Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-10

/ wise and generous protection OF life ana
property to the inhabitants, / appointed In
January, 1899, a commission consisting of
Hon. Jacob Gould Schurman OF New York,
Admiral George Dewey, l.. s. N: Hon.
Charles DENLY Of Indiana, Prof. Dean G
| Worcester Of Michigan and Maj. Gen FL
| well 8. Otis. L. g. A. iiiei- instructions
| contained the following:
| "In the performance of this duty the COM
missioners are enjoined to meet at the earl
| lest possible day in the city OF Manila and
to announce by public proclamation their
presence and the mission intrusted to them.
carefully setting forth that. while the mill
tary government already proclaimed is to
be maintained and continued SO long as ne
cessity may require. efforts will be made to
alleviate the burden of taxation, to estab
and to provide for the safety Of persons
and Of property by such means as may be
| found conducive to these ends.
/ 1.-THE commissioners will endeavor. with
out interference with the military authort-
ties Of the United States now in control of
the Philippines, to ascertain what amelio-
ration in the condition of the inhabitants
and what improvements in public order
may be practicable, and for this purpose
! they will study attentively the existing So
| cial and political state of the various popu-
| lations. particularly as regards the forms
of local government, the administration of
| justice. the collection of customs and other
| taxes, the means Of transportation and the
need of public improvements. They will re-
| port the results of their observa-
| lions and reflections and will recommend
/ such executive action as may from time to
! time seem to them wise and useful.
1.-THE commissioners are hereby authoriz-
| ed to confer authoritatively with any per-
sons resident in the islands from whom
they may believe themselves able to de-
1 rive information or suggestions valuable
4 for the purposes of their commission or
/ whom they may choose to employ as
agents. as may be necessary for this pur-
1
'Tt is my desire that In all their relations
with the Inhabitants of the islands the COM
missioners exercise due respect for all the
/ Ideals customs and institutions of the
! tribes which compose the population. en-
pEasizing upon all occasions the just and
| benehcent Intentions of the government of
the United States. 1t is also my wish and
| expectation that the commissioners may be
received in a manner due to the honored
and authorized representatives of the Amer
| lean republic, duly commissioned, ac-
count OF their knowledge, skill and integri
| ty. as bearers Of the good will, the protec-
| ton and the richest blessings of a liberat
ing rather than conquering nation"
On the 9th of February. 1890. the treaty
| was ratified by the Senate of the United
States. and the Congress Immediately ap-
propriated $4,000 600 to carry out its pro-
visions The notifications were exchanged
by the United States and Spain on the 18th
of April, 1899
| Efforts for Peace.
| AS early rs APRIL 1915, tHe THlllpplHe
commission. Of which DR.. Schurman was
president endeavored to bring about peace
in the islands by repeated conferences with
leading Tagalogs representing the so-called
insurgent government, to the end that some
| general plan of government might be Of
fered them which they would accept. So
great was the satisfaction of the insurgent
commissioners with the form of govern
ment proposed by the American commits
sioners that the latter submitted the pro-
| posed scheme to me for approval. and my
| action thereon is shown by the cable mes
| sage following:
| "Schurman, Manila:
''May 5. 1890
yours 4th received You are authorized
| to propose that under the military power
| of the President. pending action of Con-
gress, government of the Philippine Islands
| shall consist of a governor genera, appoint
| ed by the President: cabinet appoin' ed by
| the governor general; a general advisory
| council electe by the people; the qud'iflca-
| lions of electors to be carefully considered
! and determined, and the go yerGor general
| to have absolute veto. Judiciary strong ana
| Independent: principal judges appoint ted by
| the President. The cabinet and judges to
| be chosen from natives or Americans, or
| both. having regard to fitness. The Presi-
| dent earnestly desires the cessation of
| bloodshed. and that the people Of the
| Philippine Islands at an early date shall
| have the largest measure of local self-gov
| eminent consistent with peace and good
| order
In the latter part Of May another group
Of representatives came from the insurgent
| leader. The whole matter fully dis
cuSsed with them and promise of accept
| ance seemed near at hand. They assured
! our commissioners they would return after
| did.
| AS result Of the views expressed by the
| first Tagalog representative favorable to
| the plan of the commission 1t appears that
| ha of tha in
| leader, stripped of his shoulder straps. dis
| missed from the army and sentenced to
| twelve years imprisonment
Responsibility for the War.
| The views of the commission are best set
| forth in their own words:
| "Deplorable war Is, the one in which
we are now engaged was unavoida BILE by us.
We were attacked by a bold. adventurous
| and enthusiastic army No alternative was
| left to us except ignominious retreat.
1T Is not to be conceived of that any Amer
| lean would have sanctioned the surrender
| Of Manila to the insurgents Our obiga-
| lions to other nations and to the friendly
| Filipnos and to ourselves and our flag de-
| manded that force should be met by force
Whatever the future of the Philippines may
| be, there is no course open to now eX-
| cept the prosecution of the war until the in
! surgentS are reduced to submission. The
| commission is Of the opinion that there has
been no time since the destruction of the
Spanish squadron by Admiral Dewey when
| it was possible to withdraw our forces from
| the islands either with honor to ourselves
or with safety to the Inhabitants
| After the most thorough study of the
peoples of the archipelago the commission
reported among other things:
United for Self-Government
'"Their lack of education and political ex-
| perience, combined with their racial and
| linguistic dversities, disqualify them, in
| spite>of their mental gifts and domestic vir-
tues. to undertake the task Of governing
| the archipelago at the present time. The
| most that can be expected of them is to CO.
operate with the Americans in the admins
tration Of general affairs. from Manila as a
center. and to undertake. subject to Amer
lean control or guidance las may be found
| necessary, the administration Of provincial
and municipal affairs.
Should our power by any fatality be
withdrawn the commission believes that the
government of the Philippines would speed
lily lapse into anarchy. which would excuse.
II it did not necessltate. the Intervention of
other powers and the eventual division of
the islands among them. Only through
American occupation. therefore, is the idea
of free, self-governing and united Philip
pine commonwealth at all conceivable. . -
Thus the welfare of the Filipinos. coin
cides with the dictates of national honor in
l g.,