The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-08
LAWTON'SFATE
FORMER MINISTER TO SLAM HAS
LETTER THAT WAS QUESTIONED.
1t Was Written to Him by General
Lawton, and Is Now i'm His
Possession.
MR.. BARRETT NOW IN CITY
THE ENTIRE LETTER CAN BE PRO-
DUCED IF NECESSARY.
Ii whole Letter Were Printed 1t
Would Afford Small Comfort for
Anti-Imperialists.
CONDITIONS IN PHILIPPINES
AS SET OUT BY GEN. LAwTON SHORT
LY BEFORE HE WAS SHOT.
sIf 1 am Shot by a Filipino Bullet II
Might as Well Come from One
of My Own Men,"
II Whole Letter Were Printed II
Would Afford Small Comfort for
Antf-Imperialists.
AS SET OUT BY GEN. LAWTON SHORT
LY BEFORE HE WAS SHOT.
sTf am Shot by a Filipino Bullet 1t
Might as Well Come from One
of My Own Men,"

<
John Barrett. who was appointed min
lister to Siam by President Cleve-
land, and who left the Bryan wing of
the Democracy in 1885, has come to In
diana to make speeches under the direction
of the Republican State committee. Mr..
Barrett was sent here by the Republican
national committee. AS minister to Siam
he made an excellent record. He resigned
his place at the breaking out of the war
with Spain and went 20 Manila where he
served war correspondent for nearly
year. When appointed by President Cleve-
land he was the youngest minister in the
diplomatic service Of this country.
Mr.. Barrett has made an international
reputation as an authority on the politics
and commerce of the far East, where he
spent five years in an official and private
capacity, and has contributed numerous
articles for the leading magazines, besides
delivering addresses all over the country
on this subject.
1t was Mr.. Barrett who received the let
ter from General Lawton, in which the lat
let it might as well come from one of my
eloquent speaker. Mr.. Barrett arrived in
the city yesterday and to-day will have
conference with Chairman Hernly as to
the speeches he is to make in Indiana. AT
tte.Sa snison last night he was asked to re-
la<e the story Of how the famous Lawton
letter came to his hands and Of how parts
Of it were subsequently made public.
''The facts in connection with the let
ter of General Lawton are very simple and
easily told" said he. when I returned to
America little over year ago from my
years stay in the Philippines and my
five years residence as a United States
minister in the Orient I was asked by diff
feIent magazines and reviews to write ar
ticles for them on the Philippines, China
and neighboring Asiatic lands. Among 9TH
ers l prepared one for the September, 1899,
Review of Reviews, at the special request
of its editor, DR.. Albert Shaw, entitled The
Half Year of War with Aguinaldo.'
when the proof of the article was ready
sent copies of it. in August, 1899, to Gen.
eral Lawton, and to few other officers in
the Philippines whom knew. In a personal
letter enclosing the article asked General
Lawton If I had, in his opinion, given a
truthful and accurate account Of the situa-
ton, and referred to the influences in
America which were antagonistic to our
Philippine policy.
About the 1st of December following I
received a reply from him, under date of
Oct. 6, written at Manila, which he marked
personal and called confidential. 1t i'm
pressed me as being an important and hon.
est expression of the unbiased opinion of
the great soldier. but filed it away with
other private correspondence with no
thought or expectation of ever making 1t
public.
INCORPORATED IN SPEECH.
'In the meantime 1 had been invited to
make an address at the annual dinner of
the New England Society. on Dec. %. in
New York, upon Americas responsibilities
in the Philippines and far East. After the
speech was prepared and the first copy
given to the Associated Press a few days
before the dinner, the news came that Gen.
eral Lawton had been shot. When 1t was
confirmed my first impulse was to make
public his letter. but had about concluded
not to do so on account of its personal ma
ture and number Of fiattering references
to my own work in the far East, when
friends to whom had mentioned the mat
ter suggested that I should incorporate in
my speech at the New England banquet
those sentences in the letter which re-
ferred to the situation in the Philippines
At the last moment decided to follow
their advice. AS General Lawton was
dead. and as everybody was interested In
knowing the truth about our troubles there,
II seemed wise to follow this course, al
though 1 had no thought of its political
effect at the time, or of its possible use In
the coming presidential campaign. The
sentiments of General Lawton were in line
with the tenor of my speech, and therefore
could appropriately be added to It, To my
surprise the next day the New York pa
pers made 1t the principal feature of their
report of the speeches made, and 1t was
telegraphed all over the country. This
made it public property. and since then 1t
has been frequently quoted and discussed
by newspapers and political speakers.
Although some of the anti-imperialistic
press and speakers. being apparently an
noyed by its plain, blunt expression Of the
truth. have undertaken to lessen its force
by casting reflections on its authenticity
have ascribed such comment to the Bit
terness of political bias. and have paid no
more heed to them than any man would
who is absolutely sure OF his position. I
would. however. have made the entire orig
inal letter public II 1t had been really nec-
essary. but have refrained from doing so
because OF Its personal nature and tine
very complimentary reference to myself
my labors In the far East. and my study
OF the Philippine question. which General
Lawton made In the portions of the letter
which l have not publicly quoted. I also
did not use few phrases which are even
stronger In condemnation Of the anti Phil