The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-13
The Filipino Peace Movement.

There are many things to admire in the
peace platform which the Filipino leader,
| Buencamino, now reconciled to the Govern
ment. has prepared and submitted to the
''naional party" in Luzon. and to the
| rebel chieftains in the field. 1t shows
some ignorance of the real workings of i'm
perial carpetbag administration, and of
some other matters, but on the whole it is
a very creditable production, and might
easily be made the basis of an accommo-
dalton. supposing Aguinaldo and the other
bandits to be willing to lay down their
arms on any reasonable terms.
Buencamino begins his paper by re-
surrection that lin our independent
government the most predominant
notes were abuses and immoralities,
the offspring of ignorance, and the
inherited vices of SPAIN If he can COM
pare such regime with that which has OBJ
tanned in Manila for year past, favorably
to the latter, the former must have been
bad indeed. Probably he has not yet heard
of the postal scandal In Cuba, or of the gar
roting in Porto Rico In the confidence OF
an innocent heart he considers even Otisism
an improvement and urges his fellow Ia
gals to recognize the sovereignty of the
United States and to unite with the ma
tional authorities against the banditti who
infest the island.
He suggests as fair condition of sub
hot he ha
coded a declaration by the United States
that their rights and liberties will be re-
spected under a constitution. Probably
this plank might prove stumbling block
for the time being, but only temporarily.
The rights and liberties of the Philippine
inhabitants are fully guaranteed by the
Constitution of the United States, just
as are those Of other Americans living In
Territories such as Oklahoma. Arizona,
Alaska, and the District of Columbia. at
present an unusually bold Executive has
undertaken to suppress the Constitution
| In insular Territories. and intends if pos
sible to govern them as Imperial Crown
Colonies But the Supreme Court will
cure that vice before long, and one Federal
CuuIt tSSAucu that "iiSAN sAS
flag flies there is the Constitution en-
trenched.
The other important condition made In
the Buencamino peace platform is that the
friars shall be excluded from the adminis-
tration of the parishes. This clause
would seem TO imply that they are still
permitted to exercise the proprietary and
magisterial functions which they did be-
fore the cession, and the abuse of which
has been alleged as the cause of all the
native rebellons for a century. After
reading the Otis report We had formed the
opinion that the system Of clerical control
over the common people had been abol-
ished Probably it would have to be be-
fore any permanent peace could be ar
ranged
In reviewing the existing conditions
Sencr Buencamino said to a reporter
that, if the new Civil Commission brings
liberal ideas, and will open the way for
Aguinaldo and other leaders to surrender
in a manner which will not forfeit for
them the respect Of their fellow natives,
he felt sure that peace in the Philippines
would be only question of few weeks.
His plan is at least worthy of respectful
consideration by Judge Taft and his col
leagues.