The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-22
FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
Carl Schurz Denounces the Phil
ippine Policy.
REVIEW Of THE EVENTS
Some OF the CHASTITY Arguments by
Which the War OF Conquest Is
Defended-The Great Danger
to This Country.

| day evening and not fully covered IN
the report. Mr.. Schurz said:
In the course of that war Commodore
| Dewey, by brilliant feat of arms,
destroyed the Spanish fleet in the har-
| Dor Of Manila. This did not change
the heralded character of the war GER
tainly not in Dewey's own opinion. The
Filipinos, constituting the strongest
and foremost tribe of the population
of the archipelago, had long been
fighting for freedom and independence,
just as the Cubans had. The great
mass of the other islanders sympathiz-
ed with them. They fought for the
| same cause as the Cubans, and they
fought against the same enemy-the
same enemy against whom we were
| waging our war of humanity and lib
GRAFTON. They had the same title to
| freedom and independence which We
recognized as "of right" in the Gu
bans-nay, more; for. as Admiral
Dewey telegraphed to our government,
they are far superior in their intelli-
gence, and more capable OF self-goVern-
| ment than the natives of Cuba. The
admiral adds: Il am familiar with
both races, and further intercourse
with them has confirmed me in this
opinion.
Indeed, the mendacious stories spread
by our imperalists, which represent
those people as barbarians. their doings
as mere "savagery." and their chiefs
as no better than "cut throats,' have
been refuted by such mass of author
itative testimony, coming in part from
men who are themselves imperialists,
that their authors should hide their
heads in shame: for surely. it is not the
no vi IF Inl1I " n
their victims before sacrificing them.
We need not praise the Filipinos as in
every way the equals Of the "embat-
tied farmers of Lexington and Con-
cord. and Auginaldo as the peer of
Washington; but there is an over
whelming abundance of testimony,
some of it unwilling, that the Filipinos
are fully the equals, and even the su-
periors, of the Cubans and Mexicans.
AS to Aguinaldo, Admiral Dewey is
credited with saying that he IS con-
trolled by men ADLER than himself. The
same could be said of more than one
of our presidents. Moreover, it would
prove that those are greatly mistaken
who predict that the Filipino uprising
would collapse We're Aguinaldo cap
tured or killed. The old SANDER that
Aguinaldo had sold out the revolu-
tionary movement for g bride of $780,
900 has been so thoroughly exploded by
the best authority that it requires I'M
common audacity to repeat it. (Sen.
Doc. 62: page 42l.)
Two months before the beginning Of
our Spanish war, our consul at Manila
reported to the state department:
conditions here and in Cuba are prac-
tically alike. War exists. battles are
of almost daily occurrence. The crown
forces (Spanish) have not been able to
dislodge rebel army within 10 miles of
Manila. A republic is organized here
as in Cuba" When two months later
our war of liberation and humanity be-
gan, Commodore Dewey was at Hong
Kong with his ships. He received or
ders to attack and destroy the Spanish
fleet in those waters. 1t was then that
our consul general at Singapore in
formed our state department that he
had conferred with General Aguinaldo,
then at Singapore. as to the co-opera-
tion of the Philippine insurgents, and
that he had telegraphed to Commodore
Dewey that AguinaldO was willing to
come to Hong Kong to arrange with
Dewey for general cooperation, if de-
sired;' whereupon Dewey promptly an
swered: Tell Aguinaldo come as soon
as possible" The meeting was had.
Dewey sailed to Manila to destroy the
Spanish fleet. and Aguinaldo was taken
to the seat of war on a vessel of the
United States. His forces received a
supply OF arms through Commodore
Dewey and did faithfully and effectively
cooperate with our forces against the
Spaniards, SO effectively, indeed. that
soon afterwards by their efforts the
Spaniards had lost the whole country
except a few garrisons in which they
were practically blockaded.
Behind these doors, which were tight
ly closed to the people of the Philip
pines, a treaty was made with Spain
| h1,t Of MOI in1a
which provided for the cession of the
Philippine islands by Spain to the
United States for a consideration of
s20,0O0,0O0. 1t has been said that this
sum was not purchase money, but a
compensation for improvements made
by Spain. or a 'solatium" to sweeten
the pill of cession or what not. But
stripped of all cloudy verbiage. it was
really purchase money, the sale being
, made by Spain under duress. Thus
Spain sold and the United States bought
what was called the sovereignty of
Spain over the Philippine islands and
their people.
: Now look at the circumstances under
which that "cession" was made. Spain
, had lost the possession Of the country,
! except few isolated and helpless little
garrisons, most of which We're effective
ly hlockaded by the Flipnos. The
) American forces occupied Cavite and
the harbor and city of Manila, and
: nothing more. The bulk of the country
was occupied and possessed by the peo-
pie thereof, over whom Spain had. in
point of fact. ceased to exercise any
! sovereignty. the Spanish power having
been driven out or destroyed bv the
Filipino instruction, while the United
States had not acquired. beyond Cavite
and Manila, any authority of whatever
name by military occupation. nor by
, recognition on the part of the people.
Aguinaldo's army surrounded Manila
on the land side. and his government
: claimed organized control over Is prov
inces. That government was estab-
. lished a Malolos. not far from Manila
and a very respectable government it
was. According to Mr.. Barrett, our late
minister in Siam, himself an ardent inn
perialist, who had seen it. it had a we'll
organized executive. divided into sew
eral departments. ably conducted, and a
popular assembly. a congress. which
would favorably compare with the par