The Republican., 1900-09-13

ment nor for pride of might, not for
trade or commerce, not for exploitation,
but for humanity and civilization and
for the protection OF the vast majority
of the population, who welcome our SOW
ereignty against the designing minority,
whose first demand after the surrender
of Manila by the Spanish army was to
enter the city that they might loot it and
destroy those not in sympathy with their
selfish and treacherous designs.
Nobody who win avail himself Of the
facts will longer hold that there was any
alliance between our soldiers and the in
Burgents or that any promise Of indie
pendence was made to them. Long be-
fore their leader had reached Manila
they had resolved If the commander Of
the American navy would give them arms
with which to fight the Spanish army
they would later turn upon us, which
they did murderously and without the
shadow Of cause or Justification. There
may be those without the means Of full
information who believe that we were in
alliance with the insurgents and that
we assured them that they should have
independence. TO such let me repeat the
facts. On the 26th OF May, 1898, Ad-
AAAA u ApVWCS Nha Ahobiu bS Lle W
make no alliance with any party or fac
ton in the Philippines that would incur
liability to maintain their cause In the
future, and he replied under date of June
6, 1898: Have acted according to spirit
Of departments instructions from the be-
ginning, and l have entered into no al
lance with the insurgents or with any
faction. This squadron can reduce the
IAfD . a. t..k
1t is considered useless until the arrival
of sufficient United States forces to re-
tain possession"
Dewey Said No Alliance Existed.
In the report of the first Philippine
commission, submitted on Nov. 2, 1899.
Admiral Dewey, one of its members,
said, mo alliance of any kind was en-.
tered into with Aguinaldo, nor was any
promise Of independence made to him Mt
any time"
General Merritt arrived in the Philip.
pines on July 25, 1898, and dispatch
from Admiral. Dewey to the government
at Washington said: Merritt arrived
yesterday. Situation is most critical at
Manila. The Spanish may surrender at
any moment. Merritt's most difficult
problem will be how to deal with the In
surgents under Aguinaldo, who have be-
come aggressive and even threatening
toward our army" Here is revealed the
spirit OF the insurgents as early as July,
1898, before the protocol was signed,
while we were still engaged in active
war with Spain. Even then the insur-
gents were threatening our army.
On Aug Is Manila was captured, and
OP thiS and S1thSnptInnr fha philin.
pine commission says: when the city
OF Manila was taken. Aug. Is, the Fill
pinos took no part in the attack, but
came following in with a view to looting
the city and were only prevented from
doing 50 by our forces preventing them
from entering Aguinaldo claimed that
he had the right to occupy the city, he
demanded of General Merritt the palace
Of Malacanan for himself and the cession
of all the churches of Manila, also that
part Of the money taken from the
Spanards as spOils of war should be
given up, and above all that he should
be given the arms of the Spanish prison
ers. All these demands were refused
Generals Merritt, Greene and Andej-
son, who were in command at the be-
ginning Of our occupation and until the
surrender of Manila, state that there
was no alliance with the insurgents and
no promise to them of independence. On
Aug. II, 1898, General Merritt was in-
structed that there must be no joint oc-
cupatiOn of Manila with the insurgents.
General Anderson under date Of Feb. 10,
1899, says that he was present at the
interview between Admiral Dewey and
the insurgent leader and that In this in
terview Admiral Dewey made no prom
ises whatever. He adds: "He (Agui-
naldo) asked me il my government was
going to recognize his government I
answered that I was there simply in
military capacity, that l could not ac-
knowledge his government because had
no authority to do So"
The Only Course Open.
Would not our adversaries have sent
Dewey's fleet to Manila to capture and
destroy the Spanish sea power there, or,
dispatching il there, would they have
withdrawn it after the destruction of the
Spanish feet, and IL the latter, whittier
would they have directed 1t to sail?
Where could 1t have gone? What port
In the orient was open to it2 Do our
adversaries condemn the expedition I'M
utE luc tOlluiduu VI StncTul meFTlIl To
strengthen Dewey in the distant ocean
and assist in our triumph over Spain,
with which nation we were at war? Was
it not our highest duty to strike Spain at
every vulnerable point, that the war
might be successfully concluded at the
earliest practicable moment?
And was 1t not our duty to protect the
lives and property Of those who came
within our control by the fortunes of
war? Could we have come away at
any time between May l., 1898, and the
conclusion of peace without stain upon
our good name?
Could we have come away without
dishonor at any time after the ratifca-
ton of the peace treaty by the senate
of the United States?
There has been no time since the de-
struction OF the enemy's feet when we
could or should have left the Philippine
archipelago. After the treaty of peace
was ratified no power but congress could
surrender our sovereignty or ALLEVIATE
foot of the territory thus acquired. The
congress has not seen fit to do the one
or the other, and the president had no
authority to do either II he had been So
inclined, which he was not. So long as
the sovereignty remains In Us II is the
duty of the executive, whoever he may