The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-10-17
SLAVERY IN sULU
Exists In Fact, Endorsed BY ctis, But
Not By Mckinley.

Not BY Mckinley.
Acting Secretary Meike'j hn oftbe
war Department has sent thu following
letter 10 Hon. ". J. Bryan:
Oct. 6, 1900.
"Deac Sir: In the press ports yes
terdas Of your address at Upton Ind,
in which yon referred to the overthrow
Of human slavery in the United States
resulting :rJm the success Of the armies
Of the Unicu, you are also reported as
saying in that connection:
''We fought then for the adoption
Of a constitutional amendment that
provided that no man could own
slave, and yet before the Philippine
war is ended we have the Sulu treaty,
which recognizes slavery"
Permit me to in7ite,your attention
to the following extract from the letter
of the secretary Of war 10 Maj Gen
Otis, commanding the United States
forces in the Philippine islands, under
date Of Oct. p, 1899:
The president instructs me to ad-
wise you that the agreement signed
Aug 90 1899 between Brig. Gen.
John G. Bates, representing the
United States of the one part, the sui.
tan of Joo, the Dato Rsjah Muda, the
Dato Attick, the Dsto Cal6i and the
Dato Joaknsin of the other part, is
confirmed and approved, subject to the
action Of congress provided for in that
clause Of the treaty of peace between
the United States aud Spain which
provides the ciSil rights and the polit:
ical status of the native inhabitants OF
the territory hereby ceded to the
United States shall be determined By
congress" and with the understanding
and reservation, which should be dis,
tinctly communicated to the sultan OF
Jolo, that this agreement is not to be
deemed IN any way to authorize or give
the consent Of the United States to the
existence of slavery in the Sulu arch
ipelago, thing which is made mpossi-
Bile by the thirteenth amendment to
constitution of the Uoited States.
1t is probably unnecessary to call
your attention to the fact that in the
absence Of the approval Of the president
it is impossible for US to have the
Sulu treaty or any other treaty.
Very respectfully,
&c. D. Meikeljohn.
Hon. W. j. Bryan, Peoria, Ills. -
BRYAN REPLY.
W. J. Bryan took cognizauce Of the
letter sent to him by Assistant Secre-
tary of War Meikeljohn and prepared
reply to it. The reply says:
II an in receipt of your favor Of the
9Th in regard to the signing Of the
treaty. It is true that the president,
two months after the signing of the
treaty, sent to Gen. Otis the iastruc-
tions which you quote. You will note
that the treaty, or agreement, as the
president describes it, was confirmed
and approved subject to the action Of
congress and the only exception that
he made was that in regard to article
10 relating to slavery. You can but
kuow, however, that since The president
sent those Instructions, the Republican
party, with the approval Of the admin
istratlon, has adopted the thso-y that
the constitution does not follog the flag,
and, therefore, the Thirteenth amend
ment does not interfere with slavery in
the Sulu archipelago.
"rhe Pu.r'o Riean law asserts the
doctrine that ,he people of Puerto Rico
are beyond the protection of the con-
stitution and can be governed By the ar
bitrary aud unrestrainad power Of the
president acd congress. If the conssi-
tuition i;saif cannot reach the West
Indies, how can the Thirteenth amend
ment find It's way across the Pacific into
Asia? The president does rot repudiate
Article 13, which reads as follows: The
United States viii give full protection
TO the sultan ard his subjects if any
forei gn nation should attempt to impose
upon them.
in view Of the fact that the presi-
ent in his letter of acceptance de-
lares it dangerous for US to agree to
drotect Christian republic in South
Africa, would it not be wise for him to
withdraw the agreement to protect a
Mehammedan island in the Philippines?
The agreement does not repudiatc Ar
ticle a, which reads as follows: The
United States will not sell the island
of Sulu or any other island Of the Sulu
archipelago to any foreign nation with
out the consent Of the sultan of Sulu.
eff we bought all the Philippine
islands from Spain without the consent
Of the Inhabitants is it fair that we
should agree not TO sell any of the Sulu
islands without the consent of the sui.
tan? In other words is it more iupor
tant that sultans wishes should be
considered than that the interests Of
the rest Of the people should be re
garded7 Very respectfully yours,
''W. j. Bryan"
Hestsr's Weekly Statement.