The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-07
a Question Of Sovereignty.

The question is now one OF sovereignty
TIE ratification Of the treaty Of Paris by
the Senate yesterday disperses all the
threatening and sinister clouds that had
previously complicated and obscuTed the
situation. There IS 20 be E9 more PM
landering with Aguinaldo, no more faint
hearted Irritation on the brink OF smoi-
de.ing volcano We have done with
humanitarian armies and benevolent cam
paiens. The treaty goes into effect. The
United States is IN possession. and hence
forth IL shan be our duty to assert and 10
maintain that possession against the
world The result Of yesterday vote did
not surprise Us. on the contrary, We
should have been amazed and shamed had
The result been otherwise Specifically
considered. the contest was a close one.
II is our profound conviction, however.
that every voice In the Senate would have
been raised for ratification had such a
demonstration been necessary 10 the end.
We shah have time enough TO consider
the matter OF dispOsing of our new acqui-
stions. They came to US as a consequence
of war We have destroyed the govern
ment previously existing there-a govern
ment recognized by the civilized nations
Of the earlh-and We are bound in honor
tc establish and TO perpetuate in its place
government atileast as stable and as
enlightened Meantime, We cannot escape
the obligations We have assumed. We
must set up in the Philippines a regime OF
law and order, and implant institutions
under which liberty and organized society,
the protection of life and property and the
maintenance OF peace. Will be secured.
That much We owe TO ourselves, 10 his
tory and to Christendom. We NAV do
what We please with the islands later on.
II they prove, as many wise men have
pTophesied, a burden and an incubus. we
can dispose of them in such manner az
cOmmends itself 10 our conscience and our
Judgment. That is for Congress to decide
IN the light of developments and experi-
ence. But the Philippines are ours to-
cay and We have TO choose between
honor and disgrace in the policy We adopt
concerning them
AS Tor Aguinaldo and his co-conspira-
tors. We shall be wise TO treat them with
out mercy. So long as they are permitted
TO Keep up the comedy Of an independent
OreaniZation,sO long We shall be d laughing
stock and the bedfellow of disaster. With
the kindest of motives We have battered
with them for too long. They are treach-
erous' arrogant, stupid, and yindictive.
lQlne FElAnG a
ognizing obligations. Consideration is
construed by them as fear. Politeness
and amiability appeal to their contempt.
centuries OF barbarism and subsection
nave made them merely cunning and dis
honest. We cannot safely treat them as
our equals, for the simple and sufficient
reason that they could not understand it,
They do not know the meaning of Justice
and good faith. They do not know the
difference between liberty and license.
They have no place in our scheme of
government, and viii not and cannot
have until generations of freedom and
protection shall have shed light upon
their minds
We must look TO our sovereignty in the
Philippines now. We must dismiss ali
thought Of optimistic propagandas, awake
from visions Of Utopia. These Fiipinos
must be taught obedience and be forced
10 observe, even If they cannot compre-
mend, the practices of civilization. And
10 that end every resource at our dis
posal, every energy We can command.
should be employed without thought or
hesitation