Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1899-05-04
The pgds
A Dem ocratic New spaper.
The Philippine Question,

nos, whatever difference Of opinion
there may be as to the righteous
ness OF the little war in which our
forces and the Filipinos have been
engaged, there a be no two opin-
ions as to the gsllantry and cour-
aga of our men who fought the
battles. They were in a strange
land, they were scorched by a
tropical sun, they were confronted
by all sorts of unseen dangers.
They we're called upon to carry on
battle with a semi~barbarous tribe
in swamps and jungles, to meet
these Filipinos upon their own
ground and to engage in desultory
warfare with which they were IN
acquainted. Yet their courage
was never daunted, they never lost
heart, they never relaxed their
vigorous efforts to pat down the
rebeliion-so-called. Theirs not
to question why; theirs not to
bubble as to the rig righteousness of
the war; theirs not to complain
of vlcissitudes and hardships. They
were sent to the Philippine Islands
to do a certain thing, and they did
it nobly, and heroica!ly and sue
cessfully. There are no heroes of
the war who deserve more praise
than these brave fellows of the
Philippine campaign.
But what are we going to do
with our victory now that we have
achieved it2 While praising our
own men we cannot in justice fail
to recognize the courage and love
of liberty which have characterized
the Filipinos also. They believed
that they yer to be deprived of
their rights, not to say of liberty
itself, and they determined to re
sist to the utmost. They fought
a coed fight, and no man can blame
them, viewing the situation as they
did. Aguiu"ldo is an adventurer
and he has been fighting, no doubt,
for his own personal promotion,
but the men who fought with him
were fighting for honor and liberty.
They deserve our consideration,
and so do the Filipinos generally,
whether in revolt or submission.
We have promised to give them
their liberty and to set up for them
a stable government, leaving them
alone finally to govern themselves.
These promises must in honor be
redeemed as speedily as possible.
With the revolt ended there is no
reason why we should not use our
good Offices to establish the Philip
pine republic, to extend to the in-
habitants the right hand of follow
ship, to welcome them into
the comfy of nations, to bid
them God-speed, and to give
them d guarantee of u moral
support and sympathy in the
great work which they have
undertaken. Then we should
withdraw our forces from the
Philippines and forever there's
after attend to our own affairs,
leaving the F'ilipinos to work out
their destiny by their own Drawn
and brain. Il have ever deemed
it Fundamentally said Mr.. Jefer>
SOP, for the United States never
to take active part in the quarrels
Of Europe. Their political in
terests r entirely distinct from
ours. Their mutual jsalousies, |
their balance Of power, their
complicated alliances, their forms
and principles Of government are |
all foreign to US. They are na-l
tions Of eternal war. All their
energies are expended in the
destruction Of the labor, property
and lives Of their people. On our
part never had a people SO fav-
orable a chance of trying the OPP
posite system, of peace and
fraternity with mankind, and the
direction of all our means and
faculties 20 the purposes of im-
provement instead of destruction.
With Europe we have few oc.
casions of collision, and these,
with a little prudence and fors
bearance, may be generally ac-
commodated."
That doctrine is as true and
apt to-day as it was an hundred
years ago.