Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-07-06

pdItuiiD MiluOub any iN"9Ohf NAssN -
fought the battle of Manila and were
sending an army half way around the
world solely for the purpose of llberat-
ing them from Spain and would seek
nothing for ourselves in retarn. As
time went on and we prepared to take
Manila without asking them to coop
crate, they grew more than suspicious,
they were sullen. We captured Mani
la on the eve Of the signing OF the pro-
tocol. with the rebels looking on-a
peculiar situation. Then followed a
trying period during which the terms
of peace were being discussed. Al
length the terms were made KNOWN
the United States would secure the
Philippines in return for its eonquests
and the payment OF S20,000,0O0 IN
money. So bitter was the resentment
of the Filipinos when they learned
this that before the treaty could be
acted upon by our Senate-its ratiiica-
ton was matter of great doubt-they
made an unproyoked attack on our
troops in Manila for the purpose OF
driving them into the sea. They fail
ed, the treaty was ratified and the
hostilities that have ensued have re-
suited from our effort to maintain au-
thority and the rebels effort to drive
us out.
Now the anti-expansionists maintain
that while the extirpation of Spain
from the Philippines was iustidable,we
should have withdrawn from the islands
rs soon as peace was declared and left
the Filipinos to formulate such gov
eminent As they desired We should
have washed our hands of all response
bility before the world and retired to
our own shores to remain forevermore.
The expansionist takes different
view He does not find in the record
OF events any point whereby the United
States was under obligation to grant
the Filipinos absolute independence.
even if they had been fully capable of
self-government. We conquered the
Islands from Spain in part and pur-
chased in part. We stepped into
SPANS shoes, so far as sovereignty
was concerned. There Is no proof that
we ever officially or otherwise prom
ised the natives independence. They
could never have secured 1t without
our help and but for US Spain would be
their master today. our intentions
were and are to give the natives all the
benefits of freedom and independence,
and assume the expense and response
bilities ourselves, but even before We
could make this plain our troops were
assaulted rs enemies. This very attack,
as well rs everything else that has
come to our notice, proves eonclusively
that the Filipinos are not at present fit
for independence, and having cast ont
Spain. which, though a poor master,
was responsible to the world, we must
assume the burden until time
shows us a different solution.
Could we have peered into the fu-
ture last year; could we have seen that
instead of being grateful for what we
had done for them and for the lnestima-
BILE blessings we offered of freedom,
Justice, participation in government
Of everything save the mere sovereign
ty, carrying with it great response
bility-we should be received as ene-
mics bent on cruel conquest and the
fastening of another hated foreign
yoke, it is very possible that self-inter-
est might have dictated that Aguinaldo
should not have been aided at the be-
ginning by US; that no claim should
ever have been made for the Philip
pines even that Dewey should have
sailed away after his victory-self-in-
terest might have dictated this, but it
would have been no less a surrender
not only of our rights but of our re-
sponsibilities. A year ago we hoped
for happier outcome-for peaceful
over these islands. with all
the blessings that would flow to them
but in our disappointment the Amer
lean people do not show any inclina-
ton to cast reproach at the feet of any
one,nor do they feel that if placed back
where they were they would ordain
differently. We are speaking OF the
people as a whole, not ofcertain types.
who are more vociferous than numer-
ous