The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-28
AG()NCLLQ ARGUES /
How Expansion Looks From
the Other Side.
HE'D LIKE TO BE FRIENDS
But viii Fight Uncle Sam if
He Has To.
HE'D LIKE TO BE FRIENDS

New York, Jan. H-In the New Voice"
Mr.. George Reno gives a description of
Gen. Don Fnipe Agoncillo. the special en-
voy of Gen. Aguinaldo, and also an inter-
esting interview with the cultured Filipino
on the problem in the for east which now
confronts the government.
In speaking upon the subject. Gen. Ag-
oncillo said:
1T seems very strange to me, especially
after reading something of the history of
your people, that the United States should
desire to hold sway over an unwilling peo-
pie, in land where its flag is unknown,
and where its representatives are looked
upon as foreigners. 1t is very well to say.
We can govern you much better than
you can govern yourselves. But this
am forced to deny. The best system of
government in the world will fail utterly
if forced upon country against its con-
sent The wisest laws and fairest DEGREES
under such circumstances will be looked
upon with distrust and hate. 1 am Fill
pino; 1 understand their prejudices, their
possibilities. their limitations, their vir-
tues and their taints, their strength and
their weakness.
Gen. Aguinaldo and his cabinet are in
touch with, and have the absolute conf
dence of the millions of the Filipinos whom
they represent. 1t is quite true that we
cannot claim for ourselves that superior
ability at self-government which comes
through experience; but. for the reasons
enumerated, We are confident that we will
not make Of it dire failure. Nothing is
more essential to successful government
than the confidence and willing support Of
the people who are to be governed. This,
we. Gen. Aguinaldo and his advisers, have,
and it is an essential which the United
States can never possess if your admin
istration forces upon us military rule. and
denies to US the boon for which we have
so long fought-independe That indie
pendence We want, as do the Cubans. It
will not answer to say that 1t is good for
the United States, but is not good for US,
because we cannot discover sound logic
in that kind of argument
''To admiral Dewey and the American
forces who gave us such signal encourage
ment and assistance we are deeply CRATE
full; and in appreciation of the services
rendered, we would gladly accord TO the
United States every possible political, So
cial and commercial privilege. The monop-
oily of the business OF the Philippines might
easily nave belonged to the United States,
the confidence and ultimate control of our
people might, in the beginning, have been
easily won; but your military forces, act
ing. 1 presume, under instructions from
higher authorities in Washington, went to
work in very unwise and undiplomatic
way. We, the insurgents, were never con-
eidered or called into consultation We
were Systematically ignored and pushed
one side, Your administration from first
70 last has never beer frank and open with
US. But that does not matter The ques-
ton at issue IS, shall we be permitted to
govern ourselves under the friendly d.
rection of the United States, TO be indie
pendent under the protection of the great
naval arm Of your country in the Pacific,
in exchange for the vast military and COM
mercial privileges OF which we are more
than willing to extend monopoly: or do
you propose, by force Of arms, 70 compel
us to yield our necks to a gubernatorial
yoke which is at present most unwelcome2
1t does not matter whether your rule is
DNsL lDE Us OF not we dDn want ana
il fight we must 10 oppose it. fight we viii
much as we would lament such calamity.
I'VE kre not deluding ourselves with
hope that we can whip the combined
armies which the United States may see
fit to send against US; but my knowledge
Of the temper Of the people and OF the top
ography of the country in which you would
be compelled to fight us justifes me in
saying that, no matter what It may be for
US, it viii be for the United States the
most calsmitous and expensive war in
which she has ever engaged. II it cost you
$50 100000 10 whip Spain. il Will cost you
ten times that amount to crush Us. II It
cost you $50 lives TO take Santiago de Cuba.
it viii cost you 500 lives or more TO take
the Philippines.
You offer Spain 81. 10000 for her SOW
ersignJy in our islands: I think she viii
get the better OF the bargain. Her SOW
ereignty was alone = sovereignty Of the
seas. Admiral Dewey destroyed the Span
ISL fesi. That once gone. we, the Fill
pnos could have disposed Of SPANS SOW
ereignty on land for a good Jess than 81
oo0.o0o You did not see III 10 permit this,
and now claim that. with the promised
S2o, 90 es0 % Spain. you have bought us and
our country, that which was not SPANS
10 sell and which she cannot deliver. You
have established a military sovereignty IN
Manila and in your proclamation TO Us
You do not even hint that the one thing
else, the great and sacred privilege for
which We have 50 long suffered fought and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ever De &C
corded 70 Us. ! tdOes not matter whether
independence i good for US or no;--we
want *; under the protection % the
United States. Il possible; without il, Il
We must
Up 70 the present tine, you have de-
MED Us the privilege Of founding re-
public o. the Philippines. aoT have you cor
scented u even debate with Us sas question
Of the future OF the islards along those
lines Il seems to Be- a case q: We. the
United STATES. are the great and only, and
you. the FIlipiDos, are nos 70 . II L Al sll-
We think that We hold the key 70 the sltu-
t!ou. Eaich ilsS n the climate and topog-
rapny OF the country. L = true y11 can.
from tne sea lombard Mania or IIollo.
and drive Us from he coasc cities. 5ut I
hardly think that they EoEid prove des-ra-
Die SKIES for American coionlzztion- while
me Insufgeats remained near the sUb1rns-
Yen could. q course, drive gs back tnto
The country. into TIE Woe3s and tzs mQua-
taias hus 4 would D. a costly iuVasioz
into q section where se cJaid asht and
thrive bur Wtsre y0Gr soldiers. cSgid not
say and I've, and re retreat :: yezE CO.