Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-04
PAX Con Dignidad."

When the Filipino emissaries first ap-
preached Gen. Otis with q request for an
arnistice to permit peace negotiations they
made frequent of the Spanish phrase
pax con dignidad.'' They desired peace
without humiliation" They sought the
civilian members of the Philippine commits
sion and urged upon them the native rea-
sons why the United States should grant
| them conditions salving to their feelings
and honor. To these pleas an unvarying
answer has been returned. The United
States, seeing them only as insurgents
| against the newly acquired sovereignty
cannot recognize any form of government
among them, cannot permit them to retire
from the field with the honors of war can
not grant period OF neutrality. UnCondi-
tional surrender alone can be considered as
the basis of the peace negotiations.
Again the emissaries come to the Ameri-
can camp, this time declaring that they
represent Aguinaldo. and again they plead
for pax con dignidad," Once more Gen
Otis properly and wisely declines to con-
s.der any but unconditional surrender
Meanwhile he forces the fighting The
columns under Gems. Macarthur and Law
ton push forward respectively to the north
and the east, and the insurgent army is
kept moving backward. The issue comes
sharply to a point-the enemy must sur
render or continue To fight without hope of
success.
1t is somewhat difficult for the loyal
American mind to grasp the full signfi-
canoe of pax con digndad" under the
circumstances There is no iudiguity in an
acknowledgement of defeat. There is in the
western conception no disgrace in a manly
surrender after manly stand. There would
be greater dignity in an unconditional sur
render preparatory to the acceptance of the
American sovereignty and the development
of a new citizenship upon broad and liberal
lines than in a decker for guns or for for
malities or for peace money. Aguinaldo is
a shrewd bargainer He drove a very smart
trade with Spain when he agreed for
round sum to stop fighting and forthwith
banked the money for another rebellion.
He has been maneuvering ever since the de-
struction of the Spanish fleet for personal
advantage.
He now finds his authority slipping from
his grasp. He tries subterfuge on the
American forces and sends forth negotia-
tors under the pretense that they repre-
sent his chief rival for military power. He
perhaps seeks to secure terms which he
can later accept or reject according to his
fancy or his selfish interests He pleads
for pax con dignidad," and tries to COM
pHcate the negotiations by a reference to
the mythical Filipino congress. He is
gaining nothing by his insstence upon con-
ditions, but rather prejudicing his case be
fore the American people.
Gen. Otis knows full well that he has no
time for prolonged debates in the native
parliament, If such body should in fact
exist. He sees the rainy season approach
ing. He cannot trust this treacherous
| enemy. He is a straightforward soldier
and he is sustained in his stubborn atti-
tude of insistence upon an unconditional
surrender by ninety-nine hundreds of the
people of this country, who have correctly
guaged Aguinaldo and his fellows.