The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-11-23
What Is the Dife1encel

var ,n the Flllpir0ss Ih' cases ar
parallel Ia toth cases the attacking
parties seek & impose on the defen-
ihnts forms 0f goyernm' Mt they repu1i-
ATE and abhor. and deny them the
riglr 90 have any voice lu the mat'l
In ex,use for this outrage It IA some
q ur- alleged that rhe forms of govern.
ment II Is proposed to introduce are
far sup rIol 10 tDosc already IN exist
ence Admitting this to be true does
not liter the case II people has the
rig to adopt good form Of govern
ment. n has an equal right to adopt a
bad form The night 10 choose ct all
necessarily implies ihi. II the Amer
icans have right to adopt constltu-
uonal repltlc. tand for this they
fought during the revolutionary war
and II the English have tn right TO
adopt limited constitutional mou-
ny, IN lnr name Of reason aud JUS
II go. h.w cin re Filipin0s and Beers
be- denied the right TO choose the forms
u government they prefer. As the
greater includes the less, the right to
impose on "A natIOn, other than our
0wn. a form Of government which we
may choose fIr rn~m implies the right
o. dictate % them IN everything per-
tanning % their interest and welfare,
and reduces them TO the position Of
AbJsct slaves controlled only by the
viii Of their Master
have SAID thar the war by the Eng
hsh on the Beers. and the war by
the Americans on the FIpu os, are
parallel. Wnl- his is true III the main,
yet there Is some dihsrenc' between
the cases ard thls difference Is alto.
gether 10 favor of the Eaglish They
complain that IN some things their
-uhj-cts have been uDJustly treated by
the Beers. and that they (the Beers
nave viol lted some Of the provisions Of
A treaty tnat existed between them and
the English Whether this claim be
well or ill.founded, it furnishes, at
least. a 4. lOr Of excu-e for the war on
the Beers But there can be no preteuce
Of such an excuse for the war on the
FihpinOs. There is no treaty between
them and the United States, and they
hase inf ted no injury on any Amerl-
can citizen. Indeed. until this war
commenced. it Il doubtful whether the
majority Of the Filipinos knew that
,uch a country as the United States
existed The only plea that the Amer
icans can advance for the war on the
Fllpinos, is that they have bought
them from the SpAniards and that they
will do what they Will with their own
This plea, Of course. fARrantly violates
the maxim on which Americans have
prided themselves that all just govern
ment is founded on the consent Of the
governed
In prosecuting the war with the
Beers the English have two great ad-
vsntages over the Americans in wag-
ing war with the Filipinos The Eng
lish have secured possession Of large
territory adjoining the seat OF war
The territory furnishes base on
which they can fall back II necessary
and through which they can receive
reinforcements and supplies. The
English, too have the advantage OF the
experience Of centuries in the manage
ment Of colonial possessions. They are
acquainted with the difficulties 30 be
encountered and know how to meet
them they know what privileges 20
grant the colonies and what TO withhold {;
they have learned thu best methods TO
adopt at once to promote the welfare OF
the colonies and to maintain The au-
thority Of the government On the
other hand the base Of the American
army is California. eight thousand
miles from the seat Of war. and which
can be reached, after a long voyage,
only by steamships carrying oompara-
lively few soldiers. and a limited
amount of supplies, and constantly lia-
BILE to shipwreck.
When the Philippines are entirely
subdued, (if they ever are) l suppose
they will be constituted into a colony
Now colonizing by the United States
government will be an experiment and
will be liable to countless blunders,
which can be corrected only By long
and costly experience.
From the location Of the Philippines
the United States in the future will be
constantly liable to become involved
in European complications and EN-
tangling alliances" from which they
have been heretofore exempt by hay-
ing followed the policy now abandoned. .
of Washington and jefferson. What
ever may be the excuse offered by Eng
land and the United States for their
wars of conquest, the real m otive con-
trolling their action land this is es-
pecially true of the United States. who
have no grievances to redress) is found
in the maxim that might makes
right"
A. Broaddus,
Sparta, Va.
Nov 18th, 1899.
500 Reward, 500.