The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-08-04
CARL SCHURz To FORAKER.
Vigorous Rejoiner to the Ohio Senator
summary Of Mckinley's
MiSdeedS.

-
pine question:
To the Editor Of the Herald
Sir;-WM you accept some re
marks in reply to what Senator Fora
ker saId in the Herald OF July ? BY
way Of criticism Of my statement:
published in the Herald OF June 90.
| shall touch only $ few points.
a. Concerning the charge thai
President Mckinley turned the much
yaunted war of liberation into a wa
Of conquest and "crminal aggression
Senator Foraker says: alt was Ger
tainly the duty Of the president wheI
war was declared to send Dewey Il
Manila to destroy the spanish fleet
After that had been done 1t was equally
has duty to keep him there, inasmuot
as that was the only spot in the fal
east where we would maintain q navy
etc. Admitting this for argument:
sake, will Senator Foraker assert thai
i was also the presidents duty al
once to lay plans for the conquest OF
the archipelago and for the subsection
Of its people TO American sovereignty +;
Was it bis ''dutyH to issue that famous
.'b%enevolent assimilation order, BY
which, weeks before the ratification Of
the peace treaty gave him 3 legal right
TO do so, he directed our army to
enforce throughout the archipelago
American sovereignty, which then did
not even technically exist? Was II his
''du!yH thus Substantially to declare
war sgainst the Philippine Islanders
striving for their freedom and indie
pendenee, and to do this in terms so
iniammalory that Gen. Otis found
himself obliged TO substitute for the
presidents order a proclamation Of his
own-an attempt which unfortunately
miscarrled? Was it the presidents
''duty" thus directly to provoke an
armed conflict With the Filipinosi
This "a not only not the presidents
s'duiy,n but il was a wAnton and ruth.
less insult thrown in the face of the
people who bad acted as our allies
against a ''common enemy'' IND who
aspired to be free, and 1t was at the
same time a bare faced usurpaiion Of
power which only an ~unscrupulou:
partisan spirit would overlook OIL
excuse.
e. Senator Foraker asserts that
the Filipinos had not been our allies,
and that according TO our commanders,
From Admiral Dewey and Gen. 9th
down, no alliances or agreements oil
promises Of the character Mr.. Schurl
mentions were made by us to the
Filipinos.H This is taking refuge be.
hind a mere technically to justify q
moral wrong. | never said that for.
NAL alliances or agreements, or prom.
ises were made. / did say, however,
that we used The Filipinos as allies,
aud that we proited from their CO.
operation as allies, and IN point OF fact
recognized and treated by them a.
allies 50 long as they could be usefu
to Us, and that, therefore we owed "a
them these moral obligations which
are always recognized between honor
able allies, And the information sus-
tanning the question | gathered, mol
from A~guinaldo, as Senator Foraker
would have you believe, but from our
own official records and from authenti.
Gated statements made by our own Of
icers.
II Senator Foraker had studied those
documents be would know the follow
ing recorded facts: Aguinaldo, the
Filipino leader, came to Cayite in a
United States vessel at the invitation
Of Commodore Dewey to cooperate
with him against the common enemy,
the Spaniards. Under Dewey's eyes
Agunaldo quickly organized q large
Filipino army, which did excellent
service. Dewey reported to Secretary
Long, June q, 1898: al have given
him ~(Aguinaldo) TO understand that /
consider the insurgents as friends, be-
ing opposed to the common enemy.
lie has gone to attend a meeting Of in
surgent leaders for the purpose Of form.
ing e civil government. Aguinaldo has
acted Independently OF the squadron,
but has kept me advised of his prog.
ress, which has been wonderful. |
have allowed to pass by water, re-
cfuits, arms aud ammunition, aud to
take sucn Spanish arms and ammuni-
ton from the arsenal as he needed.
Have advised frequently to conduct
the war humanely, which he has done
invariably" When Gen. Anderson
had arrived in Manila Bay with the
inst instalment OF land forces he
wrote to Aguinaldo, July 4, 1898
"General desire to nave the most
arIicable relations with you, aud to
have you and your people cooperate
with Us in military operations against
the Spanish forces" The result Of
Aguinaldo's cooperation was that,
while our forces held Cayite and the
Bay Of Manila, the Filipinos hemmed
In The Spaniards in Manila on the land
side, so that the "eOmmon enemy"
could neither escape into the interior
Of the country, nor receive reinforce.
mants. The character and efficacy Of
this cooperation was slrIkingly ack-
nov lodged a. a conclusive raasop f,r
the surrender Of Manila 10 the CORES.
%pondence between our commanders
and the Spanish general. (See report
Bureau Of Navigation, 1898, PIP. l2I-l)
IN the meantime our commanders
had even gone 50 far as TO turn over
10 the Filpnos 1900 Spanish prison
ers taken by our forces IN SnbIg Bay
an act which not only amounted to q
urNpfIpg1 fg~paoufft,u % -. ptt-s D