The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-27
A Successful and a Disastrous Campaign

The utter overthrow and dissipation OF
all organized military resistance to our
authority in the Philippines. now evil
IDENTIFY close at hand, will also not less
efrectually dispose Of the criticisms with
which the campaign Of our troops In those
islands, and more particularly In Luzon,
has been followed by ignorant. incompetent
and malicious representatives OF the school
OF so-called "anti-imperialists." The OBJ
vious purpose, even the avowed motive OF
these men and their newspaper following
had been to embarrass our military opera
lions in the Philippines and increase the
difficulty Of n task already beset with a
multitude OF difficulties rarely encountered
in war, by creating dissatisfaction and dis
enlargement among the sorely tried troops
and provoking in them dangerous distrust
OF their officers.
AGUINALDos own proclamations and
other utterances to his followers have
proved concusively that the sole basis OF
his hopes OF successfully resisting our mn
tional authority consisted in his depend
ence on moral assistance obtained from
that source. He made It known very
frankly that for the accomplishment Of his
ends he relied less on his military ability
than on political campaign which was to
be conducted here in his behalf-the cam
paign we have lately concluded and that
upon which we are to enter next year.
II he had not been sustained by that delu-
sion the end of his instruction would have
come long ago. even II the rebellion had
ever attained greater proportions than a
Il. To- la 80 .,.I
designed simply as blum" to secure
consideration and advantage for himself
personally nj tho hands OF the Americans.
Thus the "anti-imperialistc" gang was
successful In compicating and aggrava-
ting the difficulties OF the task OF Gen.
OTIs. but It accomplished nothing else
beyond an increase in the loss Of life.
It's plot to provoke a mutinous spirit
among the troops failed. 1t tried In vain
TO dissnade young men from enlisting In
the new regiments which II had become
necessary to send to the Philippines,
because Of the encouragement which this
sympathetic movement at home had
afforded to AGrrSALDo. The regiments
were recruited rapidly and In a surpris-
ingly short time were landed In tho
Philippines, 40 that before even the rainy
season was over the campaign now coming
to successful conclusion was begun and
pushed forward against every obstacle.
As these new regiments were embarking
there began also n concerted assault on
Gen. OTIs, with a view to destroying the
confidence Of his troops in their command
ing General. by creating in them the sus-
picion that he was incompetent for his
duties. Even newspapers which might
have been expected TO discern It's
malicious motive Joined In cry for his
removal In most critical emergency.
Reports that Mr. Roof. the new Secretary
OF War, shared in the distrust began
to DO circulated widely, though the
truth was that Secretary Roor, remarkable
for his ability to unravel the facts OF a COM
plicatcd problem and his discrimination as
to character. had found from the reports OF
Gen. OTIs that he had made himself master
OF the situation, both compreh extensively and
in all it's details. The event IL confirming
the soundness Of that judgment, and now
the public are coming to entertain as high
an opinion OF Gen. OTls as that which led
the Secretary to disregard the ignorant
cutlery against a soldier who was proving
his superior fitness for the task set him.
The campaign in the Philippines ia pro-
ceeding rapidly to a successful conclusion.
simultaneously with it's renewal, the Amer
lean people brought to a conclusion tho po-
litical campaign upon which AGUINALDo had
relied so confidently for moral assistance.
II resulted in the triumph OF the policy
Gen. orTs WAS carrying out in the Philip
pines. After thatelection, Gen. Otis, with
a sufficiently enlarged army. proceeded
steadily and rapidly to finish up the
Aguinaldo insurrection by destroying It's
every pretence to being an organized gov
eminent and reducing It to the hopeless
rebellion Of a fugitive band.