Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-02
COCHRAN ON THE STRENUOUS LIFE

From W. burke Cockran's Speech at Chicago
Oct 18th.
Let us examine the objections to at
tempting q peaceful settlement we
need pay little attention now to the
wild assertions made year ago by
candidate for one of the highest offices
in the country that war was desirable
in itself because it tended to develop
that strenuous life essential to good
citizenship. There is but one human
being who is justified in desiring war,
and that is the cannibal. War is the
means through which he obtains food.
All other men, including savages, pro-
fess to love peace and celebIat its reign
as q festival. The desirability OF war
is no longer urged, and this is distinct
gain for civilization.
1t is said that Aguinaldo is a savage.
] do not know whether he is a savage
or not, but do know that certain docu-
ments emanating frcm his government,
of which he is tho reruted author, in
dicate not merely civilization, but high
degree of intellectual culture. Judg-
ing him by his known actions and COM
pairing all his published expressions
with those of his most violent assail-
ants, he does not appear to be the most
savage of the lot. Ger itainly he has
never suggested that war is itself a
means to strenuous life ! know that
he has so far withstood the advance of
a powerful army: that he has organized
@ government which has equipped
soldiers and maintained them in the
| field; that he has established q system
| of co opel alton among those islands as
effective as any in the history of peoples
| struggling for their liberty against
oyerV hefming odds. And say, more
over, that whatever he may te it does
not lie in the mouth of this nation to
impeach his civilization or his capacity
| to make war.
| IL he be savage, then we have made
alliance with savage to war on a
! Christian people, and our own position
as civilized power is impeached. Ii
i was by our act that he was landed at
| Manila. 1t was with weapons furnished
| him by our government that he waged
war upon the Spanish garrison. When
| say that he was our ally, do rot
undertake to pass judgment upon the
different statements that have been
made concerning assurances given him
by United States officers, nor on the
authority of these officers TO treat with
him. Aside from all these disputed
| questions, certain incontrovertible facts
remain. There is no doubt that a
United States ship transported him tc
Manila; there is no doubt that United
States arms we're placed in his hands
there is no doubt that he was landed
on the island of Luzon for the express
purpose of aiding us to make war upor
the Spaniards. That was an alliance
practical and effective, whatever it may
be called. 1t must have been advan
tageous to us or it would not have beer
made. While he was co operating witt
us in operations before Manila he wa'
military entity of some kind or other
He was using arms against human lif'
and property. Killing, except in war
is murder, and pillage is robbery
Aguinaldo was, therefore, either ;
soldier or he was a bandit. If he wa
sole he must have belonged to somi
army. He did not belong TO our army
he did not belong to the Spanish
army; there was no other force Il
which he could belong except the Fill
pino army. If he was not a soldier h
was mere bandit, but if we arm ;
bandit to plundei, destroy and kill, W
have violated all the laws of war an'
the usages of civilized nations.
No amount of abuse or vehemenc
can alter these inexorahle facts. Eithe
Aguinaldo was our ally in war or W
were his accessories in brigandage.