News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-10-18
The United States and the Philippines

We have not seen the P0lllpplne
question and matters growing out
of the Spanish-A merican war any
where more clearly and comprehen-
sively set forth than they are in the
following article which we copy from
the Pougekeepsie N. Y. Eagle. 1t
was written in reply to vitupera-
tive, unfair and vindctive anti-eX-
pansion communication from Mrs.
Helen NJ. Cougar, to which the writ
er refers. The article from the Eagle
is able. fair aud candid and we COM
mend it to our readers.
When one wishes to determine
whether any course ofaction is right
or wrong it is necessary to begin at
the beginning. The first fact, then,
was the war against Spain. Wewere
opposed to beginning that war, so
was President Mckinley, and so was
the majority OF the friends and sup
porters of his administration. He
was forced into tt war by pressure,
the greater part of which came from
bis enemies, who not only clamored
for hostilities TO begin, but boosted
that it was their work when hostIli-
ties did begin. They are stopped
from discussing that.
The next was the victory of
Dewey's feet at Manila. What the
people think of that is eloquentIy
told in the recent proceedings in New
York. We observe that even Mrs.
Cougar does not find fault with
either of these. All the dpuunriatiOn
is for what fOllnwed Dpwey's Vi tory,
and it is precisely there we separate,
Our doubts all refer to the questions
whether we ought to have gone tic
war at all, and whether, having gone
t. var, we should have assumed the
oil nsive anywhere except in Cuba
II the war itself WAS iustifable, anC
DnEpy's victory was right, all the
rest follows by inevitable necessity
There is not even ground for dis
cuss,on Nothing else conld have
been done tut what was done.
Mrs. 6 ugar SAYS Dawey's victory
"was largely due tn he friendly co
operation Gf AGuinaldO." The fac
ia that AguiDaldo WIS not there, ant
had no more connection with it thai
Mrs. Cougar herself. The Philippin
Islands had belonged to Spain by un
disputed pOssessl rs for three hun
dred and fifty years. There had beeI
various sporadic revOlts against th
selfishness and severity Of Spanish
rule, but none of them had evel
made claim to nationality or recog
milton. and at the moment whel
Dewey's fleet sailed into Manila har
Dor there was no actual insurrectioI
in existence aud AguinaldO wa
was absent from the country, having
accepted brite to disband his force
and declare allegiance to Spain
After Dewey's feet had broker
the Spanish power Aguinaldo wa
brought back and permitted to or
ganize a new force tf natives by on
mistaken friendship, and he is in tn
Philippines at the head of an insur
rection to-day as the result of favor
received at our hands.
There was no government in th
Philippines whntrver, when th
American forces first went there. bu
the Spanish government, and "
could not, if We wi~h"d to, rpcogniz
or consider any Other. While tn
treaty was pending however, our OF
ficers tried to cntIvHte friendly rpla
tions with the native, because it wa
becoming daily more evident tina
we should be compelled to take owe
the islands and Organiz9 a govern
ment there, and it VAS desirable t,
secure their CO. operation as far a
possible. Instead however, of meet
ing these overtu'ps in the sam
spirit, it was soon manifest tina
Aguinaldo and his followers we're a
hostile to us az the Spaniards, an
before the treaty WIS ratified whicl
gave us a right TO take steps towart
any permanent disposition ofaffairs
they attacked our troops. Thus be
gan the war. lt WAS not Eva
of the United States upon the Philip
pines" 1t was, and has been, from
that moment to the present time, {
war ofFilipino natives upon Ameri