The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-02-02
NUMBER At
WANTED ONLYLUZON.
The President So Instructed the Peace
Comm issfon.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3i.-The presi-
uent sent to the senate the correspon-
dence ON file in the state department.
bearing upon the peace treaty and it
was read in the executive session.
Much of the matter covered the
same ground as that already publish
ed.
The principal interest among the
senators attached TO. the presidents
Instructions to insist upon the con-
cesslon OF the island of Luzon, and
after that in the decision to take the
entire group of islands This latter
development appeared from the cor
respondence to be q growth, and as the
suggestion was made by the commits
sloners to the president and the re-
suit of occurrences at Paris after the
arrival there of the commissioners.
In his dispatch concerning Tsuzon.
he said there was but one alternative:
The United States must either take
the island and assume sovereignty or
return it to Spain, and of the two
courses he preferred the Corner.
Spain was from the first unwilling
to cede any of the Philippines and
he made especial objection to letting
go Of Luzon alone. The commission
ers, with the exception of Senator
Gray, urged that to, take Luzon and
leave the other islands of the archi-
pelago i'll the hands of the Spaniards
would be to invite innumerable COM
plications with other nations and es-
pecially with Europe and with Spain.
Much stress was laid upon the pro-
liability OF future trouble with Spain.
With Luzon under American admins
tratiOn there would soon be such a
vast Improvement, they wrote, that
the other islanders would soon grow
more and more rebelious, and with
Spain's oppressive methods of govern
meut We would soon again find that
We had another Cuba at another
door. Furthermore, there would be
constant iilibustering and we should
find ourselves using millions to pre-
serve Il state of neutrality, just as we
did i'll the case OF Cuba prior to our
declaration Of war ON account of that
island. General Merritt's testimony
on this point was cited and was made
the reason for much of the argument
in favor of taking the entire group.
The president did not appear to
haYe at any time given explicit in
structiOns to cOnsummate the bar
gain by taking all the Philippines,
but rather, after hearing full expla-
nation, to have left the matter to the
discretion Of the commissioners.
The entire controversy was prac-
tically over the Philippines and the
question of assuming responsibility
for the payment of the Spanish bonds
for which the Cuban revenues were
pledged. The Spaniards from the
first insisted upon an indemnity for
the Philippines and the correspond
ence shows after the proposition to
pay &20,000,000 was made the negotia-
tions proceeded much more smoothly
and were soon brought to a close.
The American commissioners ap-
peared TO have been of one mind as to
the wisdom of taking over all the
Philippines, with the exception of
Senator Gray, who, Notwithstanding
he signed the treaty, held out to the
last against the policy of acquiring
patch he pleaded zealously against
the policy as unpratriotlc, un-Ameri-
can and inconsistent with probity
and good statemanship.
After a brief debate, the Senate re-
fused to print the correspondence.