The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-26
BOURKE COCHRAN On
STRENUOUS LIFE"
(S.esch ut Chicago. J

(Sresch at ChIcsgo.)
Let Us examine the objections to at
tempting peaceful settlement. We need
pay little attention now to the wild as
sertions made year ago by candidate
for one of the highest cfiic es In the coun-
try that war WAS desirable In itself be-
cause II tsn led to developed that strsnu-
Gus life essential t. good citizenship.
There Is but one human being who Is
justified in desiring war, and that Is
the eannibal. War Is the means through
which he obtains food. All ether men,
including savages, profess to love peace
and celebrate its reign as festival.
The desirabiIity of war IL no longer
urged, and this Is q distinct gain for
civilization.
1t Is said that Aguinaldo Is a savage.
do not know whether he Is savage or
not, but do know that o, rtain docu-
menis emanating from his government,
of which he Ia the reputed author, indi-
cate not merely civilization. but high
degree of intellectual culture. Judgin 9
him by his know actions and compar =
ing all his published expressions with
those of his most violent assaiian's, he
does not appear TO be the most savage OF
gested that war Is itself means to a
strenuous life. l know that no has SO
| far with stood the advance OF powerful
army; that he has organized govern
ment which has equipped soldiers and
maintained them In the field; that he has
| esta blished q system OF corporation
among those islanders as effective al
any in the history OF peoples STRUGGLING
| for their liberty against overwhelming
| odds. And l say, moreover, that wna''
| ever he may be 1t does not lie In the
| mouth OF this nation to tmpeaoh bis
| civilization or his capacity to make
| war.
| II he be Q savage, then W, have mads
alliance with u savage to war.on q Chris
| tian people. and our own position as
civilized power 10 impsaohed. 1t va
by our act that he was landed at Manila.
| Ii was with weapons furnished him by
our government that he waged war upon
the Spanish garrison. When / say thai
| he was our ally, i do not undertake to
pass Judgment upon the different state
ments that have been made concerning
assurances given him by United STATES
offioers to treat with him. Aside from
all these disputed questions, certain In
conference.-the faots remain. There is nc
/ doubt that q Unitsd States ship trans
ported him TO Manila; there Is NO doubl
that United Safes arms were placed In
his hands; there Is no doubt that he wAs
1 lauoe0 on tne tiauQ Vi buISa Aof suo %
press purpose OF aiding US TO make Wal
upon the Spauiards. That was an ALI
ance practical and effective. whatever II
may be called. IL must have been advanf-
| ageous to US or 1t would not have beer
| made. While he was cooperating with
us in operations before Manila. be was q
military entity of some kind or other
| He was using arms against human life
aud property. Killing, except in war. Is
murder, and plllage is robbery. Agui'
paldo was, therefore. either soldier OF
he was bandit II he wss soldier b
must have belonged to some army. ID
| did not belong TO our army, he did mol
belong to the Spanish army; there wa
| no other force to which he could belong
except the Filipino army. II he was moi
u soldier he Was q mere bandit, but II We
| arm O bandit to plunder, destroy and
| kill, we have violated all the laws OF war
| and the usagss Of civilized nations. M
amount of abuse or vehe ns noe can alter
these mex orable facts. kither Aguinalds
| was our ally In war or We wers his ncees
series In brigandsgs.