The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-12
We BOUGHT THE PHILIPPINES
NOT OBTAINED BY CONQUEST,
SAYS JUDGE DAY.
President Of American Peace Conn
mission Tells What the $40, o0O,-
600 Was Paid For.

/ Columbus. O.. Oct. 1.-THE first pub
lie utterance Of Judge William Day,
who was president OF the American
peace commission concerning the DELHI
erations af the commissioners sat Paris.
Is contained In a letter. written to for
mer Congressman ID. X. watson. of this
city. and read by him at a Republican,
meeting in this city tonight. Judge
Day sets forth the reasons which. in his
mind. justified the payment Of S20.0g0,
600 for the Philippines. declaring that fs
was never contended BY the American
commissioners that the United States
had a right to the Philippines as a mat
ter of conquest.
In this letter, after reviewing al
length the long negotiations between
the Spanish and American peace COM
mfSSiOuerS. reciting the several profC-
sitions submitted to- the SpaniaTds for
the cession Of the Philippines and the
final offer, for the sake OF securing an
immediate peace to pay AM indemnity
of S20,000.000. Judge Day says
'0n the 18th of November the Span
ism commissioners accepted the terms
offered by the representatives Of the
United States. You will observe that
in making this proposal tt Is distinctly
said that it ernh0dies tine concessions
which, for the sake of Immediate peace
the American government was willing
to make. There We're doubtless other
reasons actuatfng the commissioners i'm
making this proposal. though think
the chief one is embodied I'M the state
ment above written.
''It was not claimed that the United
States had a right to the Philippines
as a matter of conquest. The United
States has never undertaken so far as
know, to wTest from a. foFefgm country
conquest. Had we been disposed to do
So it must be remembered that we
were in possession only Of the city,
bay and harb0r of Manila under the
protocol of Aug. IL. 1898, providing the
United States should occupy and hold
the same pending the conclusions Of n
treaty of peace which should determines
the control and government Of the Phil
ippines. The capture, after the signing
Of the protocol by General Merritt5 and
it's forces, whatever it's legal effect
might have been, included no more ter
ritOry than we were entitled to hold
under the protocol.
I'm addition to the hope OF accom-
pIfshing immediate peace, which. need
hardly say, was of great Importance at
that time, there was a strong desire to-
treat Spain with a degree of magnan-
unity consistent with our national
honor and prestige, following our ma
tiCmal precedent in the treatment OF
Mexico for the cesSi0n of territory to
us at the close Of the Mexican war; By
the cession, for q consideration we OBJ
tanned an uudisputable title which must
be respected by all other nations.
cit must be remembered. too that
the American commissioners had con-
sistemtly refused to assume any Of the
outstanding debts or obligations which
Spain had undertaken to fastem upon
the Philippines. Notwithstanding our
offer to pay for pacific improvements.
Spain had not undertaken to substanti-
ate any claim upon that ground.
''Of course. 1 speak only for myself,
and I write these views without oppOr-
tunity to consult with my fellow COM
missi0neFs.
I'm my Judgment. the concessions re-
ferred to was effectual in bringing
about an acceptance of ctr proposals.
which resulted in the making Of the
treaty"