The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-07
President and
The Philippines
From His Recent Message.

From His Recent Message.
The future government of the Philip
pines rests with the congress of the
United States Few graver responsible
ties have ever been confided to us. If We
accept them in spirit worthy of our
race and our traditions great Oppor-
tunity comes with them. The islands lie
under the shelter Of our flag. They are
ours by every title of law and equity.
They cannot be abandoned. If we desert
them, we leave them at once to anarchy
and finally to barbarism. We fling them,
golden apple Of disCord, among the
rival powers, no one of which could per-
nit another to seize them unQuestioned.
Their rich plains and valleys would be
the scene of endless strife and blood
shed. The advent of Dewey's fleet in Ma
nila Bay, instead of being, as we hope,
the dawn of a new day of freedom and
progress, Will have been the beginning of
an era of misery and violence worse
than any which has darkened their un-
happy past.
The suggestion has been made that we
| could renOunCe our authority over the
| islands. ana, giving them independence,
could retain a protcCtorate over them.
This proposition will not be found, | am
sure, worthy of your serious attention.
Such an arrangement would involve at
! the outset a cruel breach Of faith. 1t
! would place the peaceablc and loyal ma
| jOrity, who ask nothing better than to
! accept our authority. at the mercy of the
minority of armed insurgents 1t would
make us responsible for the acts Of the
insurgent leaders and give us no power
| to control them. 1t would charge us
with the task of protecting them against
each other and defending them against
! any foreign power with which they
chose to quarrel. In short, 1t would take
| from the congress of the United States
the power of declaring war and vest that
| tremendous prerogative in the Tagdl
| leader of the hour.
| 1t does not seem desirable that should
| commend at this time a specific and final
| form of government for these islands.
When peace shall be restored 1t will be
| the duty of congress to construct a plan
| of government which shall establish and
| maintain freedom ana order and peace
| in the Philippines. The insurrection is
| still existing, and when il terminates fur
| ther information will be required as 20
| the actual condition of affairs before in
| augurating a permanent scheme of civil
government. The full report of the COM
| mission, now in preparation, will contain
| information and suggestions which win
| be of value to congress, and which ] will
| transmit as soon as II is completed. AS
| long as the insurrection continues the
| military arm must necessarily be SUI
| preme But there is no reason why steps
| should not be taken from time to time TO
| inaugurato governments essentially pop
| ular in their form as fast as territory is
! held and controlled by our troops. To
| this end | am considering the adVisabili-
| ty Of the return of the commission, or
| such of the members thereof as can be
to afl 1NA lett nth Apft iE.gs
and facilitate this work throughout the
| islands. | have believed that recOnstruc-
| tion should not begin by the establish
ment of one central civil government for
! all the islands, with its seat at Manila.
but rather that the work should be COM
! menced by building up from the bottom,
first establishing municipal governments
and then provincial governments, a cen
| tral government at last to follow.
Until congress shall have made known
| the formal expression Of its will / shall
! use the authority vested in me by the
constitution and the statutes to uphold
the sovereignty Of the United States in
| these distant islands as I'm all other
places whore our flag rightfully floats. |
shall put at the disposal Of the army and
navy al the means which the liberality
! Of congress and the people have provided
to cause this unprovoked and wasteful
| insurrection to cease. II any orders of
mine were required to insure the merci-
! fu conduct of military and naval opera
| tiOns, they would not be lacking; but
! every step of the progress of our troops
! has been marked by humanity which
| has surprised even the misguided insur-
| gents. The trucst kindness to them VIII
! be a swift and effective defeat OF their
| present leader.
The hour of victory will be the hour of
| clemency and reconstruction. No effort
| will be spared to build up the waste
| places dcsolated by war and by long
| years Of misgovernment. We shall not
| wait for the end Of strife to begin the
| benefcent work. We shall continue, as
! We have begun, to open the schools and
| the churches to set the courts In opera
| tion, to foster industry and trade and
| agriculture and in every way i'm our
! power to make these people whom Provi.
| dence has brought within our jursdic-
| tion feel that II Is their liberty and not
! our power, their welfare and not our
| gain, we are seeking to enhance. Our
| flag has never waved over any commun-
| ty but I'm blessing. / believe the Filipinos
will soon recognize the fact that 1t has
| not lost its gift of benediction in its
| world wide Journey TO their shores