The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-17
CRITICISED I
THE BISHOP.
New York Sun Considers
His Ideas on the Phi
lippine Question
Unpatriotic.
The Star yesterday said:

Ihe star yesterday Sald:
The sermon delivered last Sunday night
by Bishop Coleman in which he de-
nounced the war in the Philippines has
aroused wide spread interest, and COM
menls on it-favorablc and udvcrse--are
many.
On Friday the New York Sun cditOri-
ally commented on it us follows:
In Il sermon delivered at Wilmington
on Sunday, Bishop Coleman of Delaware
spoke of "thc unwarrantable, mcrciless,
and unjlstiiablc slaughter now going on
in the Philippine Islands," and said that
he "would rather be accused of lack of
patriotism than by holding my lhis) peace
seem even to approve Of the wholesale
destruction OF the lives of those poor
people in their own homes The Bishop
was instructing Il class which he had Just
confirmed. lie will pardon us for saying
that upon this subject he needs instruc-
ton himself.
Whatever loss of life has been caused
or will be caused by the war in the Phil
ippincs cannot be regarded justly as the
fault Of the United States; but leaving
that fact out of consideration, what rca-
son is there for Bishop Coleman's acc,lsh-
tions? 1t is unfortunate that anybody
should have II be killed, but surely it is
better that some Filpinos should be
killed than that Manila should be burned
and looted, and all the foreigners in it
and all the natives in it Objectionable to
Aguinaldo be put to death. Evidently
Bishop Coleman has forgotten the pro-
gram of determination put forth by the
leader of "thosc poor people," Evidently
he has not read of the cheerful readiness
with which AguinaIdo cuts off heads. 1t
seems to us that if the Bishop had known
or thought of the foreigners, and espcc-
tally of the women and children, whose,
lives would have been sacrificed to those
poor people if the Americans had not
been there to prevent murder and out
rage he would have been less severe in
his dcnunciuiions of the "unwarrantablc,
mcrcicss and unjustitiable slaughter"
The American forces in the Philippines
have acted as the policemen or the militia
that suppress Il riot have to act. Sharp
work must be done to prevent Infinitely
more cruel work. Some suffering must be
caused that more may he prevented. The
defence Of good order has been the duty
of the American forces and they have
done their duty. What other course could
be taken by Il nation with any respect for
obligations which it had assumed and for
its own good name? Which was better,
Bishop. that II few FiIipinos should be
killed in war or that the United States
should abandon foreigners and natives to
the mercy of massacre. and leave Agui-
naldo unchecked to pursue those violent
and bloody measures for which he has
shown an inclination?
Bishop Coleman is grievcd because II
few Filipinos have been killed. He gives
no thought to the greater evils that have
been prevented. He forgcts that under
American rule in the Philippines human
life will become safer than it has ever
BEEN that in the gradual progress of
American civilization, and especially of
American law and justice there, many
atrocities and savageries will be rooted
out: and that a few human lives are not
Il high price for the benefit which will
accrue.
The American lives lost do not seem to
move the good Bishop. His anxiety is
i'll regard to those poor people" whose
heads cannot be cut off at the sweet will
of Aguinaldo when the present riot is
over. Aguinaldism's despotic and violent
rules will be cxtcrminatcd in the Philip
pines That is the policy of eXtcrmina-
ton which so cycitcs the Bishop OF Dela-
ware.
The bishop having had his attention
called to the editorial, said in substance
as follows: II have been thinking over the
matter carefully. and for some time, and
have been slow in coming to the decision
which ! have vcnturcd to give. Having
strong confidence in the Presidents patri-
otism and his dread of war, l have been
reluctant to say aught that might be con-
strucd into II reelection upon the policy |
which he had deliberately adopted,
but having been from the beginning
very avcrsc to our interference with
Spanish affairs. and on principle opposed |
to wars III general. have been greatly |
distressed at the turn which our inter-
ference has taken. and especially at what |
appears to me our great Inconsistency in |
The matter of the Philippine war.
Il acknowledge the courtesy with |
which The Sun has dealt with the OK
lrcsSion of my opinion. and vet | do not |
feel called upon to enter into any clabor-
'te defense or justification of my opinion.
will only add this. that. while eyprcssin.
for the poor Philippines. | do
'ery much gricvc over the death of nv
'ollow- -couutryT n. Indeed. can hardly
believe that anything that may result
rom this terrible carnage will repay us
or the Americans who have been thus
acrticcd."