New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-28
WE UARE.

To The Editor of The Tribune. >,,.....,..
Sir: In GENERAL Lawton's Epi,aph' December
sibility for Ills most lamentabc death , .
Dare you assert that there was any vaIa reason
why undar tho treaty with spain inc Fhlphos
should not nave been given equal pohtcai rlEh'S
Dare you assert that II that had been done our
country would not have been spared the war mat nat
too many Of our fellow Countrymen?
Dare You deny that PRESIDENT Mckinley Is Official cG
sequentiy for The deaths or our fellow countrymen?
Dare you publish this letter. >, ,.ooDp,.rv
Morrstown. y. j. Dec. r. iS99
We darc;-although II Is not agreeable TO deal.
on n subject Of such gravity with correspond
cnt who swaggers into the arena in tho man
ncr of n Bowcry tough.
We dare charge the so-caled antimperal-
lists. who have frantlcally antngonizcd tho
United States Governments policy in the Philip
mines with share OF the responsibility for
General LawtOn's death We charge II on the
authority Of General lawton himself In Il
letter written shortly before his death. and
quoted I'm the article TO which our correspondent
takes exception. General 1awton snld: III am
"-hot 10y a Filipino bullet II might as well come
from one Of my own men, because know from
observations confirmed by captured prisoners
that the continuance Of fighting Is chiefly
due to reports that are sent out from Amer
"ica" It is not We who say that II Is Law
toms voice from the grave telling the fault find
crs who for months have been disappearing
n remark credited to him about this accurscd
war" and trying 10 use him rs club against
the Administration, that he dies from their
blows Does Mr. Woodruff dare stand by Law
toms coffin and proclaim that the critic safe
in MorTstown. y. j.. knew more OF what was
right I'm dealing with the Fpnos than the
intrepid hero who went 10 his death IN Luz0n. al
most with his last breath avowing his belief IN
the Justice Of our campaign!
We dare assert that there were valid reasons
for treating the Philippines differently from
Cuba. The United States was responsible to
the world for those islands. and could not wisely
bind itself TO recognize and protect rs their Gov
eminent body Of men whose performances as
civilized rulers could not be forecast. and whose
ability TO maintain themselves In local authority
without uncnding civil wars was not evident
Even in Cuba II has needed 50 far To Keep
absolute authority in its own hands. just aS Il
was doing in the Philippines pending full light
on the problems there presented, when the
Tagals attacked our troops without waiting to
know what this Government could do for them.
We dare affirm that the President was not
responsible for tho Instruction. and that he
could not. under the treaty, make any prom
isc such as the Cubans had. which would have
avcrted hostllticS. He did not make the prom
iso TO tho Cubans. Congress made IT. He ear
rlcd on war under It's orders and as result
| acouircd sovereignty Of the Philippines for the
United States. He had no power 10 announce
any disposition OF that territory. He could only
take II or leave II for Spain 10 fight with
Aeuinaldo about or sell 10 some other country.
| The inpatient FilipInos, who could not he in
duccd 10 make any reasonable statement OF
! their hopes or conccdc any authority In return
| for the protection which they frankly said they
wanted. began hostilties while the United
| States. with the best OF goodwill toward them
was trying TO learn their needs and what sort
| Of a Government would suit them.
! We dare assert that the course Of the United
! States in dealing with the nsurrecton Is one
which no American need he ashamed Of. and
| in witness we again quote from Lawton's death
message:
! I would 10 God that the truth OF this whole
Philippine situation could he known by every
one in America as | know It, II the real his
tory inspiration and conditions OF this insurrec-
ton, and the influences. local and external that
| now encourage the enemy. as well as the actual
possibilities OF these islands and peoples and
| their relations TO this great East. could be UNI
derstood at home. would hear no more talk
~ unjust shooting Of government" into the
! Fpnos or Of hauling down our flag in the
! Philippines. If the sO-called anti-imperialists
! would honestly ascertain the truth on the
ground, and not in distant America, they, whom
| believe TO be honest men misinformed, would
| be convinced of the error OF their statements
| and conclusions and OF the unfortunate effect
| OF their publications here.
Perhaps the gentleman IN Morrlstown. y. j..
| knows more about unjust shooting Of govern
ment into the FillpinOs" than the General whom
he lamcnts. but doubt II.
When the news of Lawton's death first came
the "anti-imperialists' were quick to picture
him an unwilling martyr 10 the "usurpati0ns'
Of the President. One paper declared that Ibis
"abhorencc Of the war in which professional
duty called him to engage I'm the Philippines was
more than once expressed In vigorous terms.
land If moment Of consciousness was left
him after being struck by the fatal bullet il
must have been embittcred by the thought
that he fell in what he last summer called
this accurscd war'-accursed because need
less and gnominious." Another declared that
his death drove into the public conscience "tho
folly Of Mr. McKinlcy'S war in the Philippines"
We regret not TO have seen either correct its
misrepresentation In the light of Iawton's own
expressions. But we do not wonder. They de-
| scribcd the Administration as his murderer. and
they conld not comment on his letter without
noting that he himself declared in his dying
statement that they were the workers of his
death. SO they keep silence. Our Morrisown
correspondent evidently absorbs their passion
but not their discretion. He has read Lawton's
letter and takes us to task rs II II originated
with us. Has it not occurred to him instead to