The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-12
TO SHOW MAGNANI
NO RIGHT TO THEM AS a MAT
i rR OF CONQUEST.
WE PAID $50, 100000 FOR SWIFT PEACE
There Were Other Reasons, the Judge Says,
but in his Judgement this Was Chief.
His First Public Utterance
About the Matter.

Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 1.-THE first
public utterance of Judge William b.
Day, who was President Of the Ameri-
can peace commission, concerning the de-
liberations of the commission at Paris.
is contained in a letter written to former
Congressman ID. X. Watson, of this
city, and read by him at Republican
meeting ON the East Side tonight.
Judge Day sets forth the reasons which.
III his mind, justified the payment of
S20,O00,0O0 for the Philippines, declar-
ing that it was never contended by the
American commissioners that the United
States had a right to De Philippines as
matter of conquest. The letter fol-
lows in part
ION the 21st Of November following,
the American commissioners in Joint
session of the commission, presented Il
proposition which the American COM
missioners regarded as final, in connec-
ton with which it was said:
:" The proposal presented by the
American commissioners in behalf of
their Government for the cession of the
Philippines to the United States having
been rejected by the Spanish commits
sioners, and the counter proposal of the
latter for the withdrawal of the Ameri-
can forces from the islands and the pay
ment of an indemnity by the United
States to Spain having been rejected the
American commissioners, deeming it es-
sential that the present negotiations,
which have already been greatly pro-
tracted, should be brought to an early
and definite conclusion, beg now to pre-
sent new proposition embodying the
concessions which, for the sake of inn
mediate peace, their Government is,
under the circumstances, willing to
tender.
The Government of the United
States is unable to modify the proposal
heretofore made for the cessiOn of the
entire archipelago of the Philippines, but
the American commissioners are author
lied to offer to Spain, in case the cession
should be agreed to, the sum of twenty
million dollars ($20,000,000), to be paid
in accordance with the terms to be fixed
in the treaty of peace (Senate docu-
ment 90, p. 210)
"On the 2Sth of November the Span
ish commissioners accepted the terms
offered by the representatives of the
United States. You will observe that in
making this proposal it is distinctly said
that it embodies the concessions which,
for the sake of immediate peace the
American Government was willing TO
make. There were doubtless other rea-
sons actuating the commissioners in
making this proposal, though | think the
chief one is embodied in the statement
above written If was NOT claimed that
the United States had u right to the
Philippine Islands as ~ matter of con-
quest The capture after the signing of
the protocol, by General Merritt and his
forces, whatever its legal effect may have
been, included no more territory than we
were entitled to hold under the protocol
In addition to the hope Of
accomplishing immediate peace,
which, / need hardly say was
of great Importance at that time,
there was a strong desire to treat Spain
with a degree of magnanimity consistent
with our national honor and prestige,
following our national precedent in the
treatment of Mexico for the cession or
territory to us at the close of the Mexi-
can War. BY the cession, for a con-
we obtained an indisputable.
title which must be respected by all
other nations.
''Of course, l speak only for myself,
and write these views without OPP
portunity to consult with my fellow COM
missioners. In my Ojudgment the con-
cession referred to was effective in bring
ing about an acceptance of our proposals
which resulted in the making of the
treaty."