The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-10
Islanders the Argressors.

| to suppress its assaiants. Would our pu-
| litical adversaries do less?
| 1t has been asserted that there would
| have been no fighting in the Philippines If
Congress had declared its purpose to give
| independence to the TasaI insurgents. the
| insurgents did not wait for the action of
I Congress. They assumed the offensive,
! they opened fire on our army Those who
assert our responsibility for the beginning
| of the conflict have forgotten that before
| the Treaty was ratified in the Senate and
while IL was being debated in that body,
and while the Bacon resolution was under
| discussion, on February 4. 1899. the insur-
| gents attacked the American Army, after
| being previously advised that the American
forces were under orders not to fire upon
| them except in defence.
|
Seif-Government for Fiiipinos.
| With all the exaggerated phrase making
of this electoral contest, we are in danger
| OF being diverted from the real contention
| We are in agreement with ali of those
who supported the war with Spain, and
| also with those who counseied the ratiica-
tion of the Treaty of Peace. Upon these two
! great essential steps there can be no issue,
| and OF these came all of our RESPONSE
| bilitles. If others would shirk the obi-
! cations imposed by the war and the Treaty.
4 we must decline TO act further with them
and here the issue is made. Ii is our pur-
| pose to establish in the Philippines a gov
| ernment suitable to the wants and condi-
| tioDs of the inhabitants and to prepare
| them for self-governmeIt, and to give
them self-goyernment when they are ready
for 1t and as rapidly as they are ready for
it. That / am aiming to do under my con-
stitutional authority. and will continue TO
do until Congress shall determine the po-
| litical status of the inhabitants OF the
archipelago.
Are cur opponents against the Treaty?
If so. they must be reminded that it
could not have been ratified in the SEN
ate but for~their assistance. The Senate
which ratified the Treaty and the Con-
gress which added its sanction by a
large appropriation comprised Senator's
and Representatives of the people of all
parties.
Would our opponents surrender TO the
Insurgents abandon our sovereignty or
cede it to ttem? II that be not their
purpose. then IL should be promptly dis
claimed, for only evil can result from
the hopes raised by our opponents in
the minds of the Filipinos. that with
their success at the polls in November
there will be withdrawal of our army
and OF American sovereignty over the
archipelago the complete independence
of the Tagalog people recognized. and
the powers of government over all the
other people OF the archipelago con-
ferred upon the Tagalog leaders.
The effect of a belief In the minds of
the insurgents that this will be done has
already prolonged the rebellion and in
creased the necessity for the continu-
ance Of a large army. 1t is now delay
ing full peace in the archipelago, and
the establishment of civil governms nts,
and has Influenced many of he insur-
gents against accepting the liberal terms
of amnesty offered by General Mac
Arthur. under my direction. But for
these false hopes a considerable reduc-
tion could have been had in our military
establishment in the Philippines. and
the realization of a stable government
would be already at hand.
Only n Tribe of Rebels.
The American people are asked by our
opponents to yield the sovereignty of the
United States in the Philippines to a small
fraction of the population. a single t-ibe
out of eighty or more inhabiting the ar, hi
pelago faction which wantonly attac ked
the American troops in Manila while IN
rightful possession under the protocol vith
Spain. awaiting the ratification of he
Treaty of Peace by the Senate, and VIII ch
against the United States. We are asked
to transfer our sovereignty to a small mi
nority in the islands without consul ling
the majority. and to abandon the largest
portion OF the population, which had been
loyal TO US, to the crueities of the guerrilla
insurgent bands. More than this, We ara
asked to protect this minority In estnb-
fishing a government, and to this end re-
press all opposition of the majority. Wa
ar tn cef a la aert
in the interest OF those who have assalled
our sovereignty and fired upon our SOL
diers, and then maintain it at any cost OF
sacrifice against its enemies within and
against those having ambitious designs
from without.
The American people will not make the
murderers of our soldiers the agents of the
Republic TO convey the blessings of liberty
and order to the Philippines They will
not make them the builders of the new
Commonwealth. Such a course would be a
betrayal of our sacred obligations to the
peaceful Filipinos. and would place at the
mercy of dangerous ad7enturers the lives
end property of the natives and foreigners.
II would make possible and easy the COM
mission OF such atrocities as were secretly
planned to be executed on the 22d of Feb
ruary. 1899, in the city OF Manila. when
only the vigilance of our army prevented
the attempt to assassnate our soldiers and
all foreigners and pillage and destroy the
city and its surroundings.
In short, the proposition. of those op-
Dosed to us is TO continue all the obli-
cations in the Philippines which now rest
upon the Government, only changing the
relation from principal, which now exists,
TO that of surety. Our responsibility is
to remain, but our power is to be dlmin-
ished. Our obligation is to be no less, but
our title is to be surrendered to another
power, which is without experience or
training or the ability to maintain a
stable government at home and absolutely
helpless to perform its international obli-
cations with the rest of the world. To
this we are opposed. We should not yield
our title while our obligations last. In
the language of our platform, Our an-
thority should not be less than our re-
sponslbility." and our present response
biIity is to establish cur authority in
every part CT the islands.
No Government can SO certainly pre-
serve the peace, restore public order,
establish law, Justice. and stable condi-
tions as ours Neither Congress nor the
Executive can establish stable govern
ment in these Islands except under cur
right OF sovereignty, car authority, and
cur flag. And this VIC are doing.
We could not do 1t as protrctoTate
power SO completely or SO successfully as