Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-12-14

and Major-General Otis, were instructed
to facilitate the most humane and eff
fective extension of authority throughout
the islands and to secure with the least
| possible delay the benefits of wise and
| generous protection of life and property
to the inha bitants."
These gentlemen were DR.. Jacob Gould
| Schurman. president of Cornell univer-
| sity; the Hon. Charles DENLY for many
years minister to China. and Prof Dean
| 9. Worcester of the University OF Mich
igan. who had made most careful study
| of life in the Philippines. But before
| their arrival at Manila the sinister am
/ bition of few leaders of the Filipinos
| had created situation full of embar-
easements for us and most grievous In
| It's consequences to themselves. The
| clear and impartial preliminary report of
! the commissioners gives so lucid and
! comprehensive a history of the present
| insurrectionary movement that the story
need not be here repeated. 1t is enough
to say that the claim OF the rebel leader
| that he was promised independence by
| any officer OF the United States in return
| for his assistance has no foundation in
fact and Is categorically denied by the
very witnesses who were called to prove
It, The most the insurEent leader hop
| ed for when he came back to Manila
was the liberation of the islands from the
| Spanish control which they had been
|
| throw off.
The prompt accomplishment of this
| work by the American army and navy
| gave him other ideas and ambitions and
| insidious suggestions from various quar-
! tiers perverted the purposes and inten-
tons with which he had taken up arms
| No sooner had our army captured Manila
than the Filipino forces began to as
sumo an attitude of suspicion and hos
unity, which the utmost efforts of our
ofhcers and troops were unable to disarm
or modify. Their kindness and forbear-
ance were taken as a proof of coward
lce The aSgressions of the Filipnos
continually increased until finally, just
before the time set by the senate Of the
United States for vote upon the treaty
an attack. evidently prepared in ad-
vance. was made all along the American
hhes, which resulted in a terribly de-
structiVe and sanguinary repulse Of the
insurgents.
Zen days later an order Of the insur-
gent government was issued to its adj
herents who had remained in Manila. of
winch Gen. Otis justly observes that "for
parbarous intent it is unequaled in mod
ern times" 1t directs that at o'clock
on the night of the 18th of February the
territorial militia shall come together in
the streets of San Pedro, armed with
lhelr Dolos, with guns and ammunition
where convenient; that Filipino families
only shall be respected; but that all
other individuals, of whatever race they
may be, snail be eXterminated without
any compassion, after the determination
or the army of occupation, and adds:
Brothers, We must avenge ourselves,
on the Americans and exterminate them,
that me may take out revenge for the
lnfamies and treacheries which they have
committed upon us. Have no compass
sion upon them; attack with vigor."
copy of this fell by good fortune into
the hands of our officers and they were
able to take measures to control the ris-
ing, which was actually attempted on the
night of Feb. %, a week later than was
originally contemplated. Considerable
numbers of armed insurgents entered the
city by waterways and Swamps and in
concert with confederates inside attempt
ed to destroy Manila by fire. They were
kept in check during the night and the
next day driven out of the city with
heavy loss.
This was the unhappy condition of af-
fairs which confronted our commission
ers on their arrival in Manila. They had
come with the hope and intention of CO.
operating with Admiral Dewey and
Major-Gen. Otis in establishing peace
and order in the archipelago and the
largest measure of self-government COM
patible with the true welfare of the peo-
pie. 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 We're attacked by a bold, adven-
tUrous and enthusiastic army No alterna-
tive was left to US, except ignominous
retreat.
1T is not to be conceived of that any
American would have sanctioned the sur
render of Manila TO the insurgents. Our
obligations to other nations and to the
friendly Filipinos and to our selves and
our flag demanded that force should be
met by force. Whatever the future of
the Philippines may be, there is no
course open to us now except the prose-
cution of the war until the insurgents
are reduced to submission. The commits
sion is of the opinion that there has been
no time since the destruction of the Span
ish squadron by Admiral Dewey when
1t was possible to withdraw our forces
from the islands, either with honor to
ourselves or with safety to the inhabit-
ants"
The course thus clearly indicated has
been unfiinchingly pursued. The rebel
hon must be put down. Civil govern
ment cannot be thoroughly established
until order is restored. With a devotion
and gallantry worthy of its most bril-
liant history, the army, ably and Loyalty
assisted by the navy, has carried on this
unwelcome, but most righteous cam
paign with richly deserved success. The
noble self-sacrifice with which our SOL
diers and sailors whose terms of service
had expired refused to avail themselves
Of their right to return home as long as
they were needed at the front forms one
of the brightest pages in our annals. AL
though their operations have been some
what interrupted and checked by a rainy
season Of unusual violence and duration
they have gained ground steadily in
every direction and now look forward
confidently to speedy completion or
their task.
AS to Porto Rico the message states
the time is ripe for the adoption of
temporary form of government for the
island. Many of the suggestions made
with reference to Alaska, it is stated,
are applicable also to Porto Rico.
Changes in the latter, however, should
not be made abruptly and racial pc
cuiiarities must be given due weight.
The message closes with some perth
neRt suggestions as to lynchings in the
south, the proposed memorial bridge
over the Potomac and statement of
| the purposes of the executive order re-
lating to civil service of May 6, 1896,
| and reference to the coming 14th of
December, the 1G0th anniversary of the
death of Washington, and the patriotic
reflections naturally arising therefrom
and concludes with these words:
Never has this nation had more
abundant cause than during the past
year for thankfulness to God for mani