The record-union., 1899-04-13
THE PRESENT SITUATION.

The formal acts ending the war and
restoring peaceful relations between t5e
United States and Spain have been
completed, and the two nations are
once more related to one another as
lthey were before the war. The cere-
Imony of exchanging the treaty rat1aca-
tions was very simple, and the Presf-
dents proclamation announcing the
restoration of peaceful relations is sim
pie and confined to bare official recital
Of the necessary facts.
Thus two nations return to the peace
full conditions under which they had
communion a year ago. But in that
time the island of Cuba has been freed
from the misrule, tyranny and woful
neglect of Spain. The Peninsular Gov
eminent has lost it's possessions in the
West Indies, it's Oriental islands and
a portion of the Ladrone group, while
the United States has risen before the
world as commanding Power to be
counted a factor in the great world
movements of the future.
Free government has broadened the
bounds of its garments, and an op-
pressed people have been given oppor-
tunity to rise to the level and dignity
of a governing community. But
in the meantime our authority in the
Orient has been disputed, and we are
at war with a faction Of the natives.
Thus far we have been successful in
driving the insurgents back into the
hills and mountains, and in throwing
a safeguard of military lines about the
city of Manila at varying distances OF
from fifteen and twenty to sixty miles
inland This guard line, however, is
necessarily light, being so much eA-
tended, while the rainy season is close
at hand, when advance movements Will
be impossible.
The enemy in the meantime assails
our military line and renders vigilance
unceasing. 1t is evident that to COM
pIeteIy defeat these insurgents we must
maintain a larger armed force in Lu-
zon, and equip it for the rainy season in
lsuch a way that the line may be made
permanent, and be enabled to hold the
insurgents in check until a more favor
able season opens for campaigning. We
may, however, make some advances
here and there, and possibly push our
lines inland farther before the rainy
season fairly sets in.
In other islands of the Philippine
group where We have sent armed bod
les we have successfully placated the
natives, established our authority with
comparatively little friction, and will
probably be able to maintain our posi-
tions until all the natives are convinced
that we mean well by them, and hold
their interests and ours to be common.
| There is good reason for belief, TAX
ing all information received from the
Philippines and analyzing it, that the
the people of Luzon are being rapidly
undeceived regarding the purpose OF
the American occupation, are deserting
the insurgent cause and withdrawing
sympathy from it. Self-interest stim-
ulates them greatly to favor the Amer
ican plan, and to have peace restored
to the disturbed country.
That the insurgents will be ultimately
overcome and American authority be
recognized throughout the greater ISL
ands is not to be questioned. We will
succeed, though not as speedily as
could be desired. In the lesser juris-
dictions authoritative conditions will
probably remain much as they are at
chieftaincies for discreet reasons will
be left as they are, since they do no
harm to our interests. and there is time
enough to extend to them. through
peaceables means, the civilizing infiu-
ences of free government Indeed, it
has been said that the United States
has already given these small tribal
governments and Sultanates to under
stand that their system will not be in
terfered with, though not recognized
as independent of American authority.
The proposition to come before the
State body of Native Sons this month
| to raise means to endow a Chair of
State History in the University of Cali
fornia is an excellent one. 1t ought not
to be difficult to accomplish that end.
Such chairs are established in several
universities and the younger States of
all others most need them. We are
making history for civilization daily
our infantile period is not so far distant
in the past as render 1t heavy task
now to make record of historical facts
and verify them. while a quarter of d
century later such a work will have
become far more difficult Our history
antedates in reality that of some of the
| older States, since the Pacific Coast
was the scene of European adventure
centuries ago, and ever since 1T has
been related to scheme of westward ad-
lvancing civilization. If we are to have
in the University of the State chair of
local history no time is better than the
lpresent for its establishment, and none
can more appropriately move in that
direction than the young men and
women who have grown to maturity in
this State
Contracts made on Sunday may be
enforced in Minnesota, according to a
decision Of the Supreme Court Of that
| State.