The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-16
BELATED RECRUITS.

The distinguished citizens who have put
forth an appeal to the lovers of liberty"
with suggestions to the President as TO
the manner to proceed with the Filpinos
seem not 10 have kept themselves we'll in
formed More than two months ago the
President named a commission to proceed
10 the Philippines and take measures TO in
form the inhabitants Of the friendly inten-
tons of the United States. The instructions
which this commission was given hy the
President were of the most friendly nature.
The policy announced was TO assist the peo-
pie in forming stable and just government
Beyond that the President did not 20 be-
cause he recognizes that Congress has the
authority to make the permanent arrange
ments. 1t can be add that the general
purport OF the instruct as to the commits
sion led fair-ninded readers to infer that
the policy he has in mind for the Philip
pines is essentially the same as that which
Congress has ordained for Cuba. ns mely,
that when 1t shall be evident that the Leo
pie Of the Philippines can maintain a stable
and free government the United States will
retire.
The purpose OF this commission was well
known two months ago. While it's member
ship did not embrace any of the aistin-
guished statesmen and citizens whose names
are appended to the protest, their omission
may be due to the fact that at that time they
were fighting the ratification of the peace
treaty and demanding that our forces at
Manila, land and sea, should leave with the
utmost dispatch. Some of them were in
bad temper and so forgot themselves as TO
express the wish that Aguinaldo would be
able to kill the first soldier sent TO Manila
to hold the country. Money was contributed
TO organize party in this country hostile
to the ratification OF the peace treaty or
the temporary occupation of any portion of
the Philippines 1t has been asserted, and
We have not seen it denied by any of the
contributors. even by the chief contributor,
that Aguinaldo's agent received some of this
money and used it TO pay for sending cable
grams giving his chief advices OF the stu
alton here. Whether this is true or not.
it cannot be denied that the dispatches
which Aguinaldo received concerning public
sentiment in this country as expressed by
the leaders of the anti-imperialist organi-
cation led him to assume hostile attitude
and finally to attack our army about Ma
Mia. The men who spoke of Aguinaldo as
the Simon Bolivar, the Lafayette and even
the Washington of the Philippines. and who
compared him in magazine articles with
Napoleon and Bismarck. are chiefly respon-
sible for the fighting that is now going on
about Manila. Indeed, it is probable that
If they had, three months ago, urged the
line Of action they now urge there would
have been no war.
In this last appeal the anti-imperialists
have abandoned their old ground and moved
up to that occupied by the President so far
as he can take action independent of Con-
gress. Just now there seems no way TO
reach Aguinaldo, now behind his fighting
men. He causes flags of truce to be fired on
and considers prisoners to be a cash asset
The President might name some of the
eminent citizens who have sent out this
appeal as a new commission. They may be
able to reach the Absolute Supreme Presi-
dent Of the Revolutionary Republic of the
Philippines and induce him to relinquish his
dictatorship for a season. The least thew
can do is to offer their services to the Presi-
dent