Washington sentinel., 1899-12-30

It is not believed, says H. c.
Bell, ol Springfield, ILL.,, in the
TefCrSoNiaN Democrat, that, in all
the centuries OF the past, a more
cold blooded, shameless and inde-
iensible national outrage was ever
committee d by any nation or people
pretending to be civlizC d, just or
honorable, than that which is in.
Volved IN the treatment Of the peo
pie OF the Philippine Islands by the
American Government, under
the Administration OF William Nc
Kinley. The bare thought Of it all
is enough to bring the blush OF
shame to the cheek and cause the
indignant blood to boil in the veins
Of every right.thinking, liberty
loving man or woman in the ma
ton who values the honor, the
good name, or the peace, prosper.
itY and happiness Of their country.
Knowing that his present cause is
in shameless violation OF both the
letter and spirit OF the Constitution,
which SAYS that Congress shall
have power to declare war" and
to raise armies;" and OF the Dec
laration OF Independence, that tor
more than a hundred years we
have been taught to cherish and
revere, and which says that, Gov
ernments derive their just powers
from the consent OF the governed"
the President now seeks, bV iatu-
Gus illusions to the flag, and inane
professions of lofty and disinter-
ested patriotism, which, as DR..
Johnson we'll said, is the "laSt ref
uge OF a scoundrel." to shake Of
some Of the deathless iniamY that
he fears future history will iasten
upon his name, by declaring. in
one Of his recent speeches, that the
Filipinos rewarded our generous
;tion in liberating them from
Spain, by shooting at the Ameri-
can iag," thus attempting, by this
disingenuous statement, to convey
the false impression that actual
hostilitles between US and our late
allies in the Philippine Islands
were begun by the Filipinos, and
that they we're guilty OF firing upon
the American flag, without ex-
cuse, and before we had opened
FIRE upon the FilipInos' flag. And
this he does, mark you, despite the
undlsputed tact that il is admitted
by both General Macarthur and
General Otis, in their official re-
ports OF the transaction, that actual
hostilities were begun in the Phil
ippine Islands, between US and our
late allies, on February 4, 1899, by
the shooting and killing OF Fill
pino soldier, by a soldier OF the
Nebraska regiment, and despite
the further undisputed fact that the
return FIRE Of the Filipinos. in re-
venPe for the death Of their COM
rade, was without the orders oi the
Filipino commander; that he dis
avowed and apoloPized to General
Otis for this return fire OF his sol
diers, and that General Otis HIM
self, in his official report OF the
affair, distinctly states that it was
without the orders of the Filipino
commander, and that it was also
against the desire OF the Filipino
leaders. What sort ofa composite
character OF hypocrisy, insincerity
and shameless mendacity, have
we, anyway, in this unfortunate
head OF nation oI eighty millions
Of liberty loving, truthful, God
fearing and manly people, that he
can thus defy the conscience Of
mankind. and set at defiance the
admitted facts Of contemporaneous
history, in his vain and futile at
tempt to bolster up and make re-
spectacle desperate, traitorous
aud a goddess cause1 Does he
imagine that his countrvmen are
all fools, and that they can be thus
deceived and misled touching mat
ters that are taking place under
their very eyes1 Does he not know
that the truths OF history, touching
our disgraceiul treatment OF our
late value allies. struggling for
liberty andEeli government in the