Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-02-08
THE SULU TREATY.
President Mckinley Answers the Sen.
ate's Inquiry as TO the Agreement
Made with the Sultan of the Archi.


peiagO.
Washington, Feb. I'm compliance
with a resolution of inquiry the pres-
dent has sent to the senate a copy of
the report and all accompanying pa
pers of Brig. Gen. Bates in relation tn
the negotiation of treaty made by
him with the sultan of Sulu, last Au-
gust. In replying to the request the
president saws:
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. Such payments are not for
SPECIFIC services, but are part of the
consideration owing to the Sulu tribe
under the agreement, and they have
been stipulated for. sub iect to the ac-
ton of congress, in conformity with
the practice of this government from
the earliest times in its agreements
with the various Indian nations occu-
pying and governing portions of ter
ritory subject to the sovereignty Of
the United States"
Gen. Otis, in transmitting the
treaty, August 27, says: Irhe atti-
tude of these people has beeAthe sub
Ject of apprehension for several
months and by this agreement | be-
ieve that the apprehended pending
difficulties are happily adjusted.''
Secretary Root, in Il reply dated Oc-
tober 27. tells Gen. Otis that "the
agreement is confirmed and approved
by the president, subject to the action
of congress, and with the understand
ing, which should be distinctly com
mn nil taI tn hn nf C,tIt, hot
this agreement is not to be deemed in
any way to authorize or give the con-
sent of the United States to the exist
ence of slavery in the Sulu archipel-
ago. At the same time, when YOU
communicate to the sultan the above
mentioned understanding, the presi-
dent desires that you should make in
quiry as to the number of persons
held in slavery in the archipelago and
what arrangement it may be practic-
able to make for their emancipation"
In his instructions to Gen. Bates
under this direction, Gen. Otis says:
at is believed that the market price
of slaves in the archipelago is insig-
niticant, ranging from $50 to $50 Mex
lean, and that in some instances own
ers will be pleased to grant freedom
to their slaves if they can escape the
burden of supporting them"
Gen. Otis says that the character of
domestic slavery existing in the archi-
pelago differs greatly from the for
mer slavery institutions of the United
States, the slaves becoming members
of the owners family.
Gen. Bates in his report states that
when he first asked to see the sultan
the latter sent his greetings, saying
he could not come to see the general
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 favor
that he might hoist his own flag
alongside that of the United States.
The sultan's brother went to Jolo to
meet Gen. Bates and the sultan after
wards joined him.
In his original instructions to Gen.
Bates, Gen. Otis instructed him to
push to the front the question of SOW
ereignty, and told him he could prom
Use for the United States not to inter
fere with, but to protect the Moros in
the free exercise of their religion and
customs, social and domestic, and to
respect the rights and dignities of the
sultan. In return they must acknowl-
edge the sovereignty of the United
States. He also instructed Gen. Bates
that it was important that the United
States should occupy the principal
centers of trade and that Siassi, the
canital, should be occupied by our
troops at no distant day