The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-10

surgents. or that any promise of indie
their leader had reached Manila they had
resolved, If the commander of the Ameri-
S Which at TO tight 1 the sV Spanish anS a ay theg
would later turn upon US, which they did
cause or justification There may be those
without the means of full information
the insurgents and that we assured them
that they should have independence. To
of May. 1893. Admiral Dewey was in
structed by me to make no alliance with
any party or faction in the Philippines
their cause in nth the future and he replied
under date of June 6. 1898, Have acted
structions from the beginning, and I have
entered into alliance with the insur-
can reduce the defenses of Manila at any
moment, but it is considered useless until
the arrival of sufficient UGited States
forces to retain possession"
In the report of the first Philippine COM
mission, submitted or. November 2, 1899.
NO alliance of any kind was entered
into with AguinaIdo nor was any promise
time
General Merritt arrived in the Philip
pines on July %, 1898, and a dispatch from
Admiral Dewey to the government at
Washington, said:
most critical at Manila The Spanish may
surrender at any moment MerrItt's most
the Insurgents under Aguinaldo. who have
become aggressive and even threatening
Here is revealed the spirit of the insur-
gents as early. as July, 1898, before the
protocol was signed, while We were stu
then the insurgents were threatening our
AGUINALDO DEMANDS.
On August Ii, Manila was captured and
of this and subsequent events the Philip
when the city of Manila was taken
August 10, the Fflipinos took no part in
the attack. but came following in with a
view to looting the city and were only pre-
vented from doing so by our forces pre-
e csng that he frq had te h to
the city; he demanded of General Merritt.
the palace of Malacanan for himself and
the cession of all the churches of Manila,
also that part of the money taken from
the Spaniards as spoils of war should be
given the arms of the Spanish prisoners.
All these demands were refused.
Generals Merritt, Green and Anderson.
who were in command at the beginning of
our occupation and until the surrender OF
with the Insurgents, and no promise to
them of independence On August II, 1893,
must be joint occupation of Manila with
the insurgents. General Anderson, under
date Of February 10. 1889, says that he vas
Dewey and the insurgent leader and that
in this interview Admiral Dewey made no
promises whatever He adds: He (Agu1n-
ing to recognize his government 1 an
tary capacity, that I could not acknowl-
edge his government, because I had no
TAKES A POKE AT DEMOCRATS.
Would not our adyersaries have sent
Dewey's fleet to Manila to capture and de-
stroy the Spanish sea power there, or,
dispa itching there, would they have with
drawn IT after the destr9cnon OF the SpahId5
they have the fleet directed to sail? Where
could it have gomez ", What port . IN a, the
saries condemn the expedition under the
command of General Merritt to strengthen
our triumph over Spain, with which ma
ton we were at war? Was it not our high
able point. that the war might be success
fully concluded at the earliest practicable
moment?
And was it not our duty to protect the
lives and property of those who came
Could we have come away at any time
between May 1, 1898, and the conclusion of
peace without a stain upon our good
name? Could we have come away without
dishonor at any time after the ratifca- |
ton of the peace treaty by the senate OF
the United States? There has been no time
since the destruction of the enemy's fleet |
when we could or should have left the |
After the treaty of peace was ratified |
no power but congress could surrender
our sovereignty or ALLEVIATE a foot of the |
territory thus acquired. The congress has |
not seen fit to do the one or the other and
the president has no authority to do |
either, if he had been so inclined, which |
he was not. So long as the sovereignty !
remains in US it is the duty of the execu- |
tive, whoever he may be, to uphold that |
sovereignty and if it be attacked to sup
press its assailants. Would our political
adversaries do less?
PLEADS HIS CASE.
1t has been asserted that there would
have been no fighting in the Philippines, If |
congress had declared it's purpose to give |
to the Taga1 insurgents The |
Insurgents did not wait for the action of
congress. They assumed the Offer <ive, /
they opened fire on our army. Those who |
assert our responsibility for the beginning
Of the conflict have forgotten that before
the treaty was ratified in the senate and
while it was being debated in that body
and while the Bacon resolution was I'M
der discussion on February 4, 1899, the ip-
surgents attacked the American army, at
ter being previously advised that the
Am erican forces were under orders not to
ire upon them except in defense The pa
oers found in the recently captured ar
,hives of the insurgents demonstrate that
his attack had been carefully planned for
weeks before it occurred. Their unpro-
voked assault upon our soldiers at time
when the senate was celebrating upon the
treaty shows that no action on our part
except surrender and abandonment would
nave prevented the fighting and leaves no
1oubt in any fair mind of where the re-
sponsibility rests for the shedding of