Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-09-14


despotism.
(, OUR SOLDIERS RESENTED.
| Not only is there bul a small part OF
the Island Cf LuZcn engaged ina this
! inSIrcctiCrs but the greater part of
the tribe TEich is engaged issopposed
| to Il continuation of the warsSis in
favor of American rule, but is ssOver-
awed by the threats OF the insurgent
leaders. Under orders from these lead
ers all towns and cities which were
abandoned were burned by the insur-
gent forces. and the inhabitants COM
PEELED to move back within their lines.
Thousands upon thousands have thus
had their homes destroyed by their
own countrymen and have been COM
PEELED to live as best they might, in
poverty and suffering. For while the
people had been terrified and had been
prejudiced against the American army
by printed circulars. which had been
distributed, stating that the United
States troops had committed all kinds
Of atrocities against old men and help
less women and children in the towns
which they captured, but experience
soon showed them that the Americans
were their best friends. BY the time
I VIC lelCueu MdlOlOS tIe people Hdu
come to understand the treatment they
would receive from the American army
/ and we were informed by those who
ventured back under flags of truce that
nearly the whole population wished to
remain in their homes and await the
coming of our troops, but that the in
surgents at the point of the bayonet
forced them to leave and drove them
| ha MT hn
i'll swamps and thickets.
1T was the order of General Otis,
carried out to the fullest extent by our
division commander, General MacAr-
thur, that the troops should treat these
non-combatants with the utmost cour-
tesy and kindness, and this was DONE
despite all reports to the contrary
"As commander of the district of
Cavite l had personal knowledge of
this feeling in the provinces of Cavite
and Batangas, the very hotbed of the
insurrection. The town of Cavite,
which was of limited area, became so
crowded that for fear of an epidemic
of sickness / was obliged to turn away
hundreds upon hundreds of men and
women, coming from the mainland,
who wished to abandon the insurgent
outrages of the insurgent troops. AS
soon as the insurgent forces had with
drawn the prCNlinent citizens of linus,
the capital of Cavite province. well
coined the American troops, and under
their direction formed local gov
ernment, under which they are still
working. Other towns in this PROV
ince sent requests to have the Amer-
! r. fnrraS iSit nd hot
submission.
The insurgent army itself is not
united, as a great many of the soldiers
We're forced to enlist and are COM
PEELED to serve under threat of death.
ADMINISTRATION COMMENDED.
II have been asked, as has every re-
turning soldier, my opinion of the con-
duet of the war This question is so
indefinite that | do not think it can
be intelligently answered by subordin-
ate officers like myself. can say, how
ever, that within my knowledge two of
the departments, which most vitality
affect the interests of the army, could
not under all the circumstances, have
been better conducted. The rations
were excellent and were promptly sup
| piled, the hospital accommodations
were ample and the medical staff suf-
fcient, not only to care for our own
men, but to furnish an object lesson
| in generosity and magnaminity by
treating hundreds of Filipinos, who
would otherwise have been left to die
Speaking from a material stand
point. these islands will prove a valu-
able acquisition to the United States.
| Already they are developing commerce
| to a wonderful extent upon the Pa
| cific coast Those who have not seen
them cannot appreciate the prodigali-
| ty of nature or the immense CONNER
cial traffic which they possess. If peace
| be restored the revenues of but few
years will suffice to pay for their pur-
chase, and the price of their conquest,
and l venture the prediction that be-
| fore the next national encampment of
the Grand Army of the Republic the
sovereignty of the United States will
be undisputed throughout the length
and breadth of the archipelago. | do
not propose to discuss expansion and
ant-expansion, for I am not familiar
with the exact meaning ofsthose terms
| If anti-eXpansion means that we
should not assume possession of the
Philippines-then it is out of date, for
we tlTedUN Hblu luelu ny d lllie tHdJ
no civilized nation for very self pres
orvation would dare to dispute. If it
cans that we are to retire from the
esent conflict, to abandon the islands
80 anarchy and dark and bloody deeds
> ~ and death, and that our ma
Z. g. emblem is to be thus humiliated
;:tv G,shonored for the first time be-
I-"c he nations of the earth, then do
NJ believe that the great majority of
lie American people will consent. 1
do not believe that you, who fought
acd suffered to preserve. establish and
perpetuate the very Union whose hon
or and sovereignty are thus assailed,
will consent that its flag shall be hauled
down in that land. whose soil has been
Consecrated to the cause of liberty and
dedicated to civilization by the she'd
ding of American blood"