The times., 1899-03-23
The Address to the Fi,ipinos.

The Filipinos have been warned that re-
| sistance to the authority of this country
| can never lead to our withdrawal; that we
have assumed obligations in behalf of civ
iIization for the establishment of stable
government in the Philippines, and no
| power on earth can induce us to relinquish
our claims or prove recreant to our trust.
But they are told that we do not come as
oppressors. II is not in harmony with the
principles of our institutions to impose
tyrannical government on the inhabitants
of the islands, or to deprive them of any
measure of selfgovernment TO which they
are equal. This is in brief the spirit OF the
address to the Filipinos issued by the Phi l.
| ippines Commission. II reflects the ideas OF
! the President. which were embodied in his
proclamation. 1t means exactly what the
American people have intended from the
first There has never been any thought OF
violating the fundamental doctrines of the
| Republic any more than there has been
thought of relinquishing the least measure
of our lawful and necessary authority over
territory which we are pledged to main
| tain and develop in the best interests of
the people of America and OF the civilized
world.
1t is in strict pursuance OF our duty that
we are compelled 10 use force to prevent
the establishment of the dictatorship of
mercenary adventurer whose chief strength
is the Misrepresentation of American in
tentions and the murder OF every native
who protests against the war on our au-
thority. Though it should be necessary to
continue the conflict for an indefinite
period, we have no option. There may
have been a grave mistake in the earlier
stages when no steps were taken 10 stop
the aggressions of Aguinaldo but since the
| first attack on our lines We have been
more sternly bound to establish our SOW
ereignty than England has been to crush
the, power of the .Soudanese fanatics. 1t is
only by this means that we can save TO lib
erty the future Inhabitants of the archi-
| pelago Since the ratification of the Treaty
the policy of this Government has been
firm, but without depriving the rebels of
the power to save their lives and achieve
a measure of freedom unparalleled by that
| of any other people that have been subject
to the rule of tyranny. All we have re-
/ quired of them is TO throw off the yoke of
! a self-seeking adyenturer and submit 10
| the conditions of American sovereignty.
| These conditions would be welcomed by
any people with the intelligence TO under
stand them. They are exactly such as the
| citizens of this Republic live under. sup
| port. love, and offer their lives for.
| When the Filipinos are undeceived and
have ceased their insane warfare. there
will be the dawn of new day, such as no
similar people have ever known. All we
shall ask will be the administration of To-
cal affairs under the principles of the Re-
public in order that every citizen and every
! foreign resident shall be secure in his life
and property. II is under such an admin
! istration that more than ten per cent OF our
volunteers now in the islands intend to re-
main. They are American citizens. and
ask no better guarantee Of personal liberty,
of justice, and of opportunity than the su-
premacy of this nation affords. That the
| Filipinos will be grateful to be able TO live
on such terms when they are freed from
the delusions that led them to resist, is be-
| yond all doubt.