The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-10
Peace OVertureS.

In the latter part of May another group OF
representatives came from the nsurgent leader.
The whole matter was fully discussed with them
and promise OF Acceptance seemed near at hand.
They assured commissioners they would
return after consulting with their leader but
they never did.
As result OF the expressed by the first
Tagaog representative favorable to the plan
Of the commission it appears that he was by
military order Of the insurgent leader, stripped
OF his shoulder straps, dismissed from the army
and sentenced to twelve years Imprisonment.
The views Of the commission are best set forth
in their own words
"Deporable as war is, the one in which we
are now engaged was unavoidable by us. We
were attacked by bold, adventurous and en-
thusiastic army. No alternative was left to us
except ignomnous retreat.
at Is not TO be conceived Of that any Amer.
ican would have sanctioned the surrender Of
Manila TO the insurgents. Our obligations to
other nations and to the friendly Filipinos and
to ourselves and our flag demanded that force
should be met by force. Whatever the future
Of the Philippines may he, there is no course
open to us now except the prosecution of the
war until the insurgents are reduced to sub
mission. The commission is of the opinion
that there has been no time since the destruction
Of the Spanish squadron by Admiral Dewey
when il was possible to withdraw forces
from the islands with honor to ourselves or with
safety TO the inhabitants.
After the most thorough study of the peoples
Of the archipelago the commission reported,
among other things:
Their lack Of education and poltlcol expert
ence, combined with their radical ana linguistic
dversties, disqualify them in spite OF their
mental gifts and domestic virtues, TO under
take the task OF governing the archipelago at
the present time The most that can be cX-
pected of them is to cooperate with the Amer.
leans in the administration of general affairs,
from Manila a center, and to undertake, sub
ject to American control or guidance las may
he found necessary the administration Of prov
incial and municipal affairs.
"Should our power by any fatality be with.
drawn, the commission believes that the govern
ment of the Philippines would speedily lapse into
! anarchy, which would excuse, il it did not ne.
cessitatc the intervention of other powers, and
the eventual division of the island among them.
Only through American occupation, therefore is
the idea OF free, sclt-governing and United
Philippine commonwealth at all conceiv.
able. .
"Thus the welfare Of the Filipinos comedies
with the dictates oi national honor in iorbiddnG
our abandonment of the archipelago. We can
not from any point Of view escape the respon.
sihilties Of government which our sovereignty
entas and the commission Is strongly per.
suaded that the performance Of our national
duty will prove the greatest blessings TO the
people Of the Philippine IsandS.'
Satisfied that nothing further could be ac.
complished in pursuance OF their mission until
the rebellion was suppressed, and desiring tu
place before the congress the result Of their OBJ
| seryations, ! requested the commission to return
to the United States. Their most Intelligent
and comprehensive report was submitted 60 con
grcss