The Irish standard., 1899-04-15


ninistration, through any means, to ar,
rive at any understanding with the in
habitants of the Philippine island:
touching their future. The commission
ers sent to Washington by Aguinaldo
were not received by the president OF
the administration, the flags OF true.
sent by the same individual to Genera
Otis and Admiral Dewey from time te
time were also unrecognized, and ;
period OF six months elapsed from ou
original occupation OF those islands
prior to the breaking out OF hositilitie:
between our troops and the natives, dur
ing which time absolutely nothing was
done upon the part OF our government
touching our relations with those inhab.
itants or the future OF the islands.
When. however. we had established
troops at Manila to the number that
have stated. the conflict broke out. 1t
was not precipitated by an attack made
by the Filipinos upon our forces. but
was precipitated by the shooting OF some
Filipinos by some OF our troops and
with the resultant collisions. A portion
OF Our troops. constituting one division
and not exceeding i'll number $4,000
men marched from Manila to Malolos
being opposed from the beginning by
al! the Filipino forces in their interview
ing intrenchments. and the ground COW
cred by Our troops from the best re-
ports seem to be strip OF territory
from ten to fifteen miles wide and about
twenty-five miles long. This territory.
prior to the advance OF our troops. was
very thckly settled and populated and
contained many villages and cities or
towns. from halnets UP to towns aggre-
eating some $4,000 inhabitants. The
Filipinos have been crushed conquered
and dispersed at an aggregate loss to us,
as stated in your paper this morning,
OF entire casualties from Feb. to April
4. 1900. inclusive, OF killed 1874, wounded
o76. total OF LOO.
aggregating from a minimum Of 5000
to a maximum OF 10000 to $4,000 per-
sons. and these are stated to be the
killed for the estimates do not include
those among them who were wounded.
OF necessity in progress OF the char
acter made by our troops through a
country OF the character OF that inllab-
tied as it was then, with the accompani-
ment OF the Smelling OF villages and
towns by the warshps whenever they
were within reach OF their missiles, the
deaths which have been reported among
the Fillpinos must include more or less
numbers OF women and children and
other non-combatants, class of persons
who up to this time have not been con-
sidered as proper subjects for annihila-
ton or destruction at the hands of the
American soldiers. In OUR necessary
and inevitable conflict with the Indians
within our borders, necessary because
the settlers had to be protected from
'HN'' "''"eN'' out SOlulclS carefully
avoided the killing OF women and chill
dren, and when such instances occurred
in a sudden attack upon an Indian vii
lage. they were always deplored and
certainly not boosted Of No such hui
mainly seems to have been extended to
the Filipinos. If, therefore. 1900
American troops within period OF
month, and at loss to themselves of
killed 1874 and wounded o7o can destroy
from six to ten or twelve thousand OF
the inhabitants OF the country in which
the war is being carried on. | think that
| am justified in repeating that our boys
might be in better business than in STAY
ing the wretched Filipinos
II wish to inquire with what object
this was done. Was it necessary for the
protection OF Our soldiers in the Philip
pine islands? Could no other means
have been adopted for their protection
than such indscriminate destruction OF
their opponents? Could those oppo-
ielltS ltdNe Deell Oh al exceedingly lOr-
nldablc character or capable OF inflict-
ing much loss upon our troops if while
they were within their intrenchments,
armed with Mauser rifles and Our men
attacked them the proportion OF the
killed stand as 1874 upon the part OF the
attacking forces and from six to twelve
thousand on that of the defenders?
These questions seem to me to be reason
able and should be answered ii they can
be. Again, what was the object or purpose
OF pouring 10000 trained troops into the
country in which $4,000 soldiers sufficed
to perform the work Of practically ami
hilating their opponents? Again. why
was regiment after regiment OF all class
cs of arms poured into the Philippines
before any conflict or appearance OF
conflict took place therein, and what
have the Filipinos done to this republic
that such a frightiul punishment should
be visited upon them? As have stated,
at the time of our landing Our first de-
tachment of troops at Manila the inlab-
itants were and had been for some time
in full rebellion against the Spanish rule,
and that it was represented to them that
our arrival in the Philippines would
result in Kidding them from what has
been termed the odious cruelty of Span