The Globe-republican., 1899-11-02
Whit R,.h. H,v. ". in tho Pau,pp,n.. ,

est propounded to us by the school oil
opinion which favors hauling down
the American flag in Luzon and caus.
'ng our armies to retreat from the
Islands of the Philippines It 10 as
sumed by some people that We are in
these islands without any authority
Il law; that we have neither legal nor
moral right to be there, and that the
continued presence OF our troops is a
crime In the eyes of civilized human
ity. There is no more sacred title to
territory than that acquired ty right
OF discovery. Civilized nations since
the beginning of recorded history
have recognised this right. Spain
had this right to the Philip
pines, and held it for three
hundred years. Her sovereignty
was never questioned Badly as she
governed this archipelago, no rebel
lion ever started by the inhabitants
OF any of these islands ever received
outside recognition from any human
government. The islands were SPANS,
absolute and unquestioned, and she
governed them with the tyranny
characteristic Of her treatment of all
her colonies. When the Spanish
American war opened. the United
States had an Asiatic fleet at Hong
Kong. 1t was known that Spain had
q fleet in the waters adjacent to
Manila. The day that Congress de-
clare war the President ordered
Dewey. the commander of the Asiatic
heet. to find the Spanish feet and
either capture or destroy it. He
found the fleet in the bay of Manila,
and followed out the orders of the
President to the very letter No
American at that hour. no matter
what might have been his politics,
would have dared to suggest that
Admiral Dewey sail away from Manila
bay. in which he had Just won so
signal victory. It was the opening
incident Of the war with Spain, and
from the moment it was won the Phil.
ippines became one of the Spanish
account in our final treaty with that
country. 1t became Immediately
possible that the Philippines would be
required of Spain as a part of the in :
demnity due US as a victorious nation,
in making treaty with a country
over whom we had won a victory. No
one at that time questioned the right
of Spain to dispose Of these islands to
the United States Even w. J. BRYAN,
who is now questioning the right of
the American army to remain in Luz
zon. went to Washington in person
and used his influence with the Demo-
cratic senator's to get them to vote for
the rattle ,tion Of the Paris treaty,
which gave the United States the en-.
tire Philippine archipelay 20 AMI justi-
fed the payment of 100000, 900 to
Spain.
The Spanish-American peac. COM
which met at Paris was a le-
gal body. 1t met under the eyes of
the civilized world and transferred,
after due discussion, the islands of
the Philippines to the United States,
and the United States Immediately be-
came responsible for the restoration
of law and order in those islands The
in which the peace commits
sion proceeded and its reasons for
what it did are best given by Judge
Day, president of the American Peace
COMMISSIONERS, in the following Ian
guage:
dear Sir:-In reply to your recent
inquiry as to my understanding of the
reasons which induced the agreement
on the part of the American commits
sioners in negotiating the treaty at
Paris to incorporate in the treaty an
article which should require the pay
meat by the United States to Spain
for the cession of the Philippines the
sum of $50, Goa, 900. l beg to say think
the subject is made quite plain by
reference to the printed protocol of
the joint commission, which you will
find in Senate document No G., Fifty
fifth Congress, third session, being
the printed volume published last
winter after the treaty was submit
ted to the Senate of the United States.
You will discover that this subject
was first brought by the American
to the attention of the
Spanish commissioners in q proposal
for an article in the treaty in which
Spain should cede to the United States
the archipelago, known as the Philip
pine islands. which proposal conc,ud-
I'd with the statement:
The American commissioners beg
further to state that they are pre-
pared to insert in the treaty stipu-
'shGiOu III IhC 0SSumPtiOu ny tic
United States of any existing indebt-
.dness of Spain incurred for public
works and Improvements Of pacific
character in the Philippines Senate
document 62, H.
1T is unnecessary to review the
ong discussion which ensuei, Or to
estate the grounds upon which the
Spanish commissioners rejected this
proposal and declined to cede the ISL
lnds to the United States. You will
ind the discussion fully developed in
he record if you see ut to read it.
IN the 2lst of November following.
he American commits ;ioners, in a
oint session Of the commission. pre-
;enteda proposition which the Amer
can commissioners regarded as final.
n connection with which it was said:
1.-The proposal presented by the
American commissioners in behalf of
heir government for the cession of
he Philippines to the United States
laving been rejected by the Spanish
oners, and the counterpart
,osal o! the latter for the withdrawal
II the American forces from the ISL
Inds ar d the payment of an indemnity
~ the limited States RI Snain ha vino