The Atlanta constitution., 1900-09-03

al Anderson who took command of our
land forces In the islands about the mrs,
of July, 1885, In an article In the North
American Review for February. l9vV'
says: .,,,-o, r,oy,e,,
that there was any disposition on the part
Of the American people to hold the Phl-
ippines If they were captured. ~
There will be little dissent from the
with such knowledge the most obvious
considerations of Justice and FAIRNESS re-
quIred that the Filipinos be speedily ac-
duainted with It, Yet. they were per
mitted 10 indulge all the illusion OF nope
from our supposed friendliness To thelr
plans of independence. with whlcn thcf
proSlamations had made us lahi!hif ~ ~
"Our opponents are I'm the haDlt oI re-
ferring to the outbreak Q: actual hostt-
ties between us and the fiiiplnos rs
though the latter were the aggreSSors,
and much IS attempted TO be made out
OF such expressions as that 1hey hreu
on our flag.
but OF course. since we had secretly
formed a determination To seize IN, IS
lands II is apparent that whenever tna
design became manifest or We attelnpleu
TO put II into effect, the Filipinos; II they
were earnest, when declaring lheir op
feet to be Independent. would resist IL.
The aggressor, regardless OF VINO struck
the first blow would be. not he who stood
I'm defense of a right. but ne VINO py acI
or threat compelled the other To defend
f. The development of the hostile de-
sign was itself attack. 1ne Wonder
IS. considering the tropical nature ol the
islanders and the long-continued course
OF our mingled reticence ambiguity ana
offense that they were not betrayed INTO
violence long before any physical ciash
actually occurred. As n matter OF lact,
however. as shown by Otis's official re-
port our troops fired the first shot ana
the Fflipinos stood on the defensive
The plan 10 possess the whole i,hiic
ippine archipelago and to subdue II IT
necessary by force Of arms was bluntly
set forth by the president in his instruc-
tion 10 General Otis under date 81 le-
cember a. 1898, which were embodied bY
the latter In the famous proclamation
OF January g. 1893.
cit is important 20 bear I'm mind the
time when this proclamation was made
rs touching the questions Of the presi-
dents right to issue IL. its responSlbillt
for the warfare that followed and us rela-
tion 20 the general subject of arhltrary
power whose increasingly easy assump-
tion and exercise are the invariable ac-
compartments Of Imperialism
He then discussed the protocol end the
treaty of peace and the proclamation Of
January g. 1899. at Manila which he de-
clared rs Of the very essence Of iir.-
Perialism. Divested OF its cant and made
over into plain language. the proclamation
tells The F1lipinos that we have seized
their country by brute force. and propose
60 hold IL: and that they must submit 10
our profession. Yield % our assumed au-
thOrity. Hr be shot TO death. Il boldly
pruciairls the right Of conquest. the nigh
way robbery Of natio"s. For the first
time I'm American history II IS asserted by
the responsible leader of a great party
and president OF the republic that We
may risnJfully wage war for purposes OF
CominiOn and acquire property in The land
OI other nations and jurisdiction over
their liberties and persons by the mere
test Of superior strength. ID violates the
nIUst sacred traditions of our history.
But. wEat is probably as sinister n
this proclamation as even tins aaprant in
uOrsement Of fore as The basis of pOlit-
ltai authority ana a. Significant ot i'm
prrlallStlc tendencies IA the tN-rutlEe. IS
the cool assumption by the president u
ihr power 40 act before The execution oL
Tie treaty. The treaty was nai SCI rate
lied IL mad not. indeed. been approved
ty th- senate. but might easily never have
been approved. since the nu1l acton u
that body Is said 10 have been taken by a
bare majority OF one vote
Taking up Governor Roosevelt speech,
he declared Il t. bc enormously d.Stp-
pointing. Neither IN matter nor ga mln-
ner IS L worthy oi its occasion. In re-
spcct of argument. The speech IS. with rate
exception. an alienation ot evasion an4
assertion. In spirit. il is "a compound ot
sc0ld and sluilion. IL abounds ia inac-
,Uracies. which. II accidental. axe .ucNpli-
cable coming from nIan Nho has
performed cTCllta3ly ia uIstOry allu
Biography. But tine world Is accustomed
L. Inconsistencies FROM MI Roo-et cit. a.
has long locked upon him as a. preaes .in"d
and incorr.E ple eccentric. II n2s gwen
~ attempting 10 explain him Ur 20 recon-
Gale him with himself a Is quite inn
possible. whether IL would pc worth while
otherwise or not. L. make AN enlrely sat
isfactOry diagnosis OF a ciVn service re-
former IN partnership with Thomas q
Platt. "A citizen-sOldier who TICiculta the
volunteer. Il leader m h'tfi- Ah1 unds
glory IN being rescued from an ambush, q
nero Who boasts oi shooting "A hceihb Toe
IN the Ia X. a candidate Who plays ana
poses TO Delegates aud galleries 10 obtain
"a termination hc does Aut WANT. a S..llt.-
nlau who charges ssA tud uuc-nt44 mil
lions ui his fellow country men win ls.@-
], ,ssI4eas. dishonesty anu cuWa4dlce. a
statesman Who. mounted um 4 nDDry f.,
rides -oughly at grave Quts .iuls 4n ,CO-
numtcs ana politics swinging ais partisan
lariat and yclllns like au .nttlcctu A.
luul.aIgs lle.'
MA. ToWue then read quotations from
ia, -. Paul speech 81 Governor Itfose-
vrit. which he said showed ia. lrutA OF
What be- had said OI ,htt speech as a
hu4H. lie argued al consider DItht-. icing %
against any possible cuustituloHa. riEur
under which The United States could hold
and govern colonies. T.ulcUl.uE tae alI. goa
claim that th.s risht Was given by ,uat
PROVISION % tAc constitution which gives
c1u-is3s tAe pow. 10 make all uccdful
rules afl4 regulations -p.rtlug the ter
flt'FN AID other property uf ia, United
Stdtes.