The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-02-10
TREATY WITH sULU SULTAN.
President Sends Documents Nelat
ing Thereto to the House.

ffe6ouent ocnUS tlOcuhncnlS ltelat-
ing Thereto to the House.
Washington, Feb. Sin compliance
with n resolution of inquiry the presi-
dent has sent to the house all the pa
pers of Brigadier General j. C. Bates
in relation to the negotiation of n
treaty agreement made by him with
the sultan of Sulu last August. In re-
| plying to the request the president
says:
"The payments OF money provided
for by the agreement will be made
from the revenues of the Philippine
islands. unless congress shall other
wise direct.
payments are not for specific
purposes, but l. u part of the
consideration going to the Sulu tribe
or nation under the agreement, and
they have been stipulated for, subject
to the action of congress in conform
ity with the practice of this govern
ment from the earliest times in its
agreements with the various Indian
nations occupying and governing por-
tions of territory subject to the SOW
ereignty OF the United States"
General Otis, in transmitting the
treaty August 81, says:
"The attitude of these people has
been the subject of apprehension for
several months, and by this agreement
] believe that the npprehcnded differ
ences are happily adjusted"
Secretary Boot in Il reply, dated De-
tober 81, tells General Otis that "lhe
agreement is confirmed and approved
by the president, subject to the action
Of congress, and with the understand
ing and reservation, which should be
distinctly communicated to the sultan
of Sulu, that this agreement is not to
be deemed in any wise to give the
consent of the United States to slavery
in the Snlu archipelago. At the same
time when you communicate to the
sultan the above mentioned under.
standing the president desires that
you should make an inquiry as togthe
number of persons held in slavery in
the archipelago, and what arrange
ment it may be practicable to make
for their emancipation
In his instructions to General Bates,
under this direction, General Otis
says:
1T is believed that the market price
Of slaves in the archipelago is insig-
nifcant. ranging from $50 to 500 Mex
lean money, and that in some in
stances wne will be pleased 10
grant freedom to their slaves If they
can escape the burden of supporting
them"
General Otis continues to the effect
that the character of the domestic
slavery existing i'll the archipelago diff
fers greatly from the former slavery
institutions of the United States, the
slaves becoming members of the own
er's family.
General Bates i'll his report states
that when he first asked to see the sui
tan the latter sent his greetings, say
ing he could not come to see the gen
eraf because he had boils on his neck
and could not put on his coat, but that
he would recognize the protection of
the United States, requesting as a fa-
vor that he might hoist his own flag
alongside of that of the United States.
The sultan's brother went to .Jolo to
meet General Bates and the sultan aft
erward joined him. General Bates
states in this connection that the SUI
lus are very jealous of their institu-
ton of slavery.
In his original instructions to Bates
Otis urged him to push to the front
the question of sovereignty and told
him he could promise for the United
States not to interfere, but to protect
the Moros in the free exercise of their
religion and customs. social and do
nestle, and to respect the rights and
dignities of the sultan and his adj
visers. In return they must acknowl-
edge the sovereignty of the United
States.
He also instructed General Bates
that it was important that the United
States should occupy the principal dis
tributing centers of trade and that
Siassi, the capital, should be occupied
by our troops at no distant day.