The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-03-03


''Thus, in the first place, he contrived to
turn the much -vaunted unsefish war of liber-
alton into vulgar land grabbing game, and
to strip the American people of the unique
glory of a most generous act, grand in its un-
selfiShness. Does he think such breach of
faith can be pleasing to the sight of an all
righteous Providence? Or. does he imagine
he can deceive an ominscient God by the willy
plea that the pledge of an unselfish generosity
applied only to the Western hemisphere, and
that the liberating of one people gave us
right to subIugate another?
PHILIPPINE COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
IL have read with care the famous 'prelim-
mary report made by the Philippine Com
mission at the request of the President just
before the last November elections; aud |
confess that some passages of it have filled me
with painful antonishment. That report, fer
instance, in order to justify what has been
done, asserts that no alliance of any kind
was entered into with Aguinaldo, nor was any
promise OF Independence made to him then
or at any other time | was sorry to see
such a statement signed by gentlemen of high
standing. Was it worthy of such men to for
get that while there was alliance in form,
signed. sealed aud delivered, there was CO.
operation amounting to an alliance in fact,
and that this carried with il moral obligations
of class which no man of honor will disre-
gard2''
He then quoted from the report to show
that the FilipinoS had been very effective
allies, virtually recognized AS such by our
commanders. He quoted Admiral Dewey's
despatch TO the Secretary OF the Navy relating
the capture of 1900 Spanish troops, which
we're turned over TO Aguinaldo. and the recent
report that a claim would be made for dam
th f.af
United States forces only by agreement with
our navy officers. From which he argued
that Aguiusldo was practically recognized as
n belligereut ally He added:
''But let us hear Admiral Dewey himself.
In recent letter answering an inquiry from
Senator Lodge as to what pledges were given
to Aguinaldo, the Admiral SAYS: i never
treated him as an ally, except to make use of
him and the natives to assist me IN NV opera
tious against the Spaniards. Precisely so.
We used them practically as allies against
the common enemy, protiting from their CO.
operation as allies. And then, having so used
them, we refused them the recognition morally
due to an ally Does not the Admiral give
away the whole case
After all this, what fair minded man will
deny to all intents aud purposes the Filipinos
we're our allies; that they were fairly entitled
a; our hands TO every consideration due from
one ally to another; and that when our Ad-
ministraiion refused them audience at the
peace negotiations which we're TO decide their
fate. aud then behind their backs bought them
like a herd of cattle from the defeated com
mon enemy. il did thing so mean in ats dis
loyalty that !, Is no wonder its sponsors shrink
from looking il in the face, but nervOusiy
strive 20 hide its hideOusnesS from their own
ewes hy covering ii up with all sCris ot preleNts
aud ophistries p
FILiPINo INDEPENDENCE.
Speaking of the contention of the COmmis
sioners that mo promise of independence
was ever made To the Filipiuos, he said the
question was whether We bad given them any
reason Tor believing that after defeating the
Spanish their indepen lence would be recog-
nlzed. He said
''Wr permitted them 20 entertain thai be
lief when acting rs oar allies II Is true, ia
Washington the scheme was mesnShiie hatch
III to rob them Of their fairly earned inde,
psndeuse Was the Administration at least
honest enough then to inform them that their
expectation OF independence might be dtsap-
pointed Il was not. Indeed, the Admins
issti1n did secretly instruct oar ConSuls and
commanders not to make any promises to the
Fi6pinos ,hat might embarrsss the execution
themselves we're leit IN their happy confidence
so long as their service our allies was OF
anv value Ia u.s. | say. therefore, although
there was no written engagement promising
them their independence, cur solemn proelat
nation al the beginning of the war that this
would BE- a war 81 liberation. aud not OF con
quest, aud our permitting them 10 expect their
Independence accordingly while we accepted
their AID as oar allies, constituted promise
80 complete aud morally 50 binding that II rs
diiheult 10 understand how any honest man
can SO forget himself as 10 question H.
Referring to the position taken by our Gov
ernnent that Spain had forfeited her sover-
eighty in Cuha, aud must, therefore, be driven
ont, he asked
How does this bear upon the case of the
Philippines IL Is a fact, not questioned by
ANYBODY. that Spanish sovereignty was hlstor-
isally no better founded ia the Philippines
than ia Cuba, that Spanish misrule was fully
as grisyous ia The Philippines as IN Cubai that
the people of the Philippines had risen against
the misruie as the Cubans bad; that the case
Of the Philippines was, therefore. ideu,iesl
With hal OF Cuba with this difference, that
the Fiipiuos had achieved much greater mIh.
tAry successes aud organized a lar better and
stronger native Government than the Cuhans
ever had; so that, IN the Philippines, the
SpaniArtls had not only, as they had in Cuba,
forfeited the moral title TO sovereignty, bnt
had actually lost also the exercise and posses
sion OF it. The right Of the FilipiHos to soyer-
eighty over their country was, therefore, ae-
cording 10 our own profeSsed principles, even
stronger than that OF the Cubans.
Referring to the purchase from Spain, he
said
ale who uses the teehnicalisies of the law
to take wrongful advantage of his neighbor
may keep clear OF the penitentiary, but he Is
not an honest man.
.'Aud now soberly ask you, does not the
purchase Of that Spanish sovereignty put the
American people plainly into that category?
How pitiably the Administration itself has
been at sea as to the origin Of onr title to SOW
ereignty On December p, 1898, IN his
famous benevolent assimilation order, which,
IN fact. was his declaration of war against the
Filipinos. President Mckinley said The
destruction Of the Spanish fleet IN the harbor
OF Manila by the United States naval squad
ron. followed by the reduction of the city and
the surrender Of the Spanish forces, practical
" effected the conquest Of the Philippine Is
lands and the suspension OF Spanish Soyer-
eighty therein. With the signature OF the
treaty of peace between the United States and
Spain on the 10th instant, aud as the result ol
the victories of American arms, the future
control, disposition aud government of the
Philippine Islands are ceded TO the United
States. Ia fulfillment Of the right Of sover-
eighty thus acquired, he ordered immediate
military occupation.
Mr.. Schurz did not regard that as truthful
statement of the case, and that the President
himself admitted it in speech several months
later at Pittsburg when he said we had no
authority in the island beyond Manila city,
bay and harbor He continued
''Aud finally comes the President. who
cody observes in his message that the Philip
pine Islands belong TO us by every title of law
and equity.
Law and equity, forsooth Consider II
from the ethical standpoint, which to honest
men is the only true one. What is our posi-
ton in truth That Of powerful aud rich
man who. artfully abusing the confidence of
poor and feeble people, robS them OF their
dues by legal jugglery and force, aud then
blandly tells his victims that Providence has
so ordered il for their good, putting upon him
a trust which he has not sought.
THE WAR UPON THE FTIIPINos.
He then said that upon this shrewd legal
technically we had proceeded to enforce our
title to sovereignty by making war upon an
innocent people. He placed the onus of be-
ginning the conflict upon our own troops, and
said that our commander refused to stop it
when he might have done so with honor. As
to the responsibility for the war, he said ii was