The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-04-06

thS IhpsuOS AItcT Incy 1ldu fEc.
cipitated Trouble the Only AIterna-
tive.
(The OutloOk.)
The situation in the Philippines is
painful and confusing: painful be-
cause it compels the use of force by a
Government which represents in a
pre-eminent degree the methods Of
| order, law, and peace; confusing be-
cause the situation is not vet per-
fectly mastered by knowledge, and
because good many people on this
side Of the ocean are bent upon
adding to the confusion. That a free
Government, based on the consent
OF those whom it rules, should be
fighting, on their own ground, the
people of a remote island, seems, on
the face, to be contradiction in
terms; and that such a Government
should be putting to death men who
are apparently contending for their
own freedom seems, on the face, not
only an anomaly, but crime. 1t is
necessary, therefore, to keep the few
view. 1t will take us a good while
to familiarize ourselves with the new
conditions and to reconcile ourselves
to our new duties. 1t is we'll to re-
member, therefore:
First, that Manila fell into our
hands, not by choice. but by the
fortunes Of war. Admiral Dewey did
not set out to expand the sovereignty
of the United States nor add to its
| territory; he set out to destroy the
fleet Of an enemy in the harbor of
Manila. That enemy was, after q
fashion, governing the group of
islands; so far as they had any Gov
ernment. the Spaniards conducted it.
We destroyed the Spanish power,
If we had sailed away and left the
islands, we should have left chaos
behind as. We should have pulled
down the sole authority in a COM
munity and then shrugged our
shoulders and left the community to
take care Of itself. The sovereignty
in the Philippines will be transferred
from Spain to the United States by
the Treaty of Paris, which now needs
only the formality Of ratification by
Spain, but the responsibility for
maintaining order and civilization in
the Philippines was passed over to
us the moment Dewey destroyed the
Spanish force, We Inherited all the
moral obligations OF the Spaniard on
the spot. TO have left Manila would
have been the easiest and least ex-
pensive course, but it would also
have been the cowardly and therefore
impossible course. The argument
that we have complicated our future
and added to our expenses ought to
have no more weight with us than
the same argument would have with
an honest and courageous man when
some difficult task is thrust into his
hands-a task which he cannot refuse
without being meanly selfish OF
cowardly. 1t is we'll to keep this
fundamental fact in view and not tc
allow it to be blurred by sophistry
on the one hand or appeals to pru.
dence on the other hand. 1t is the
controlling fact in the situation.
Seconds the United States has nc
Intention of reducing the Filipinos t'
the condition of subject race. Ii
has had no opportunity Of ascertain
ing what their needs are or what
their will is; it simply proposes tc
establish order, to set the processe:
of law in motion, and to create tn,
proper conditions before determining
what the Filipinos want or what the,
ought to have. AS has been before
pointed out in these columns, ever,
grievance of which the Filipinos il
their revolt against Spain complained
was removed the instant the United
States flag was hoisted; every reform
upon which the Filipinos insiste,
went that instant into operation
The moment American rule began il
Manila the political and religious
conditions in the islands were ad
yanced not only beyond the de
mands. but beyond the conception
of the men who were striving agains
the tyranny Of Spain. Aguinaldo i
therefore in the field, not as patriot
but as a disturber of the peace; a
much so as if he were the leader of
riot in the city of New York. 1t i
painful to resist him, for the countr
hates the use of force of any sort
: but it is just as essential and in
evitable under the circumstances a
would be the use of force in putin;
down riot in an American city. A
to Aguinaldo himself, there is grea
difference OF opinion. There ar
Ill l. hn
and patriotic in his motives: ther
are others who declare that he is
mercenarv and un.crupulous insur
rectionist. bent. not upon freeing hi
countrymen. but upon getting tn
most for himself out of troubled con
ditions To surrender the islands t
him under present conditions woul
be to transfer our responsibilit.
without any assurance that we wer
placing it where it could be properl
carried. To put the island in hi
hands to-day would probably be t
open it to disorder. bloodshed, an
punder. What this country
irving to do is not TO put dow
Filipino patriots and make suhlec
people; it is trying to establish thoS
conditions which will make it possibl
to find out what the Filipinos want
what they need. and what can b
safely at this moment given to then
d Aguinaldo is sacrificing the intereS
}, of his country either for persons
5; end or through ignorance. he is post
Il ponding the freedom about which h
&c talks, and which. if he were in ST.