Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-11-02

1
OF the late insurrectlon In Cuba aud
prior TO the conclusion Of the treaty
OF peace
''on tho esth OF November tho
Spanish commissioners accepted tho
terms offered by tho Fepresentatlv
OF the United States You will OBJ
serve that, In making this proposal, 10
Is distinctly said that II embodies tho
concessions which, for the aalte OF
immediate peace, tho American gov
ernment was willing TO make. There
wero doubtless other reasons actual.
ing the commissioners in making this
proposal, though i think the chief ono
" embodied In the statement above
written
1T was not claimed that tho United
States had Eight TO tho Philippines
as q matter OF conquest The United
States has never undertaken, 80 far as
l know, TO wrest from foreign counr
try lands or possessions simply by
right OF conquest Had VIC been dis
posed to do 10, II must be remem-
bcred that VIC were In possession only
OF tho city, bay and harbor OF Manila
under to protocol OF August IL, 1898,
providing that the United States
should occupy AMI hold tho same
pending the conclusion OF treaty OF
peace which should determine the
control, disposition and government
OF the Philippines
"rho capture, after tho signing OF
the protocol, by General Merritt and
his forces, whatever It's legal effect
may have BEEN included no more ter
ritory than We were entitled TO hold
under the protocol.
"ln addition TO, tho hope OF accom-
plishlng Immediate peace, which, l
nood hardly say, was OF great import
ance ut that time, there was n strong
desire TO treat Spain with u degree OF
magnlnimity consistent with our ma
tIonal honor and prestige, following
our national precedent In tho treat.
ment OF Mexico for the cesslon OF ter
rltory TO. us ut tho close OF the Mex
loan war by the oesslon, for con-
Elaboration, we obtained an indlsputa-
Bile title, which must be respected by
all other nations IL must DO remcmr
b0red, too, that the American COM
missIoners had consistently refused
to assume any OF tho outstanding
debts or obligations which Spain had
undertaken TO fasten upon the Phil
ipplnoR Notwithstanding our offer
to pny for acifeimprovemcnts, Spain
had not undertaken to Substantial
any claim upon that ground
"0f course, speak only for MYSELF
and write these views without OPP
portunity to consult with my fellow
commissioners
I'm my Judgment, the concession
referred TO was effectual In bringing
about an acceptance OF our proposals
which resulted in tho making OF tho
treaty.
I'm this conclusion cordially agree
with the following remarks Of Ssna-
tor Gray, ono of the commissioners,
made ut the Ohio society dinner In
New York, February 20, 1900:
"When, after four or five months
OF doubt and anxiety, II became ap'
parent that these negotiations must
either DO broken off and your
commissioners return without Il
treaty at all, and that we would be
relegated to tho necessity Of taking
not only tho Philippines, but Cub0
and Porto Rico by tho ruthless hand
Of conquest, or by some concessions,
that comported with the magnanimity
and greatness and character Of this
country, gain them by tho voluntary
cession OF n treaty OF peace And,
therefore, we believe that 1t was bet
ter for this country, strong In thc
hour Of It's victories, great in the hour
OF It's trlumphs, that II should, TO q
beaten and PROSTATE foe, exhibit that
magnanimity OF which l spoke, an
take from them by voluntary cession
and by purchase, so to speak, those
distant islands, rather than expose
ourselves to tina eyes OF the world n,
playing roll OF bnrbaric conquest
and by military power tread the pntl
OF medieval rapine and warfare
1.-THE advanced position which tho
i, United States has always maintained
, in It's international relations its OPP
position to anything like harsh Of
severe treatment OF u fallen foe, n
we'll as other cognent reasons, would
seem to justify the payment Of thu
$50, 0O0,0 900 as an act dictated from I
high sense Of national honor rs wei
as sound policy, uuder the circum
stances OF the case. Yours very truly
civilian II. DAY"
: And thus tho Philippine archipel
q ago which bGcame SPANS 800 years
@ ago through the discovery Of thu
a great SpAniard, Magellan, was trans
ferred by solemn authority TO TIN
q United States. 1t Is said now by SOM
o who evidently have little information
a in relation to these islands, that thu
q government Of tho islam Is should b
/, turned over TO the natives, ard tina
i tho United Statos should rccil-" ..on
n this land which she secured frou
), Spain In n manner Endorsed by tn
;. whole civilized world Even II W.
n were to grant this conteation OF the
= antl.expanslonlsts, the question woult
: Immediately arise as to which natives
we should turn the government Of
these islands over TO- There are In tho
0 Philippine islands to day some thirty
( different races OF people; divided into
( over one.hundrcd different tribes, aut
S only one Of these trlbesis in rebellion
against the authority OF the United
. States With the exception OF tho
natives of the island OF Luzon, which
Is merely one of the archipelago, the
= natives Of tho Philippine islands are
: willing to accept the authority OF the
80 IN