New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-28
UHERE THE BLAME MUST REST.

II II be true. as some are saying. that the Fill
njnos or some of them. really regard Americans
as their oupressors and would-be slauGhterers'
f. Is not difficult 10 fix tho criminal responsibility
for that monstrous delusOn. they are respoh-
s;ble who. in their malignant or purblind oppo-
sitiop to ,hc Treaty of Peace with Spain, are
rouring abuse and obloQuy upon their own
country and lis Government When an ex-
President NJ the United States speaks publicly
of The prospective necessity of destroying Few
hundred thousand Flpnos." Is it any wonder
that the Filipinos take the matter seriously ana
think thcv are thus to 10 slaughtered? Nhen
nm American business man and political writer
of worldwide repntc speaks Of this Nation as
plaving the part of an oppressor of the Philip
ninos and OF the President rs a criminal ag-
crcssor foul with dshonOr. Is II any wonder tha'
tbov shrink from further dealings with us!
And when prominent American newspapers.
supportinC and approving Mr.. Cleveland ana
Mr. Carnegie in these scandalous utteranceS,
day after day declare that 1t is the purpose OF
This Government 10 Cypress. rob and massacre
tho F1ipipos Is it any wonder that those re-
mote and ill-tutorcd people begin 10 fear lest we
use them worse than the SpanArds did and are
easily led by selfseekng demagogues to take up
arms against us?
4 nation cannot expect TO he rated by others
more highly than Il rates itself. No matter
how well Il regards itself in general. or how
Jealous II IS of its good repute, II cannot blame
other nations if they take seriously the public,
formal declarations of those Of its people who
hold places which naturally would invest them
with authority Certainly an ex-Presdcnt should
DO esteemed as a representative citizen. compe-
40 \nfiQn would
be- gracious for foreign people to set him down
ofrhand rs an irresponsible traducer of his own
land And If papers of high standing declare us
10 be Nation of thieves and cutthroats we
cannot blame people Mt the other side Of the
world for not regarding those papers as libel
lous.
II would not he a noble thing 10 rail against
ones own country even If all such utterances
were 10 be strictly confined within the limits Of
this country II is wicked thing TO do so when
II is certain that every word will instantly be
sent abroad for the aid and comfort of the enc
mics of this country and for the misleading and
ultimate injury Of those who otherwise would be
our friends and would get great benefit from
our friendship. Those who say such things are
Aguinaldo's American aids. They are doing
their utmost to cmbarrass this Government.
They are at the same time doing the Filipnos
themselves the worst possible dsservlcc. The
true answer to their scmi-traltorous intrigues,
and 10 this Tagacsc playing at war. will he
prompt. irresistible and relentless action by the
Executive in the Philippines-such action as
might probably have been taken long ago-and
then. al the unfortunately beaed date. emphatic
ratification OF the treaty and fufment Of its
provisions. The time is past for trihing with
forbearance toward either foreign foes or their
domestic aids