Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-02-04
SENT 70 l'nE SENATE,
The Peace Correspondence Placed
Befor, the Lawmakers.
PRESIDENT DEMANDED LUzoN.

Our Subsequent Demand For Control
OF the Whole Islands Was Made by
the Commission, After Protest
From Senator Gray.
Washington. Jan. 31.-The president
yesterday sent to the senate the corre-
spondence on file in the state depart
ment bearing upon the peace treaty,
and 1t was read In the executive SEES
sion. The correspondence was sent In
response to the resolution introduced
by Senator Hoar, and includes most OF
the letters and cablegrams from the
commissioners to the president anu
from the president to the commission
ers in the way of instructions in re-
turn. The documents are numerous,
as there were kilograms. letters and re-
ports for almost every day the COM
missioners were in Paris. One OF the
first cablegrams from the president In
structed them to demand the cession OF
Luzon Island only Of the philippines,
and he told them that full sovereignty
should come with it.
The principal interest among the
senators attached to the presidents in
structions to insist upon the cesslon OF
the island of Luzon. and after that in
the decision to take the entire group
Of islands This latter development ap-
pears from the correspondence to be
growth, and the suggestion was made
by the commissioners TO the president
as the result Of occurrences at Paris
after the arrival there Of the commits
sioners. In his dispatch concerning
Luzon he said there was but one al
Tentative The United States must
either take the island and assume
sovereignty or return it TO Spain. and
Of the two courses he preferred the
former.
Spain was from the first unwilling TO
cede any of the Philippines, and she
made especial objection TO letting go OF
Luzon alone. The commissioners, with
the exception of Senator Gray urged
that to take Luzon and leave the other
Islands of the archipelago in the hands
OF the Spaniards would be to invite In
Vulnerable complications with other
nations. and especially with Spain.
Much stress was laid upon Che proba-
bility of future trouble with Spain.
With Luzon under American admins
tration there would soon be such
vast improvement, they wrote, that the
other islanders would soon grow more
and more rebellious, and with SPANS
oppressive methods OF government We
would soon again find that we had an
other Cuba at another door. Further
more, there would be constant filibus-
terlng, and we should find ourselves
spending millions to preserve a state of
neutrality. Just as We did in the case
of Cuba prior to our declaration Of war
on account Of that island. General
Merritt's testimony on this point was
cited and was made the reason for
much Of the argument in favor OF TAX
Ing the entire group.
The president does not appear to have
at any time given explicit instructions
to consummate the bargain by taking
all the Philippines. but rather after
hearing full explanation. to have left
the matter to the discretion Of the COM
missioners.
The entire controversy was practi-
cally over the Philippines and the ques-
ton of assuming responsibility for the
payment Of the Spanish bonds for
which the Cuban revenues were pledg-
ed. The Spaniards from the first in
sisted upon an indemnity for the Phil
ippines and the correspondence shows
that after the proposition to pay $780,
100000 was made the negotiations pro-
ceeded much more smoothly and were
soon brought to close.
The American commissioners appear
to have been Of one mind as to the wis
dom of taking over all the Philippines
with the exception of Senator Gray,
who, notwithstanding he signed the
treaty, held out to the last against the
policy of acquiring these islands. In
one notable dispatch he pleaded zeal
ously against the policy as unpatriotic.
un-American and inconsistent with
probity and good craftsmanship.
After brief debate the senate re-
fused to print the correspondence.