Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-15
End tn. war-ono way or tho o,nsr.


End ths war--one Way or the Other.
The distressing war in the Philip
pines should be brought to an end
one way or another. It should either
be stopped by cessation of hostilities
on the part of the United States forces,
pending negotiations looking to per-
manent peace, or should be forced to a
close by the most determined campaign
-one that will overwhelm the strug-
Cling Filipinos by single blow and
make it impossible for them to fight
further.
Thus far. the Philippine campaign
has resulted in practically nothing. 1t
is true that our men have fought with
the utmost bravery. and have endured
the most distressing privations and
conditions. They have made wearying
marches through marsh and swamp,
under heat deadly in its depressing
effect ithey have intrepidly rushed upon
an intrenehed and ambushed enemy,
time and again, and driven him still
deeper into the recesses Of the iungles
They have taken town after town. In
fact, victory has attended them upon
| every march. But they have not
sufficient force to hold the captured
stations, and now, after months of sue
cessful campaigning and brilliant fight
ing, the forces of the enemy are con
stantly returning to the country from
i trh ioh fhaxy 1,sv tha
paign is practically where it began.
This kind of fighting is disastrous
to the American army. 1t is wearying
the patience and the physical stamina
of brave men, and in useless manner.
1t is exposing them unnecessarily to
the dangers of death that Turk around
them at every step in that miserable,
fever-stricken country. 1t is exacting
of them far more than brave American
soldiers should be expected to perform.
II the Mckinley administration is
bent and determined upon prosecuting
this useless and indefensible war, lei
it do SO in a vigorous and effective
manner. Let it send sufficient rein
forcements to the Philippines for the
purpose. Let it grant a respite to the
brave men already there who have suf
cred SO much. Let it place in the fiel6
a force that by its superior weight o.
numbers and equipment will be able t.
overwheim the fighting Filipinos ant
force the war to speedy close. Thi!
course will at least be merciful in con,
parison with the present policy, which
is exacting SO much of our brave men
but doing nothing to secure for them
substantial triumph.
Far better would it be to order
truce at once, and then negotiate will
,, the leaders of the Filipinos, on tn
,, basis of permitting them to immedi
! ately organize the form of free govern
ment they have been fighting for ST
bravely and so long. They hav
shown that they cannot be suppresse
by the measures thus far employed
$ They are brave and determined in thei
! fight for liberty. Their patriotic in
u pulses should be respected and encour
. aged, instead of subdued by the arme
0 resources of government like this {
u ours. But IL the administration insis
IL upon being dumb to the protests
n these brave people, let it at least /
81 merciful in its might and end I'll
't struggle by decisive, overwheln
II ing campaign.
as The unquestioned bravery of OF
"a troops in the Philippines appeals
g the Philadelphia Ledger, which oppos
. the war, as it does to all people wi
N admire courage, but dislike to see
/ employed in an indefensible caus
% The war is unfortunate, says Il
~ Ledger, and many thoughtful peop
>. have believed. and still believe, that
10 could have been avoided IL egregio
N plumbers had not been made But ,
m are embarked in it, and the grievo
burden OF the fray is placed upon t
10 flower of our young men. Their Ia
in is enormous. The country is roug
al strange and, in many places, il
ba passable. The natives disregard fla
re of truce, and treacherously murder O
al men; the climate is SO oppressive tt
n on Monday 500 soldiers were overcol
90 by the heat, and the rainy season
an about set in. 1t is not the Americ
,ut soldiers part to treason why" but
JUS obey orders, and in performing
per present difficult duty they are pressi
,ad forward with the grim determinat
lev which characterizes them under
tie. conditions and it is gratifying to lei
nd that like truly brave men, they
on displaying not only fortitude /
the courage, but forbearance, self
is and the utmost humanity under
ub- most trying circumstances.
d a An element OF just retribution
Jew mixed with the lawlessness Of
'iso latest lynching episode in the Sor
'eey The victim was negro named Will
Hill, who, with his brother, quarrt
toh with farmer named Rufus Hubb;
OF who wanted them to pay debt
ism owed by working on his farm. I
went to his house, shot and killed
wife, and wounded the husband al
,1py little child. William Hill was capt.
'he and taken before Hubbard, by vi
: On he was positively identified Two
'eric placed the wounded Hubbard in 8
1ar'i Ginning chair and carried him out
'un,l the house, where Hill, surrounded