The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-08
J. b. COGHLAN.
Captain, L. ;. \.

]
J. B COCHLAN.
/ Captain, L. ;. y.
Continuing Mr Lodge said:
But. Nj President. there are some per
/ eons-yery few. ! think-whO are indiffer-
ent to facts VINO care nothing for the tes-
! timony Of the official records. who viii not
/ accept the word Of the President. OF OF the
Secretary of the Navy, or OF Admiral
/ Dewey OF Of the generals OF the United
States. in regard to any transaction in the
/ Philippines. Fer the benefit of those per-
/ sons desire TO call on this point another
. witness one in whose veracity I have not
myself the slightest confidence but whom
cite in this instance because here he Is
/ testifying against himself and against the
contention which his friends make in his
behalf On January ., 1899 when Agul-
/ naldo was engaged i'm rousinE his followers
to attack the Americans, he issued proc
/ lamatiou in which he set forth his grtev-
ances. Among the many complaints which
he made I extract the following:
The American generals not only ignored me
entirely ~ the ~tipulatious for oapitUlation, but
also requested that NV forces should retire from
I the port of CayIte and the suburbs of Manila.
/ / represented 10 the American generals the IN
/ justice done me- aud requested in friendly terms
that they should at least expressly recognize my
cooperation, but they utterly declined TO DO SO.
/ In spite OF these concessions iAgUinsldos with
:.
/ Admiral Dewey. without any reason whatever
! arrested our steam launches which had been ply
ing in the bay OF Manila with his express consent.
Mr.. Lodge carefully substantiated each
statement Of this nature by constant ref
ercnces to official letters and other docu-
ments
The Campaigns Reviewed.
He then reviewed briefly the two cam
paigns of the American forces against the
insurgents, and described the so-cailed
government" that had been set up by
/ Aguinaldo.
Under that government" he said, (which
represented only the leaders who set it up
| and never had the support OF anything but
very small proportion Of the Filipino
population. warfare Of the most barbarous
! sort was carried on. and every kind OF
! crime was committed not only against
/ every open enemy. but against helpless
I prisoners, and against the inhabitants OF
| the islands. Of whose freedom they were
/ loudly proclaiming themselves the cham
/ pions for the benefit Of their sympathizers
! in the United States
! Turn to the other side. and you will
/ find not that in situation of great diff
/ Guilty and delicacy there were no mistakes,
] but great cause for wonder that so few
/ were made. You will find that our Ad-
niral and our generals never sweryed from
/ the line laid down: that they made no false
! promises: that they carried patience and
! forbearance to such a point that it en-
I couraged men of Asiatic mind to think us
I weak and timid. fit subjects for attack. You
/ viii find that they saved the great city
! from fire and sword: that they curbed the
insurgents: that they dealt with them
justly; that they grasped at every chance
.krA a
tion was sham. with neither substance
nor honesty in any negotiation offered.
You viii also find that when war was
forced upon them, so soon as they had
troops and opportunity they pushed it rap
idly. effectively, and with the skill and gal
/ lantry characteristic Of American soldiers
to a successful conclusion.
The President Defended.
Behind all this lies the policy of the
President. which our officers followed by
sea and land. While the rest OF the world
was talking he had to be doing The iron
hand OF necessity was upon his shoulder,
and upon his alone. Act he must No man
in that high Office seeks new burdens and
| fresh responsibilities, or longs to enter
on new policies with the unforeseen dan
gers which lie thick along untried paths.
Every selfish motive, every personal in
terest cried out against It, Every selfish
motive, every personal Interest. urged the
President to let the Philippines go and.
like Gallo, to care for none Of these
things 1t was so easy to pass by on the
other side. But he faced the new Condi-
tions which surged up around him.
when others then knew little he knew
much Thus he came to see what duty
demanded duty to ourselves and 10 others.
( Thus he came to see what the interests Of
the American people required Guided by
| this sense OF duty. by the spirit OF the
American people in the past. by wise
craftsmanship. which looked deeply into
the future. he boldly took the islands.
Since this great decision his policy has
been firm and consistent. He has sought
only what was best for the people OF those
islands and for his own people II is all
there ia the record Yet although he
fought in his youth for liberty and union,
he is now cuarsely accused OF infatuatiOn
for q vulgar Caesarism.
Mr. Lodge pictured the commercial pos
sibilities Of the Philippines in glowing
colors and said:
We have been told that arguments Of
this kind are sordid.
"Sordid. indeed, Then. what arguments
are worthy Of consideration A policy
| which proposes to open wider markets to
the people OF the United States. to add to
| their employment. and to increase their
wages. and which. in its pursuit requires
that we should save the teeming millions
Of China from the darkness Of the Russian
winter. and keep them free not merely
for the incoming Of commerce. but for the
entrance Of the light Of Western civiliza-
tiOn. seems to me a great and noble pol
icy il there ever was such. and one which
may well engage the best aspirations and
the highest abilities OF American states
manship."
The Nations Future.
In conclusion, Mr. Lodge said; 81 do
not believe that this nation was raised up
for nothing. I do not believe that it is
the creation of blind chance. l have faith
that it has a great mission in the world
a mission of good, a mission of freedom.
I believe that it can live up to that mis-
sion; therefore I want to see it step for
ward boldly and take its place at the head
Of the nations. ! wish to see it master of
the Pacific. I would have it fulfill what l
think is its manifest destiny il il Is not
false to the laws which govern it..
Il am not dreaming of a primrose path. !
know well that In the past we have COM !
mitted grievous mistakes and paid for
them, done wrong and made heavy com
pensation for Il, stumbled and fallen and |
suffered But we have always risen, |
bruised and grimed sometimes. yet still /
we have risen stronger and more erect |
than ever, and the march has always been |
forward and onward.
Onward and forward il will still be de- /
spite stumblngs and mistakes as before, |
while We are true to ourselves and obe |
dent to the laws which have ruled our
past and will still govern our future. But !