The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-02-20

could plead ignorance OF 1t or
misunderstood it, informed the
world that their object was the
achievement of national indie
pendence, and that they believed
the Americans had come in good
faith to help them accomplish
that end, as in the case of Cuba.
1t was weeks after various proc
lamations and other public utter
ances of Aguinaldo to that effect,
that the correspondence between
him and General Anderson, which
have quoted, took place, and
that the useful services of the
F'ilipinos as our practical allies
were accepted. 1t is, further, an
indisputable fact that during this
period our government did not
inform the Filipinos that their
fond expectations as to our rec
ognition of their independence
were mistaken. Our Secretary
of State did, indeed, on June 16
write to Mr.. Pratt, onr Consul
General at Singapore, that our
government knew the Philippine
insurgents, not indeed as patriots
struggling for liberty, and who,
like the Cubans, "are and of
right ought to be free and indie
pendent" but merely as "discon-
tented and rebellious subjects of
Spain," who, if we occupied
their country i'll consequence of
the war, would have to yield us
due obedience. And other Of
ficers of our government were
instructed not to make any prom
ises to the Filipinos as to the
future. But the Filipinos were
not so informed. They were left
to believe that, while fighting in
cooperation with the American
forces, they were fighting for
their own independence. They
could not imagine that the gov,
eminent of the great American
republic, while boasting of hav
ing gone to war with Spain under
the banner of liberation anC
humanity in behalf of Cuba, was
capable of secretly plotting t.
turn that war into one for con
quest and subjugation of the
Philippines. Thus the Filipino'
went faithfully and bravely OF
, doing for us the service of allies
, of brothers in arms, far from
dreaming that the same troop:
with whom they had been asket
to cooperate would soon be EN-
) ployed by the great apostle o
liberation and humanity t.
slaughter them for no othel
reason than that they, the Flip
mos, continued to stand up TO
l their own freedom and independ
ence.
: But just that was to happen
AS soon as Manila was taken an
we had no further use for GU
' Filipino allies, they were order
ed to fall back and back from tn
= city and it's suburbs. Our mil
tary commanders treated til
Filipinos' country as if it wer
our own. When Aguinaldo sen
one Of his aides-de camp to Ger
Merritt with a request for AN in
terview, General Merritt wa
"too busy" When our peac
: negotiations with Spain begar
and representatives of the FiliI
mos asked for audience to solici
= consideration of the rights an
4 wishes of their people, the door
!. were slammed in their faces, i
n Washington as well as in Paris
s And behind those doors til
e scheme was Matched to depriv
: the Philippine Islanders of il
dependence from foreign rule
and to make them the subjects {
d another foreign ruler; and tia
foreign ruler their late ally, TIL
great republic which had granC
o ly proclaimed to the world tia
/ its war against Spain was not
q war of conquest, but war {
d liberation and humanity.
a Dolo;,I +Loeo Joore xu1. q