Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-09-21
PRESIDENT mkINlE Y s Il TER ACCEP TING The

- WA. $1,000 ..-. .}
o. the 25th day 4of April. 1904 Consrsa
declared that state Of war existed bstwssA
Spain ana the Ulited States. on My. "a 81
1898, Admiral Dewey destroyed the gpaniSA|
sdeet In Aanila Hay. On Nay ~. 1seo, MAJ
Gen. Merritt, q. q. u y, was placed In como
mand Of the militaEy expedition TO Nanils3
and directed among other things to immsdia
'ately publish Z prpclanation declaring tAa3l
Ne come not to make war upoAs tha psopli
Sof the Philippines nor upon any part Of 1qd
tion among them, but to protect them g
their homes, In their enployments, and ~
their personal and religious rights. AL per3
submission. cooperate with the United
sstates In it, efforts TO- give effect to this
benehcent purpose Will receive the reward
Of it, support and protection @
tfsi1 Some Fortunes Of War. @}5$E
On July 8, $685. the Spanish feet In atd
tempting to escape from Santiago harboz
was destroyed BY the American heet, and On
July II. 1893, the Spanish garrison In the
city Of Santiago surrendered to the con4
mander Of the American forces. }3I
Following these brilliant victories. on the
18th day Of August, 1893, upon the. initiative
Of Spain. hostilities were suspended, and q
protocol was signed with q view to arrangd
ing terms Of peace between the two govern1
ments. In pursuance thereof appointed ID
commissioners the following distinguished
citizens to conduct the negotiations on the
rart OF tho United States: Hon. William B.
Day Of Ohio. Hon. william P. Frye Of
Minnesota, Hon. George Gray Of Delaware
and Hon. Whiteiaw Reid Of New York. w.
-. Forced Into Conflict. 4.
In addressing the peace commission beeors
its departure for Paris, ( said: Et@> IN
- 1T Is my wish that throughout the nego-
tiations Entrusted to the commission the pur.
pose and spirit with which the United States
accepted the unwelcome necessity Of war
should be kept constantly in view. We
took up arms only In obedience to the dc
tates Of humanity and the fulhllment Of high
public and moral obligations. We had mol
design of aggrandixement and 40 ambition
Of conquest. - -
Through the long course of repeated rep.
reservations which preceded and aimed to-
avert the struggle and In the nnal arbltra.
ment Of force this country was !mpelled sole.
~ by the purpose Of relieving grlevous
wrongs and removing long existing coadi-
tions which disturbed Its tranquility, which
shocked the moral sense Of mankind and
which could no longer be endured.
High Sense Of Duty.
1T Is my earnest wish that the United
States In making peace should follow the
same high rule Of conduct which guided 81
in facing war. 1t should be as scrupulous
and magnanirnous In the concluding settle
ment as 1t was Just and humane In its orig.
inal action. Our aim In the adjust
ment Of peace should be directed to lasting
results and to the achievement Of the COM
mon good under the demands Of clvllisation
rather than to ambitious designs. 80,
Without amy original thought Of complsts
Or even partial acquisition, the presence and
success Of our arms at Manila impose upon
u obligations which We cannot disregard.
The march Of events rules and overruled
human action. Avowing unreservedly tho
purpose which has animated all our efforts
and still sollcitous to adhere to It. We cand
not be unmindful that without any DESIRE
or design on our part the war has brought
Us new duties and responsibilities which vol
must meet aud discharge ~ becomes great
nation ON wnose growth and career, from
the beginning. the Ruler Of Nations has
plainly written the high command and
pledge Of civilization" .'..~.
shirked No Responsibility.
On Oct. %, 1900. while the peace commits
sion was continuing it, negotiations In Paris,
the following additional instruction was
sent: ~ g 4
we should be governed only BY motives
which will exalt our nation. Territorial e.
panslon should be our least concern; that
we shall not shlrk the moral obligations OF
our victory IL Of the greatest. "'s1 !!
1T Is undisputed that Spain's authority is|
permanently destroyed In every part Of the
Philippines. To leave any part in her feeble
control now would Increase, our diaiculties'
and be opposed to the interests Of human
ity. Nor can We permit Spain to-
transfer any Of the Islands to another
power. Nor can we invite another power
Or powers to join the United States In sov.
ereignty over them. We must either hold
them or turn them back to Spain.
Only One Honorable Course.
consequently, grave a. are the responsi.
bllit!es and Unforeseen ~ are the dimcul
ties which IRE before us, the President can
see but one plain path Of duty, the accept
ance Of the archipelago. Greater difficulties
and more serious compiled tions-administr
tive and international-would follow any
other course. 49, !.
1.-THE President has given to the. views oil
the commissioners the fullest consideration,
and In reaching the conclusion above an
In the light Of information com.
municated to the commission and to the
President since your departure, he has been Z
Influenced by the single consideration 81
duty and humanity. The President 10 not
Of the, distressed financial condl-
tioa of. Spain. and whatever constderation|
the United States may show must come
from its sense of generosity and ,benevol-
ence rather than from any real or technical
>, = i,
e Could Not Abandon Them.
4 Again; ON Nov. Is. I instructed the com.
mission: Dr.. - - w 4
From the standpoint Of indemnity, both
the archipelagoes porto Rico and the Phil.
lppines) are insufficient to pay our war ex.
penses, but aside from this, do we not owe
nm obligation to the people Of the Philip
pines which will not permit " to returA
them to the sovereignty of spain7 Could W.