Washington sentinel., 1900-09-01

OF preserving order, collecting taxes,
maintaining education and a complete
system OF Administration, raising and
supporting an army which for a large
period numbered so 600 men and con
ductlng war according to the humane
principles Of modern International law.
1t is the fashion for apologists for the
Administrators policy to represent the
Filipiuos as little short OF barbariaus and
savages and as wholly incapacitated Tor
the task OF self government, Fortunately
the evidence on this subject IS readily
accessible and overwhelming in quantity
aud certainty.
He quoted from Lieut.. John T.
Ford. Of Baltimore, an officer in tn e
United States navy; Gen Charles
A King, United STATES army, and
others in support ol his statement,
Continuing, he said:
1T is impossible to determine the
exact time with which tae authorities at
Washington decided to take lorcible
possession Of the Philippine Islands. Il
is true that Admiral Dewey for cor.
siderable period after the battle of
Manila Bay had no knowledge of such
an intention General Anderson, who
TOOK command of our land forces in the
island about the first OF July, 1893, says
in an article in the Norm Hmsrica1
ReOfew for February, 1900:
~ was the first TO tell Admiral
Dewey that there was any disposition
on the part OF the American people to
hold the Philippines If they were cap.
tured.' There will be little dissent from
the proposition that ifhe came to Manila
with such knowledge the most obvious
considerations OF justice and fairness
required that the riliPinos be speedily
acquainted with it. Yet they wcr per.
mitted to indulge all the Illusion Of hope
from our supposed frieudhness to their
plans OF independence with which their
Proclamations had male us familiar"
Alter describing the strained re-
lations between the Americans and
Fllipinos after the capture OF
Manila, Mr., Towne said:
"Our opponents are in the habit Of
referring 20 the outbreak Of actual
hoshlities between us and the FrlipInos
as though the latter were the aggre sors
and mu~h is attempted to be made out
OF such expressions as that they fired
on our flag
But OF course, since we had secretly
formed determination to seize the
Islands, it is apparent that whenever
that design became manifest or we
attempted to put it into eff Ct, the Filipi.
nos, If they were earnest when declaring
that their object was 70 be Independ.
ence, would resist IT, The aggressor,
regardless OF who struck the first blow,
would be not he who stood in defense
OF right, cut he who by act or threat
compelled the other TO defend it
"The development of the hostile
design was itselfan attack. The wonder
- aA'H AllE AAoplGdl nature OF the
and the long continued course
Of our mingled reticence, ambiguity and
ottense, that they were not BETRAYED into
violence long before any physical clash
occurred. AS matter Of fact,
however, as shown by General Otis
official report, our troops fired the first
shot and the Fihpinos stood on the
defensive.
The plan to possess the whole
Philippine archipelago and to subdue il
necessary by force Of arms was oluntly
set forth by the President in his instruc.
ton to General Otis under date OF
December 2G, 1898 which was embodied
by the latter IN the famous proclamation
Of January ), 1899, It Is important TO
bear in mind the time when this procIa.
nation was made as touching the Presi.
dents right TO issue il, its responsibility
for the warfare that followed and ITS
to the general subject OF arbi-
tray power whose increasingly easy
and exercise are the invari.
able accompaniment Of imperialism"
He then discussed the protocol
and the treaty OF peace and the
proclamation OF January 3, 1900,
at Manila which ha Ja~I.--I "a.