The Van Buren press., 1899-12-09

| BILE delay the Dement'S OF 1 wise anu sSASI
! Gus protection of life and property to the
| Inhabitants"
A Most Grievous Situation.
| But hefcre their arrival at Manila, the
! sinister ambition of a few lenders OF the
| Filininos had created a situation full OF
| emEarrassments for US and most grieVous
| in its consequences to themselves. Inc
| clear and impartial preliminary report OF
] the commissioners which | transmit mere
1 with gives so lucid and comprehensive a
! history of the present discretionary
movement that the story need not be here
| related.
| The prompt accomplishment of this
work by the American army and navy
| gave him other ideas and ambitions, and
| insidious suggestions from various quar-
| ters perverted the purposes and intentions
with which he had taken up arms. No
/ sooner had our army captured Manila
| thar the Filipino forces began to assume
! an attitude of suspicion and hostility
which the utmost efforts of our o61cers
| and troops were unable to disarm or modt-
| fy. Their kindness and forbearance We're
| taken as proof of cowardiee. The ag-
grcssicns of the Filipdnos continually In
creased, until finally, just before the time
! set for the senate of the United States
| for a vote upon the treaty an attack, evil
| Gently prepared in advance was made az
! along the American lines which resulted
in terribly destructive and satguinary re-
i pulse of the insurgents.
We Could Not Surrender.
II is not to be conceived of that any
American would have sanctioned the sur
render Of Manila to the insurgents. our
/ obligations to other nations and TO the
| friendly F'ilipinos and to ourselves and
cur flag demanded that force should be
met by force. Whatever the future of the
| Philippines may be, there is no course
open to us now except the prosecution OF
! the war until the insurgents are reduced
| to submission. The commission is of the
opinion that there has been no time since
the destruction of the Spanish squadron
! by Admiral Dewey when 1t was posslple
| to withdraw our forces from the islands,
either with homer to ourselves or with
safety to the inhabitants.
RebeIIion Must he Put Down.
The course thus clearly indicated has
been undinehingly pursued. The rebellion
must be put down. Civil government can
not be thoroughly established until order
is restored. With a devotion and gallant
ry worthy of its most brilliant history, the
| army, ably and loyalty assisted by the
navy, has carried on this unwelcome, but
most righteous campaign with richly-de-
served success.
Noble seIf-sacrifice.
The noble self-sacrifiee with which our
sailors and soldiers whose terms of service
| had expired refused to avail themselves
of their tight to return home as long as
| they were needed at the front, forms one
of the brightest pages in our annals.
Work of Reconstruction.
The unavoidable circumstances connect
| ed with an active campaign have not beer
! permitted to interfere with the equally
! important work ct reconstruction. Again
/ invite your attention to the report of the
commissioners for the interesting and en-
| courasing details of the work already ae-
conlplished in the establishment OF peace
| and order and the Inauguration of self
! governing municipal life in many portions
of the archipelago. notable beginning
| has been made in the establishment of a
poNprnmpnt in the island of Negroes.
which is deserving of special considera-
ton.
The SuIu Islands.
The authorities of the Sulu islands have
accepted the succession of the United
| States to the rights of Spain, and our
flag floats over that territory.
The Rebellion TOttering.
Everything indicates that with the
! speedy suppression of the Tagalo rebel
! lion, life in the archipelago will soon Ie-
! sumo it's ordinary course under the pro-
! lection of our sovereignty, and the people
of those favored islands will enjoy pros
| perity and a freedom which they nave
| never before known. Already hundreds
| of schools are open and filled with emil
| dren.
Future of the Philippines.
| The future government of the Philip
! pines rests with the congress of the Unit
| ed States. Few graVer responsibilities
| have ever been confided to us. If we ac-
cept them in spirit worthy Of our race
and our traditions, a great opportunity
comes with them. The islands lie under
| the shelter of our flag. They are OFFS by
every title of law and equity. They can
not be abandoned.
Until Congress Acts.
| Until congress shall have made known
| the formal expression of its will, | shall
use the authority vested in me by the
sovereignty of the United States in those
distant islands as in all other places
where our flag rightfully floats. l shall
Put at The disposal of the army and navy
all the means which the liberality of con-
gress and the people nave provided to
cause this unprovoked and wasteful in
surrection TO cease.
The Hawaiian Islands.
Some embarrassment in administration
has occurred by reason of the peculiar
status the Hawaiian islands at present oc-
cupy under the joint resolution of annex
alton, approved July Z. 1898. While by
that resolution, the republic of Hawaii
as an independent nation was extin-
guished its separate sovereignty de-
stroyed and its property and possessions
vested in the United States, yet a com
pletc establishment for its government
under its systems was not effected. While
the municipal laws of the islands not
enacted for the fultilment of treaties aad
not inconsistent with the joint resolution
United States or any of its treaties re-
main in force yet these laws relate only
to the social and internal affairs of the
Islands, and do not touch many subjects
of Importance which are of broader ma
tional character.
OF Manifest Importance.
The people of these islands are entitled
to the benefits and privileges of our con-
stitution, but in the absence of any act Of
congress providing for federal courts in
the islands and for procedure by which
appeals, WritS of error and other judicial
proceedings necessary for the enforce
ha %
they are powerless to secure their en-
forcement by the judgment of the courts
of the United States
The Territory of Alaska.
A necessity for immediate legislative
relief exists in the territory of Alaska
| Substantially the only law providing 4
| civil government for this territory is The
act of May II, 1884 This is meagre in its
provisions and is fitted only for the ad-
sparsely inhabited by civilized people and
unimportant in trade and production, as
was Alaska at the time this act was
passed. The increase in population by
immigration during the past few years,
consequent upon the discovery of gold
has produced such condition as calls
for more ample facilities for local self
| government and more numerous convent
ences of civil and judicial administration.
No Organized Government.
There is practically no organized form
| OF government in the territory. There is
no authority except in congress to pass
| any law, no matter how local or trivial.
| and the difficulty of conveying to the con-
| sress an adequate conception and under
| standing the various needs of the people
| in the different communities is easily un-
| derstood. l see no reason why more COM
| plete form Of territorial organization
| should not be provided.
Such Provision Recommended.
In this manner a system of laws provid-
Ing for he Incorporation and government
| of towns and cities having a certain popu-