-
MENT, TO SEVENTEEN OR
EIGHTEEN MEMBERS OF CON
GRESS, AND THE TWO SENATORS
AS FIXED BY THE CONSTITUTION.
If it be your intention to accord these
people the full rights of American citi-
zenship, you but follow the doctrine OF
the fathers. This is in accord with the
Interchangeable rulings of our Supreme
Court. Such has been the invariable
practice in all the departments of our
government, and such has ever been the
teaching of our statesmen and of the
accepted commentators on the constitu-
ton.
But, whatever may be your charitable
intentions toward the Philippine people,
you must remember that you are but a
single unit in this great aggregate of
seventy-fve millions of our population.
1t is unfortunately not good time for
reason. Peace must first rule the day
before reason can rule the mind; and
PEACE is NOT POSSIBLE so LONG
AS WE CONTINUE TO DEMAND UN-
CONDITIONAL SURRENDER OR TO-
TAI DESTRUCTION OF AN ENTIRE
PEOPLE. We are in the midst of war,
and in such times the brutal instincts
OF human nature assert their suprem-
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