The record-union., 1899-10-11

it and ascertain its illogical character
and it's misstatements Of fact. The
President did and does still oppose
forcible annexation. That is, he never
has and will not favor a war of con-
quest. But we were legitimately, de-
fensibly engaged in a war with Spain.
That being concluded, we negotiated
peace treaty with that country, then
the sovereign authority in the Philip
pines and so recognized by all the
world.
In that treaty in the interest of COM
mon justice, to enable Spain to keep
faith with her creditors. who held
bonds against that Government for
money advanced for local construction
in the islands, we agreed to pay her
! $40, 100000 for the public property by
her possessed in the islands. In adj
dition we generously permitted Spain
to remove valuable moveables, a pure
ly unselfish and charitable act, an act
of magnanimity unparalleled in his
tory. Congress ratified that treaty and
voted the money to pay the $20OO0,-
000 To this point then there was no
forcible annexation, save so far as
victory in war worked to our advan-
tage
But pending the negotiations and
prior to the conclusion of the treaty,
certain number of the people of the
chief island, but not all, nor even a
majority, who Heretofore were at
peace with Spain, demanded that they
be permitted to enter the city of Ma
Mia under arms and there exercise the
authority of captors. Bound by every
rule Of warfare, by every sentiment OF
honor, by every consideration of dec
ency, we refused to comply and these
armed bands who had been auxiliary
to us in the war against Spain, had
recognized our authority, accepted our
arms and proclaimed themselves our
allies in breaking down the monarchi-
cal Spanish system, made war upon US
and thus became insurgents. We SIM
ply held them at bay as in duty bound
and without doing (which we would
have been disgraced before the world
until the treaty was concluded. We
then demanded that they submit them
selves to the authority of the United
States
At this they, the Aguinaldoites, re-
volted and have ever since been in in
surrection. To the suppression Of that
insurrection we have since bent our
energies. It would have been simply
impossible to have yielded to Aguin-
aldo. We were bound to Spain, to the
interests of all neutrals in the islands,
to all the nations Of the earth to main
tain the authority stipulated in the
treaty. To have given over the Span
ish In the Philippines to these insur-
rectionists, would have been an act OF
incredible brutality, outrageous breach
Of faith and unparalleled inhumanity.
1t would have drawn upon US the ex-
ecration of the civilized world, and
have justified the nations in taking
up the cause Of Spain and visiting
upon us just war for our crime.
There was, therefore, so far as the
Aguinaldoites are concerned. no fore
ible annexation. There was no forcible
annexation so far as the Spanish were
concerned, except as the result of war
may be so termed, but that was cured
by the treaty of peace, which was rati-
fed by Congress. When by treaty we
acquired Alaska from the lawful and
undisputed sovereignty of that land,
had a band or any considerable number
Of native Alaskans risen up against the
assertion Of our authority, they would
have been insurrectionists precisely as
are the Tagalos of Luzon. Moreover
at the time of the cession of the ISL
ands to US there was no other asserted
and dominant authority in the Phil
ippines than that of Spain. Prior to
TO that Aguinaldo had treated with
Spain, settled his issues with her for
base coin, taken the blood money and
departed from the country, returning
only under cover of our occupation to
repudiate his contract and reassert
himself as a rebel
AS to the floating of the flag over
Mohammedan sub chiefs, that is a
matter wholly outside of the issues.
But it may be said that that chief is
not in arms against us. We occupy the
territory with him and his institutions
in it as we found them. and as mat
ter of wise policy while the insurrec-
tion of Aguinaldo has continued have
preferred to leave him as he is recog-
nizing our authority and remaining in
are not to be revolutionized as to man
ners and religious faith in a day or
month. We endured polygamy in Utah
for more than a half century before we
were enabled to work its extirpation,
indeed it's remnants still remain 20
trouble US.
The nation is not and never has been
engaged in religious promotion. AL
creeds are at liberty to worship under
our flag. The crescent of a Moham-
MAIDEN mosque lifts itself in the great
city of New York to-day and the dis
ciples Of the Prophet preach the doc