Washington sentinel., 1899-05-27
"QuestiOn OF National Honor"

"ouestion or National Honor"
IF all fighting were to cease in
the Philippines tomorrow there
would yet remain, as Representa-
tive Fleming OF Georgia points out
in an able article with the above
caption in the May number of the
CoNSFyVaEfvF Revie1O, the gravest
OF all questions to be settled by the
American people in reference to
the final disposition to be made OF
those islands and their inhabitants,
a question not Of policy simply,
but OF national honor. Mr.. Flem-
ing believes that there is code
of morality for nations as well as
for individuals. Mr.. Mckinley
must once have been OF the same
opinion, when, in a message to
Congress, he declared that the Tor
chile annexation Of Cuba was
thing mot TO be thought of," that
"6T our cOde Of morality" such a
measure would be "an act Of GRIM
Inal aggression" Mr.. Fleming
differs apparently, however, from
the President in two important par
ticulars: First, in that he thinks
we ought TO practice what we
preach, and, second, that he thinks
that the same code OF morality ap-
plies to an "act of criminal aggres-
sion" in the Philippines as in the
island OF Cuba.
How far the Administration, and
even Mr.. Mckinley himself, has
departed from the high standard Of
moral conduct set up in the Presi-
dents message in 1897 has been
for months becoming more pain
fully apparent. 1t has never, per-
haps, been so strikingly manifested
as within the past few days, and
especially since rumors OF speedy
close of hostiIities, consequent
upon the complete subjection and
submission of the Fllipinos, seem
to have gained credence at the
National Capital. With brutal
lrankness worthy Of the age and
character of Attila the Hun, il has
been announced from Washington
and, apparently, upon the highest
authority, that the probability Of
these rumors proving we'll founded
is altogether attributable to the
"frmness" with which the "insur-
gents" have been dealt with and to
the final realization on the part Of
the latter that they have no choice
left between unconditional sub
mission and F,rtermiNattON." The
Administration Of Mr.. Mckinley
is apparently entitled to the honor
OF being the first and only govern
ment Of a proiessedly Christian
nation, certainly OF a modern and
civilized one, which has deliber-
ately proposed "the extermina-
ton" OF seven or eight millions of
human beings as an alternative
line OF policy to be pursued in the
event Of their refusal to submit vol
UNFAIRLY to foreign invader.
II is ne wonder that the Hon.
William H. Fleming, OF Georgia.
hnds the question of ethics and of
honor involved IN the present prob
lem even more interesting than the
questions of constitutional law or
OF political, military or commercial
expediencY. He says, "every
American citizen who values the
honor Of his country ought to ae-
quaint himself with the facts re-
garding our war with the Span
iards, recently ended. and our war
with the rilipinos, which is still in
progress. We need not concern
ourselves with all the details. A
few salient points will serve to
guide US if we really wish to find
the truth and are willing to face it
when we hnd it." These salient
points he finds clearly presented in
a briei review OF our actual rela-
tions toward the Philippines and
our actual dealings with the Fill
pinos since the date Of Admiral
Dewey's arrival in Manila bay, on
the first OF May, 1898. To Admiral
Dewey, ga Straightforward, honest
minded man and a liberty loving
American, and to our consular
officers, Messrs. Pratt, Wildman
and Williams, representing our
Government at Manila, Hong