Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-09-13
THE PHILIPPINES.

The President treats the Philippine
question at great length, giving succlnct
but complete history of our dealing with
the islands from the time Dewey sailed
into Manila Bay to the present. We can
only give few Of the telling paragraphs
he uses to show the falsity of the claims
of certain politicians that our treatment of
the Fihpinos has been unfair and imperial
istic. The President says
"It has been asserted that there would
have been no fighting in the Philippines II
Congress had declared its purpose to give
independence to the Tagal insurgents. The
insurgents did not wait for the action OF
Congress. They assumed the offensive,
they opened fire on our army. Those who
assert our responsibility for the beginning
of the conflict bave forgotten that before
the treaty was ratified in the Senate, and
while it was being debated in that body,
and while the Bacon resolution was un'
der discussion, on February 4, 1899,
the insurgents attacked the American
army after being previously advised that
the American forces were under orders not
to fire upon them except in defense. The
papers found in the recently captured
archives of the insurgents demonstrate
that this attack had been carefully planned
for weeks before it occurred. Their un
provoked assault upon our soldiers at
time when the Senate was deliberatlne
upon the treaty shows that no action or
our part except surrender and abandon
ment would have prevented the fighting
and leaves no doubt in any fair mind o
where the responsibility rests for the shed
ding of American blood.
We are in agreement with all of those
who supported the war With Spain, anC
also with those who counseled the ratitica
ton of the treaty Of peace. Upon thes'
two great essential steps there can be NJ
issue, and out of these came all of our re
sponsibilities. If others would shirk th'
obligations imposed by the war and th'
treaty, We must decline to act further will
\ them, aud here the issue was made. 1t j
our purpose to establish in the Philippine
a government suitable to the wants an,
conditions of the inhabitants and to pre-
pare them for self. government, and t
give them self.government when they ar
ready for it and as rapidly as they ar
ready for it. That | am aiming to d
under my constitutional authority, an
will continue to do until Congress shall de
termine the political status Of the archipel
, ago.
Are our opponents against the treaty
If 80, they must be reminded that it coul
not have been ratified in the Senate bu
for their assistance. The Senate whic
ratified the treaty and the Congress whic
added its sanction by a large appropriation
comprised Senators and Representative
of the people of all parties.
Would our opponents surrender to tn
insurgents, abandon our sovereignty G
cede it to them If that be not thei
purpose, then it should be promptly dli
claimed, for only evil can result from th
hopes raised by our opponents in th
} minds of the Filipinos, that with their SUE
, cess at the polls in November there will
withdrawal Of our army and Of America
, sovereignty over the archipelago; the CON
: plete independence of the Tagalog peopl
recognized and the powers of governmer
over all the other peoples of the archip'
, lago conferred upon the Tagalog leaders.