New-York tribune., 1900-10-25

for the continuance OF q large army. It is now
delaying full peace in the archipelago and the
establishment OF civil governments. and has in
fuenced many OF the insurgents against accept
ing the liberal terms Of amnesty offered by Gen
eral Macarthur under my direction But for
these false hopes a considerable reduction could
have been had in our military establishment in
the Philippines, and the realization OF a stable
government would be already at hand
AN UNREASONABLE DEMAND.
The American people are asked BY our op-
ponents to yield the sovereignty Of the United
States in the Philippines TO a small fraction OF
the population a single tribe out OF eighty or
more inhabiting the archipelago, a faction which
Wantonly attacked the American troops in
Manila while in rightful possession under the
protocol with Spain, awaiting the ratification Of
the Treaty of Peace by the Senate and which
has since been in active. open rebellion against
the United States We are asked 10 transfer
our sovereignty to a small majority in the
islands without consulting the majority and
to abandon the largest portion of the population
! which has been loyal to US, to the cruelties Of
the guerilla insurgent bands. More than his
we are asked to protect this minority in estab-
fishing a government, and to this end repress
all opposition of the majority. We are required
TO set up stable government in the interest
OF those who have assailed our sovereignty and
fred upon our soldiers, and then maintain it at
any cost or sacrifice against its enemies within
and against those having ambitious designs
from without.
This would require an army and navy far
larger than are now maintained in the Philip
pines, and still more in excess Of what will be
necessary with the full recognition of our
sovereignty. military support OF authority
not our own, thus proposed. is the very
sence Of militarism. which opponents in
their platform oppose, but which by their policy
would Of necessity be established in its most
offensive form
The American people will not make the
derers Of our soldiers the agents of the Repub-
lie to convey the blessings of liberty and order
to the Philippines. They will not make them
the builders of the new commonwealth. Such
course would be a betrayal OF our sacred obliga-
tons to the peaceful Filipinos and would place
at the mercy of dangerous adventurers the
lives and property of the natives and foreigners.
It would make possible and easy the commission
Of such atrocities as were secretly planned to
be executed on the 22d of February. 1899, in the
| city Of Manila. when only the vigilance Of our
Army prevented the attempt to assassinate
soldiers and all foreigners and pillage and de-
| stroy the city and its surroundings. In short,
the proposition of those opposed to US is to
tinue all the obligations in the Philippines which
/ now rest upon the Government, only changing
| the relation from principal, which now exists
| TO that of surety. Our responsibility is to re-
| main, but our power is TO be diminished. Our
obligation is TO be no less but our title is to
| be surrendered to another Power, which is with
out experience or training or the ability to
maintain a stable government at home and
| absolutely helpless to perform its International
| obligations with the rest of the world To this
we are opposed. We should not yield our title
/ while our obligations last In the language OF
| our platform, Our authority should not be less
than our responsibility" and our present re-
sponsbiity is to establish our authority in every
part Of the islands.
THE BEST GOVERNMENT POSSIBLE.
| No government can so certainly preserve the
| peace restore public order, establish law, jus
| tice and stable conditions ours. Neither
| Congress nor the Executive can establish a
stable government in these islands except un-
der our right of sovereignty. our authority and
our flag. And this are doing.
We could not do it as a protectorate Power sc
! completely or so successfully we are doing il
now AS sovereign Power we initiate ac-
| ton and shape means to ends and guide the
! FiIipinos to self-development and self-govern-
| ment AS a protectorate Power we could not
| initiate action but would be compelled TO follow
| and uphold a people with no capacity yet TO 80
| alone In the one case we can protect both our
| selves and the FiHpinos from being involved IN
| dangerous complications; in the other we could
| not protect even the FTIipinos until after their
trouble had come. Besides, if we cannot estab-
lish any government of our own without the
! consent of the governed, as our opponents con-
! tend then we could not establish stable gov
| ernmeut for them or make ours a protectorate
| without the like consent, and neither the major
| itv of the people nor minority Of the people
| have invited US 10 assume it. We could not
| maintain a protectorate even with the consent
| Of the governed without giving provOcation for
| conflicts and possibly costly wars. Our rights in
| the PHILIPPINES are now free from outside inter
ference and will continue so in our present rela-
| ton They would not be thus free in any other
| relation We viii not give up our own TO guar
antee another sovereignty.
Our title is good. Our Peace Commissioners
| believed they were receiving good title when
! they concluded the treaty. The Executive be-
| revad il WIS a good title when he submitted it
+o the Senate of the United States for its ratih-
! cation. The Senate believed it was good title
| when they gave it their constitutional assent,
/ and the Congress seems not to have doubted its
| completeness when it appropriated S2OOOOOOO
| provided by the treaty. If any who favored its
| ratification believed it gave a bad title, they
we're not sincere Our title is practically identi-
| cal with that under which we hold territory
| acouirA5 since the beginning of the Government.
| and under which we have exercised full sover-
| aientv and established government for the in
| habitants.
| II IS worthy of note that outside Of the
United States disputes the fulness and integrity
! of the cession. What, then. is the real issue on