Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-10-20


shaken by any learned international law
technIcalities, which do not touch the
moral element of the subject.
"Now, whether there was or not any
formal compact of alliance signed and
sealed, no candid man who has studied
the official documents will deny that in
point of fact the Fllipinos, having been
desired and invited to do so, We re, before
the capture of Manila, acting, and were
practically recognized, as our allies. and
that as such they did effective service
which we accepted and protited by. This
is an indisputable fact, proved by the
record.
SIT is an equally indIsputable fact that
during that period the Filipino govern
ment constantly and publicly, so that
nobody could plead ignorance of it or
misunderstood it, informed the world
that their object was the achievement of
national independence. and that they be-
lieved the Americans had come in good
faith to help them accomplish that end,
as in the case of Cuba.
"The Filipinos were left to believe that,
while fighting in cooperation with the
American forces, they were fighting for
their own Independence. They could not
imagine that the government of the
great American republic, while boasting
of having gone to war with Spain under
the banner of liberation and humanity
in behalf of Cuba, was capable of secretly
plotting to turn that war into one for the
conquest and subiugation of the Philip
pines. Thus the Filpinos went faith
fully and bravely on doing for us the
service of allies, of brothers in arms, far
from dreaming that the same troops with
whom they had been asked to cooperate
would soon be employed by the great
apostle of liberation and humanity to
slaughter them for no other reason than
that they, the Filipinos, continued to
stand up for their own freedom and inde
pendence.
ave have managed to turn virtually
that whole people who at first greeted us
with childlike trust as their beloved de-
liverers, into deadly enemies. For it is
notorious fact that those we regard as
amigos today will tomorrow stand in
the ranks of our foes. We have not a
true friend left among the islanders, un-
less it be some spectators, and the Sui
tan of Sulu with his harem and his
slaves, whose support we have bought
with stipend like that which the repub-
lie in its feeble infancy paid to the pirates
of the Barbary states. And even his
friendship will hardly last long. Yes, it
is terrible fact that in one year we have
made them hate us more, perhaps, than
they hated even their Spanish oppressors
who were at least less foreign to them,
and that the manner In which we are
treating them has caused many, if not
most of the FilipinOs. to wish that they
had patiently suffered Spanish tyranny
rather than be liberated by us.
81 plead the cause of the American
people against all this, and here declare
my profound conviction that if this ad-
minstration of our affairs were submitted
for Judgment to popular vote on clear
issue, it would be condemned by an
overwhelming majority.
81 confidently trust that the American
people will prove themselves too clear
headed not to appreciate the vital differ
ence between the expansion of the repub.
| lie and its free institutions over cOntig-
uous territory and kindred populations,
which we all gladly welcome if accom-
plished peaceably and honOrably-and
imperialism which reaches out for dis
tant lands to be ruled as subject provin
ces; too intelligent not to perceive that
our very first step on the road of imper-
ialism has been betrayal of the fupda
mental principles of democracy, fol
lowed by disaster and disgrace; too
enlightened not to understand that a
monarchy may do such things and still
remain a strong monarchy. while a
democracy cannot do them and still re.
main a democracy; too wise not to de
tect the false pride or the dangerous am
billions, or the selfish schemes which sc
often hide themselves under that decep
tive cry of mock patriotism: 'Our
country, right or wrong" They will
| pan 70 hot dir,
free institutions, and the peace and vel
fare of this and coming generations OF
Americans will be secure only as We
cling to the watchword of true patriot
ISM Our country when right to bt
kept right; when wrong to be put
right"
Prof Albert III. Tolman of the Chi
cago University said in part:
'Just one important official message
was sent to the FilipinOs by this gov
ernment previous TO the outbreak OF
hostiities at Manila. This was tho
proclamation of President Mckinley
dated Dec. 2l, 1898, and made public In
this country on Jan. 3, 1899.
"There is one adjective that will de-
scribe this document fully and fairly. |,
is Spanish proclamation, just such al
one as the Filipinos had many times
listened to. There is the same parade ol
benevolent purposes and the SAME
tyrannical substance. The natives re
cognized the document as one of the kline
to which they We're accustomed.
"The Indifference and even cOntemp
which President Mckinley here displayed
toward American ideas and toward thu
proper aspirations of a brave people,
for one cannot forget, and, politically
speaking, cannot forgive. He has don,
his best to turn the great statue in New
York harbor of Liberty enlightennI
the world into colossal joke. He ha
made US and our boasted ideals tn
derision of the people of Europe. Ill
has caused the nations of oar own con
tinent to drill armies and stand guar(
against the United States as a great free
, booter, watching to rob them of thei
blrthright. He and his counsellOrs hav
, largely thrown away our finest nationa
possession-our moral influence. Ill
: hac infn hlotA n ~