Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-07-26
THEY DID THE SAME.
DEMOCRATIC PRECEDENT FOR
FIGHTING THE FILlPINOS.
War In New Mexico After Its Conquest
by Direction of Democratic President
Who Claimed "the Fullest Right of
sovereignty'-omcial Records.


that the Democratic criticism of the
methods of the present Administration
In regard to newly acquired territory
is criticism of the methods followed
by its own leaders and Presidents. All
of the vast territory added to the area
of the original thirteen States was
under Democratic control, and the
leaders Of the party, in and out Of Of
fee, planned and plotted and schemed
to add the islands Of Cuba and Haw-
all as long as desire for more slave
territory stimulated them to activity
Driven from their former positions
by these developments, they now I'M
dertake to criticise the fact that the
President is using the army to put
down the instruction. notwithstand-
ing the fact that the treaty with Spain
was ratified by Democratic votes after
that instruction had been begun. 1t
seems hardly credible that men could
attack the President for carrying to a
finish a war that was In existence
when the purchase of the islands was
Yet such is the fact. The attack Of
the Filipino forces upon our troops In
the Philippines, began on February 4,
1899, and on that same night Aguinal-
do issued his proclamation declaring
war against the United States. Yet
1t was not until February 6, two days
after, that the treaty was ratified, and
that by ten Democratic and three Pop
ulist votes. The statement has also
been repeatedly made that some OF
these votes were cast for the treaty
by the advice and consent" Of Will
liam Jennings Bryan.
BY this action the leaders OF the
Democratic and Populist parties DELHI
erately bought fight already going
on, agreeing that the United States
should pay $40, O00,0 900 for it, and in
SO doing placed upon the shoulders OF
President Mckinley the duty of carry
ing 1t on. He could not do otherwise.
Yet they are criticising his course,
though, OF course. 1t is well under
stood that the criticism is for political
effect only.
But the leaders of the Democratic
party did, In another similar case, just
what President Mckinley Is now do
Ing, and did 1t by the direction of a
Democratic President. Papers COM
piled by the War Department show
that, after the conquest of New Mexi-
co by the military forces of the Unit
ed States was accomplished by the
campaign Of 1916, General Kearney,
the officer in command, organized a
civil government for the occupied ter
ritory, and filed the executive and ju-
dicial offices by appointment These
civil functionaries entered upon the
discharge Of their duties in apparent
Inconsistencies of exposure to more
than ordinary peril. In Decent Der,
1916, the native inhabitants organized
a conspiracy to overthrow the United
States authority in New Mexico. On
the night of January Is, 1S47, the gov
ernor, the sheriff. the circuit attorney,
the project, and a number of others,
citizens and officials Of the United
States, and Mexican supporters Of
United States authority, were assassi-
mated in the town of San Fernando
de Tayos. On the same night seven
other Americans were killed at Arroyo
Hondo and two at Rio Grande 1t was
then apparent that the insurrection
was general, and the purpose was to
kill all the Americans and those Mexi-
! oopc who had occoptad offioa np6or III n
American Government.
Col. Sterling Price was then COM
mander of the army of New Mexico,
with Headquarters at Santa Fe. He
learned of the uprising and attendant
atrocities, January goth, 1S47. and that
against Santa Fe. He took prompt
and vigorous action and marched out
to meet the insurgents with a force OF
about 400 men. There were many Sc
rious and sanguinary engagements,
but the enemy was no sooner dislodged
in another, and maintained a deter
mined resistance throughout. The
losses were heavy on both sides. Ow-
ing to the mountainous character of
the country, and the fact that the cam
paign took place in the winter time,
the American forces suffered many
hardships before reaching the town oil
San Fernando de Tayos, where the
governor and party had been foully
assassinated. particularly severe
engagement occurred at Pueblo de
Tayos, which had been strongly forti-
fed. The insurgents took position In
q large church which they had pierced
with embrasures for rifles. The
| Americans were compelled to retreat
to Fernando.
The following day they returned
and renewed the assault. but the ar
tillery fire seemed to have no effect
upon the church walls. Ladders were
then made and holes cut in the walls
with axes, through which the soldiers
with their hands threw fire and lighted
shells into the interior Another as
sault was made on the church door,
which again failed, with loss. The ar
tillery was then brought up within go
yards, and after 10 rounds had been
fred, one of the holes which had been
cut with the axes was widened to a
practicable beach, through which a
storming party entered, dislodged the
enemy, and took possession Of the
church. The next morning the enemy
surrendered. The loss sustained by
them was about $50 killed. The num-
her of wounded was not known. The