Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-12-08

The ARMY OF AGUINALDo, it we
AN credit reports, has been complete
v routed and scattered and Aeuinal-
10, himself, isseeking safety in flight.
Even in advance of victory, promlh-
ent Americans are giving expression
10 opinions as to what his punishment
should be, if he were captured.
We cannot compare him with Geo.
Washington, for Washington was
leading a revolution ofcololies against
the mother country, whose right to
govern had not been disputed, while
Aguinaldo has been guilty Of the
heinous crime of fighting in defense
of his own land, against a foreign foe,
whose only claim TO the right to gov
ern is based upon purchase, made
without the consent Of the governed.
Ofwhat crime has he been guilty?
Has he not exhibited the greatest
love for his own country and his
own people? fit were one of the
monarchical governments of Europe
fighting against these people, would
not the entire sympathies of Republi-
can America be with the men who
are fighting for their own land and
for self government?
The fact that it is the United
States on the one side and the Fill
pinos on the other determines upon
which side American sympathies are.
It is asserted that the American peo-
pie can do nothing until these Fill
pinos submit to American authority
Nothing less will satisfy the pride OF
our people. If we are right, nothing
but a completion OF the work COM
menced should satisfy us. II, Oh the
other hand we are not right, the soon.
er we abandon it. the better it will be.
Ii the administration unnn the Il vice
ofthc Paris Commissioners ma'.c a
great b'under, and forced lh's peo-
pie to war, without clU>e, th're is
no good reason for ,co;inuing it.
TO yield, in the yes of some,
would be a national disgrace. To
continue a war withour cause, SIMPLY
because we are the more powerful
nation snd have the material suffi-
cient to destroy these people,
would bring greater Disgrace upon
the nation.
If we are wrong, and many of our
people believe that we are, it would
be honorable to surrender the islands
to the people to whom Shey right
fully belong. The adiaini'tratlon
may have squandered e20,OOO,OOO
by it's blundcr' in purchasing the Is
lands from Spain, and have sacrifc, d
thousands of lives, IN lis effort 10
show that il had made 10 blunder,
but mistakes of this kind do
not justify us i'll continuing TO fight
to subjugate these people.
Even if the Fillipinos fired the first
shot, that fact does not justify us in
destroying them. The United States
forces were foreigners and strangers
to them. They did not know what
they intended to do with their island
homes. In fact, the American peo-
pie do not know to-day what dispo-
sition the administration intends to
make of these islands, and is it not
unreasonable to expect the Fillipinos
to know more than we know our
selves? Its their country, not ours.
They need it, we do not. The pos
session of it has already excited that
portion of our country whose only
god is money, and whose ideal Of
morality is the opportunity for &C
cumulating property. 1t is their
property, it is not ours. If we take
it because we have the power, and
a finsy excuse for doing 50, we are
very little better than the pirates
who once dominated that portion of
the world.
The United States is powerful
nation, and its action IN this and all
other things should be based upon
the standard OF right and justice.
We can afford to DO what is right;
we cannot afford to do what we
know to be wrong.