Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-01-31
THE PHILIPPINES.
To the Editor ofthe Alexandria Gazette

10 the EulL0r OF tHe AbeCUHurl1 OGZette
AS pretext for acquiring Asiatic do
mnion and ruling the dnsky natives Of
the Philippine archipelago, the i'm
perialists urge that we are uuder an oh
legation to govern them because we ex-
pelled the Spsniard, aud the natives
bevn't the capacity to govern them
selves. If the Spaniard was the robber
thev say be was instead of our having
incurred an obligation to the Filipino
by driving him out, the Filipino is in
debt to US for the service. The Fill
pino does not agree with the expan-
+ionist about our duty to govern him.
All he asks of the United States is to
let him alone. The same hypocriticsl
plea is made for imperialism that was
given as 8 reason for declaring war
not lust of empire but suffering human
ity. Il is said that when the war closed
the sufferers in whose behalf it was
pretended to have been begun were all
dead. When the treaty was signed III
Paris Spain hadn't reliDQuished the
sovereignty of the Philippines; in fact
soe is there now and our government IL
preparing to take the Spaniards home.
So the reason urged for ratification OF
the treaty is created by the treaty itself;
1t can be removed by rejecting the
clause relating to the Philippines. Il
wrong has bsen done the Filipinos by
the overthrow of Spain it can be re-
paired by letting the Spaniard return.
If our only motive is philanthropy and
not hunger for land, then there is no
more reason for expelling Spain from
the PHILIPPINES than from the Canaries
or any other possessions. AS the Fill
pinos have long been in rebellion against
foreign rulers and want LEGAL self-gov-
erument it does not look like we hsi
taken from them anything they want.
e1 to keep. If we b we then restore
che Spaniard; if we havn't then we
have incurred no obligation except 20
come away. The Filipinos are as much
opposed to American as to Spanish rule,
while the air here is full of talk aboul
sympathy for the Filipinos. 1t is hard
TO eympathize with people who don't
want your symnatby. By the terms OF
he treaty the United States is 10 pay
Spain $4,000, 900 for the privilege OF
acting as guardian of the Fllipinos dur
ing Their infancy, and until they be-
come capable of self government. We
now hold only the city of Manila while
the ten million Mslays are in line OF
battle and say that we shall not even
stay there. They evidently don't re-
gard American protection as boon.
In taking charge of the Philippines we
relieve Spain of burden. She only
held them from pride and for the pres
tige of colonial empire. The impe rial
lists have changed their tune on account
of the drift of sentiment against con-
tracing foreign entaDglements; now
they say they only intend temporary
occupation to give time to the Filipinos
to grow up and organize to govern them
selvts But the Filipinos are already
organized in battle array in defiance Of
the Presidents proclamation and our
army OF occupat on. 1t is said that a
commission is about to be sent there to
persuade the natives that they still
need parental care, and are only babies.
No doubt each commissioner will take
along q good supply Of Mrs. Winslow's
Soothing Syrup. That the Filipinos
will yield to their persuasion nc one ac-
uuainted with the situation believes.
There is lot of nonsense talked about
people being incapable of self govern
ment. All people are capable OF
self-government; but they must govern
in their own way. The Fliipinos are
as we'll advanced in civilization as the
South American greasers whose quar-
rel with England our government as
sumed few years ago. The Dreyius
trial is shocking to us-it is not so to
Frenchmen. II the United States is
determined to play the role of Don
Quixote why not order Deweys squad
ron to lberate the political convicIs IN
New Caledonia am opposed to un-
dertaking the job of governing the
Philippines, or the world; the Filipino
can govern themselves. They do not
want us as masters, which we must be
if we govern them at all-that is the
natural relation of superior to inferior
races. They can never be citizens.
They are fit to govern themselves, but
nobody else; they will be happy
and contented if we let them alone.
The subjects of the Sultan of Muscat,
or of Borneo, are just as contented as
we are. Their ideals are not ours.
That is all. Breech- leaders may make
the Filipinos slaves, but can never ele.
vate them to the dignity of citizens. II
the Philippines are ceded to the United
States we can only govern them as q
conquered province. My great objec-
ton to the scheme is the reaction upon
ourselves and the strain upon our
home government by such stretch OF
authority. The President will be
transformed from necessity into an
oriental despot. The votaries of the
Yelled Prophet were as blind believers
as the expansionists of to-day in their
divine commission to reform man.
kind. On their banner wss en-
blszed. "Freedom to the World" "
Mr.. Platt, of New York, recently made
8 speech in the Senate in support OF the
sreaty in which he quoted from q
speech OF Mr.. Webster as TO the pie
psry power OF conquest over territory
1n frrl