Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-10
SENATOR HOAR'S VIEWS

other nation and would lend our aid for
a reasonable time to maintain order and
law. I would not hesitate IL it were need
full, although l have not the slightest be-
lief that it would be needful, to vote to
make them a a of a moderate sum to
repleniSh their wasted treasury"
Senator Hears letter then asserts that
the dispatches Of Admiral Dewey and
General Otis (some of the latter read
by him. he says, having been withheld
thus far from public knowledge) estab-
lish beyond reasonable doubts Is
"First-That Aguinaldo is an honest.
patriotic and brave man. Indeed. that
is the express testimony of Mr.. Schur-
mann. president of the Philippine COM
mission. y
"Second-That Aguinaldo 4 was the
chosen leader of the people Of the Philip
pine islands. p. nj
'Third-That the people have from the
beginning desired independence. and de-
sire it now. q
'Fourth-That this desire was COM
municated to our commanders when they
brought Aguinaldo from his exile, when
he was put in command of SO. 900 Filipino
soldiers, who were already in arms and
organized.
'Fifth-That the people of the Phillip
pine islands, before we fired upon their
roops lave delivered their own land
from Spain, with the single exception of
the town of Manila, and that they
hemmed in the Spanish troops on lar
by a line extending from water to water.
"Sixth-That we could not have ac-
cepted the Spanish garrison, which was
done by an arrangement before hand,
upon a mere show of resistance. but for
the fact that they We're SO hemmed in
by Aguinaldo's forces and could not re-
treat beyond the range and fire of the
guns Of our fleet.
'Seventh-That during all this period
to the final conflict the Filipinos were
repeatedly informing our government
that they desired their freedom, and that
they were never informed of N purpose
on u part to subdue them.
"Eighth-That they were At for indie
p~endence. They had churches, libraries,
works of art and education. They were
better educated than many American
communities within the memory of some
Of US. They We're governing their en-
tire island. except Manila, in order and
quiet. with municipal governments,
courts Of Justice. schools and complete
constitution. resting upon the consent Of
the people. They were better fitted for
self government than n country on the
continent south of the United States
from the Rio Grande to Cape Horn, San
Domingo or Hayti when they received
their Independence. and are better fitted
for self government than some of them
are now. They are as fit or self govern
ment as was Japan when she was well
coined into the family Of nations.
"Ninth-That the outbreak of HOSTILE
ties was not their fault, but ours. A pa
troll, not q hostile military force, ap-
preached a small village between the
lines of the two armies. a village on the
American line of demarkation to which
some of our soldiers had been moved in
disregard of the rule applicable to all
cases of truce. When this patrol APP
preached this town it vas challenged.
How far the Filininos understood our
language and how far our pickets I'M
derstood the reply that they made in
their own language, does not appear.
But we fired on them first. The fire was
returned from their lines. Thereupon.
it was returned again from us and sew
eral Filipinos were killed. AS soon as
A%guinaldo heard of it he sent a message
to General Otis. saying that the firing
was without his knowledge against
his will, that he deplored it and he de-
sired hostilities to cease and would with
draw his troops to. any distance Genera
Otis should desire. to which the Ameri-
can general replied that as the fighting
had begun. it must go on.
~"Tenth-That on the 18th of December,
1888, the TWO SlueS DelnE at peace, al
though great uneasiness n irritation
had already manifested itself on the
part of the Fflipinos, who were afraid we
meant to subjugate them, President Nc
kinley sent General Otis a proclamation
which he commanded to :ssue. General
Otis on reading it concluded that there
were certain words and expressions
therein, such as sovereignty right of
c~ession,' and those who directed imme-
date occupation. though most admirably
employed and tersely expressive Of actua
conditions, might be advantageously
used by the Tagalo war party to incite
widespread hostilities among the ma.
tives. Whereupon General Otis proceeds
to amend the presidents proclamation
by striking from it everything which
contains a purpose to assume sovereignty
or protection II which was significant
of future political domination, and in.
stead thereof, he issued a procla matior
in which he suppressed all these utter.
ances n issued them that it is the pur.
, pose of the people of the United States
to give them in every possible way the
full measure of individual liberty which
is the heritage of a free people, Tha,
assurance which General Otis gave tt
the people of Manila is just what I have
always wanted. n l have always want.
ed to give them. But. unhappiiy,, Gen.
efal Otis proclamation was frustrated
In the meantime he nae sent a COPY O,
the presidents proclamation to Genera
Miller, who was lying opposite folio
MACH u HlH-.A