The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-03-02
PRESENT DAY THOUGHTS
AN INTERESTING RETROSPECT
CONCERNING THE FILIF1N0S.
Five Points Considered.
BY G. GROSVENOR DAVE.
written for The Commonwealth.


time this article appears there will be
a lull in the feelings of our people re-
garding the slaughter OF 1000 or more
Filipinos. In consequence there Will
be a better chance for the Intrusion OF
a little calm discussion regarding the
general principles involved. The deed
horrlfied large portion OF our popuia-
ton and to another portion it Was a
cause for rejoicing one portion, with
out regard to previous politics, de-
nounced the government for retrogress-
ion, another portion defended every
act through thick and thin. Some
where between these two is right line.
Let us seek to find it.
*
First to those who Genounce the
whole proceeding let me PROFOUND a
question-what would have been your
feelings if instead of an American
triumph there had been Filipino
triumph? In such matters you are
bound to have sympathies-would
they not have been with those of your
own kith and KIN who by no fault of
their own but simply by the exigencies
of war were brought face to face with
hostile natives. 1t is profound credit
to our national heart that it can be
moyed with sympathy for the defeated,
but it is necessary to watch that such
sympathy does not wander so far afield
as to approve the defeat OF our own.
The spirit of "Don't cheer boys these
poor fellows are dyingI" shown at
Santiago is of necessity the spirit of all
OF us who have hearts yet that same
spirit can at the same time have in it
the strength to put up good fight Tor
that which appears to be right.
Being sure then that the feeling we
have shown Is perfectly genuine and
yet at the same time utterly remote
from any desire for the defeat of our
own. it is safe to move On to four main
poii.ts that apparently give approval
to all that has been done in the Phil
lppines, but which in effect contain
much disapproval of methods thus
far shown.
Flrst-All parties would haye de-
nounced any Idea of giving the Phil
ippines back to Spain. Her positive
inability to understand what progress
meant-or what mercy meant-had
brought us to the risk and the expense
of removing her heavy hand from off
the shoulders of the oppressed. It
would be temerity to even hint that
the call upon us for aid and for succor
was not loud and insistent. We all
heard 1t to the remotest crossroads Of
the country and by our hands or by
our hearts, and by our prayers
we all responded. Party lines were
broken down tor the time, and would
have been again, II we had returned to
the hand of the oppressor the land of
the oppressed Surely we all agree on
this point.
~
Second-All parties would have
questioned the wisdom OF giving these
islands over to any foreign power. The
logic of the matter, appreciated Instant
ly by the national mind, was this
having fought for these feeble people
and having conquered their enemies,
they become our wards and we were
therefore, In honor, bound TO under
take their betterment, no matter what
the cost or the embarrassment to us.
A deed half done is meyer we'll done,
and child saved from fire has but
little cause for gratitude if it is i'm
mediately thereafter thrown out into a
cold world without friends.
Third-It was equally out of the
question among those who studied the
conditions of the mixed population of
the Philippines, to leaye them Instant
ly to their own devices. The fierce. re-.