The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-07-12
ARTHUR ROPES. General Editor.
Juggling with the Declaration.

governments policy in the Philippines
with the Declaration of Independence
is on level with the trick of the athe-
list who maintained that the Bible itself
declared that "There is no God" BY
a cunning manipulation of the letter
of Jefferson's immortal composition its
spirit may be destroyed, as the atheistic
teacher, from the passage of Holy
Writ which declares that "The fool
hath said In his heart, There is no God,"
deduced his proof of the non-existence
of the Deity. Contemporary political
discussion seems to show that the
race of fools has been perpetuated,
and its members are resorting to very
simple tricks to enlist the Declaration
of Independence on the side of their
folly.
The truths enunciated by the Decla-
ration must be considered in their en-
tirety. The document must be taken
as whole, and interpreted in the light
of conditions and circumstances at
tending it's origin, and the practical APP
plication of its principles by the men
who incorporated them into the gov
erment they founded. No single
clause in this statement of general
principles can be separated from its
connection and its meaning or bearing
construed. This is one of the COM
monest rules of fair construction of law
or doctrine, and, read and applied in
this way, the Declaration of Independ-
ence, so far from sustaining Aguinaldo,
is q sharper indictment of the Filipino
tyrant than him against whom it was
originally brought, the King of Great
Britain.
The Declarations statements of gen.
eral principles, which Rufus Choate,
meaning no disrespect, aptly character
lied as "glittering generalities," and it's
specific counts in the indictment of
King George the Third-so far as they
apply-sll emphstically condemn Agui-
naldo and the means he has employed
to make his attempted usurpation of
the sovereignty of the Philippines sue
cessful. To secure "the inalienable
rights" of men, among which "are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed" Where
is there shadow of proof that Agui-
naldo or his government" has derived
any powers, just or otherwise, from the
inhabitants of the Philippines? Is
there the slenderest probability that he
or his shadowy government could se-
cure to the semi-civilized or wholly lar
barous populations of the archipelago
''life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness?" Is there not behind Aguinaldo,
in his past and recent history, "a long
train of abuses and usurpations, pursu-
ing invariably the same object" evinc-
ing design to reduce the people of the
Philippines under an absolute despot-
ism? And is it not "the right, the
duty" of Christian nation, suddenly
and Unexpectedly thrown into the re-
lation the government of the United
States now maintains to those people to
provide new guards for their future Sc
curity? The history of Aguinaldo,
more truly than was that of the King
of Great Britain in respect of the colo
MES, sis history Of repeated injuries
and usurpations, all having, in direct
object, the establishment of an abso-
lutte tyranny over" those islands. In
proof OF this, let only few of the facts
of the little Filipino dictator's career
abe submitted to candid world"
For gold, with fellow rebel, he be-
trayed the cause of the Insurgents
against Spain's authority, and then
stole the share of the price of treach-
cry that belonged to his accomplice in
iniquity.
He plotted to burn the city of Ma
Mia and to murder it's inhabitants.
He has decoyed his enemy into his
power by flags of truce and then shot
him in cold blood.
He has fred on flags of truce and
men engaged in ministering to those
wounded in battle.
He is at this time, arraying armies
and melting emissaries to complete the
works of death, desolation and tyranny
already begun, with circumstances of
cruelty and perfdy scarcely paralleled
in the most barbarous ages, and totally
unworthy the head of civilized ma
tion."
And 80 the indictment might be in
definitely heightened. "a prince
whose character is thus marked by
every act which may define tyrant is