The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-25
Gm Splessenger.
THE CAUSE OF THE WAR.


steadily learning as to the eternal in
fanny OF h thing. If you would read
a very strong, invincible exposure OF
the war upon the inhabitants Of the
Philippines you should get the article
by Hon. Champ Clark, Of Missouri, that
appeared some months ago. 1t is very
full, very spicy, very keen, very brave
and bold, and very conclusive. It can
not be answered. 1t as readable as a
goood novel and yet there is no fiction
or romance in it, saw at n point. He
makes the Fflipinos much more ignor-
ant and barbara than they are. Writ
ing probably in January he was not in
possession of the testimony of Admiral
Dewey and many others who nave been
in the Philippines and know their real
worth and intelligence. Mr.. Clark's
elaborate paper-some thirty or more
octave pages-bristles with facts and
arguments that are most telling, and
the argument is clear and vigorous and
relieved by something like humor in
places.
If Mckinley had lot been elected
president there would never have been
heard of such a barbarity as the pres
ent war against the 10000, 900 inhabi-
tants in the Philippines 5000 miles
away. If Mr.. Bryan had been elected
this great stain Upon national honor
would not AVE been given, and the
good name of free Institutions would
not have been SO blurred and brought
under such suspicion. Mckinley is
really responsible for every American
soldiers death and for every Filipino
who has been ruthlessly murdered.
The Fflipinos did not begin to fight I'M
til they were badly treated and saw
that their subjugation was resolved
upon. The Philadelphia American says
this:
1T was when President Mckinley re-
FUSED to receive, even unofficially, the
representative Of the Filipinos, Agon-
clio, refused to receive his appeal, re-
fused to hear him plead the cause of
his people, that the Filipinos, despair
ing Of securing justice in the court Of
peace, a court deliberately closed to
them by our president, were driven to-
wards war. Nor do We much wonder
that President Mckinley refused to re-
ceive him. For how could the presi-
dent have met the calm reproaches, |
how answered the appeals to our own
history, how stood the references to our
w ideals that that Malay would
" doubtless made? Could he have
braZenly avoWed the ruth, that it was !
greed that kept us in the Philippines, |
that we saw extension of rade in keep |
ing them and hat altruistic notions Of |
the rights Of man such as we had build
ed our own republic upon should not be !
permitted to stand in the way of such
extension, that our lofty principles are
as nothing before the reckoning g1amor
of gold and trade? Such avowal Mr.. |
Mckinley could scarce have made. He
the head of an empire u~nrivalled in re- |
sources, in wealth n power, would
have to have stood before the eyes of
Agoncillo with the feelings of the GRIM
inal aggressor, with the uneasiness of
a guilty conscience that no knowledge
that the strong had of might was at
his back to carry through his policy |
could have relieved for an inner con-
science would have whispered that
might did not make right, n before
Agoncillo he would nave stood as the
weak man, not as the strong. No WON
eder he Stunned the interview.
"At whose doors then does the fight
ing lie? Who inspired the Filipinos to
resort to arms? 1t was those who, re-
fusing the Filipinos a hearing, denying
L11CIll 1l6lllo lhdI VIC Iloo WHICH Ill Ou1 i
own Declaration of independence as
inalienable rights Of man, presented to
those people the alternative of abject
submission or war. And be it said to
their honor that they chose war"
Hon. John Darrell, late minister of
the United States to Siam, has but re-
Gently returned from Manila. He is
an 'expansionist" Of the Objectionable
Ltd haI;ox;-,~ that fh;- - L
should conquer and hold. He tells the
reason why-to make money. The is
lands are rich and offer big returns if
we conquer and hold. He does not pre-
tend to hold that the Filipinos could
not establish a government and main
tain order. Not that. He does not
press the anarchy" idea, about ex-
ploded now. He says in last February
the army of Aguinaldo was an excellent
one and in good shape to fight, equal
ing that "of any European country"
But the real reason, the true plea for
conquest is, as he avows, because they
are rich and tempting to the exploiter.
because mo section Of the great CONT
nent Of Asia or any portion of the
WOTlO OI SlIIlIldI AREA SLllI uIlucNclOpGu l
offers such wide opportunities for the in
yestment of capital in various enter
prises,'' because latter travelling from
one end to the other of Nippon, the
principal island of Japan, and compar-
ing what I saw of it's resources with
VIA I have seen Of the island of Lu-
zon, and 1 can say that in every re-
cnant ociIa frnno oraa and nom /
u~lation. the comparison is in favor of
Luzon,' because 1.-The United States
should develop to a foreign trade in the
Philippine islands within the next ff- |,
teen years of 500, 900, 900.
And that is just the reason why. The
motive is greed and not glory-the OBJ
ject is money and not mercy.