The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-02-15
TREATY WITH THE suLUs.
President sends All the Correspondence
60 che Senate.

IHeAtv WITH The SUlUS.
RFssidsns sends All the Cerrssponasncs
70 <hs Senate.
Washington, Feb. SIN compliance
with resolution of inquiry, the presi-
dent'has sent to thessenate Q copy of
the report and all accompanying papers
Of Brigadier- General ]. C. Bates, in
relation to the negotiation of . treaty
Of agreement made by him with the
sultan of Sulu, last August. In reply
ing to the request the president says:
'The payments of money required by
the agreement will be made from the
revenues of the Philippine Islands, I'M
les congress shall direct otherwise.
Such payments are not for specific SER
vices, but are part of the considera-
ton going to the sultan. tribe or nation
under the agreement, and they are
stipulated as subject To the action of
congress, in conformity with the prac-
tice Of this government from the earliest
times in its agreements with the vari-
GUS Indian nations operating and gov
erning portions of territory subject to
the sovereignty of the United States"
General Otis in transmitting the
treaty, August q, says:
The attitude of these people has
been subject of apprehension for sew
eral months, and by this agreement, /
believe, the apprehended pending diff
ferences are happily adjusted"
Secretary Root, in q reply dated
October q, tells General Otis that
1.-THE agreemnet is confirmed and APP
proved by the president, subject to the
action of congress, and with the under
standing and reservation, which should
be distinctly communicated to the sui
tan of Sulu, that this agreement is not
to be deemed in any way to authorize
or give consent of the United States to
the existence of slavery in the Sulu
archipelago. At the same time when.
you communicate to the sultan the
above mentioned understanding, the
president desires that you should make
inquiry as to the number of persons
held in slavery in the archipelago, and
what arrangement it may be practicable
for their emancipation"
In his instructions to General Bates,
under this direction, General Otis says:
ut is believed that the market price
of slaves in the archipelago is insight
ficant, ranging from $50 to $50, Next
can, 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.
General Otis continues to the effect
that the character of the domestic slav-
cry existing in the archipelago differs
greatly from the former slavery institu-
ton of the United States, the slaves
becoming members of the owners
family.
General Bates. in his report, stated
that when he first asked to see the sui
tan, the latter sent his greetings, say
ing he could not come to the general, be-
cause 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 favor that he
might hoist his own flag alongside that
of the United States. The sultan's
brother went to Jolo to meet General
Bates, and the sultan afterwards joined
him. General Bates states in this con-
nection that the Sulus are very jealous
of their institution of slavery.
In his original instructions to Gen.
eral Bates, General Otis instructed him
to push to the front the question of SOW
ereignty, and told him he could promise
for the United States not to interfere
with, but to protect, the Moros in the
free exercise of their religion and Gus
toms, social and domestic. and to re-
spect the rights and dignities of the
sultan. In return they must acknow-
ledge the sovereignty of the United
States. He also instructed General
Bates that it was important that the
United States should occupy the prin-
cipal distribution centers of trade, and
that SLASH, the capital, should DO occu-
pied by our troops at no distant day.