The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-10-23

with the new order Of things. until
they are suspended or superseded by
the occupying bell igereut and In prac-
tice they are not usually ahrOgated. hut
are allowed 90 remain in force and TO
,be administered by the ordinary tribu-
nals substantially az they were Def re-
the occupation This enlightened
practice L. So far as possible, % he al .
herod CO on the present occasion
This was the fOrerunnar OF that
benevolent assimilation proclAma-
ton. no bitterly denounced by the anti.
imperialists. and about which l will
have something 20 soy and compari
son Cf the two proclamations shows
that their language Is almost identical
While tho war was 90 fever heat be-
tween Spain and this country. this
proclamation was issued 60 pacity tho
Inhabitants Of these islands
IL was inevitable that we should con.
quer These islands-Fllipinos with IA, or
Fnipinos against rs We were not max
ing war on these people we were driy'
ing oct Spain. This proclamation told
them So lt revealed our exact inter.
national relation 20 them. Is there
any criticism 90 bo made ot the Pfesi-
dont for the issuance II this proclama.
ton Was IL not benehcent, IN.
name. prudent, friendly act to tender
the olive branch 10 thePoople OF these
islands? Was it not consistent with
the te policy TO solicit nd encourage
not merely their submission, but their
hopes aud friendship? At this time no
one could know with certainty what
would be- the end Of the war-what
would be the basis II settlement
between the two powers whether we
would hold tho Philippines or
whether we would turn them over
again 60 Spain Still, presume
there was little doubt on the question.
Why do not these lynx.eye anti-im-
perialists oriticise this first "benevc
lent assimilation proclamation? II
the second was bad, this first one was
equally So.
And after this. on the 10Th Of June
1898. Ag- naldo thanked the United
States ne efficient and dialnterest-
ed protec ION which II was giving and
begged that the Government of the
United States would retain these is
lands until the end Of the war, and If
Spain fails 60 pay the indemnity, will
(noD sell them e. an European power
preferably Great Britain.
There was some wild talk in America
Of turning over these islands TO Great
Britain Aguinaldo. apparently. wss
willing 70 fully and freely ac-
quiesoe in our having possession OF
them. but he did not want them
disposed Of 20 any other power
and be begged Us. in behalf OF a 'peo-
pie " which trusts blindly IN you. not TO
abandon it TO the tyranny Of Spain. ~
In face Of al this IL is impossible 10
believe AguiualdO when he asserts that
he received any encouragement from
our officials or Office IN the East that
this Government would recognize him
and the Filiplnos as an independent
government. Read the emphatic Mt
terances Of Dewey .Psatt and Nildman
and can the naked word OF Auginald0
prevail against them: Nay l assert
that the facts show that he never be-
lieved that this Government would &C
knowledge his independence. IL Is an
afterthought on his part
So far. then. as the case OF the anti.
imperialists rests upon promises-Veroai
or written, implied or expressed, In
fereniial or diIect-that the United
States would give or recognize the IN.
dependence of Aguinaldo's government
it il absolutely without foundation
on the 23rd Of June, 1898, O consti-
ton was dictated and promulgated by
ARuinaldo
What effect and inhuencs had this
document upon the merits Of the
Philippine question: 10 she first place
it was not the work OF the people OF
the Philippine Islands. lt was nos
the result Of q plebiscltum-an official
concensus of opinion OF the people lt
is document dictatOrially prepared By
an individual AguinaldO-and pro.
mulgated by him 70 give the world the
assurance that a government existed 10
the Philippines
At most, this constitution Of Agui-
naldo was bat proposition 70 be
adopted or rejected by the people.
IL had no eff oacy or force until II was
formally accepted either By direct rati'
fication or by the people living under
IT,
Bot there could be neither de faoto
nor de inre government established
under the circumstances which pre-
vailed at this period at least not With o.
ont the consent Of the Government OF
Spain or OF the u nited States A war
WAS in existence at this date between
the United States and Spain, Spain
known 30 the world and recognized, as
the sole sovereign Of these Islands III
the United States prevailed. she need
not. under principles OF international
law. recognise third sovereignty, es
tablished without her consent; aud the
sameiyiew would apply TO Spain The pa
per constitution put forth by the dicta-
tor, Aguinaldo, 10 the midst Of this war,
was. therefore. ineflicacious for any
purpose.
Nor could the paper government in
augurated by AguinaldO IeoeiYe recog'
milton as government de factO or de
lure from outside sOveTeignties or
powers. Suppose Aguinaldo had sent
o representative to the Government Of
France or England, how would he have
been received Would either Of these
powers ve,recognized algovernment ere
hltu uuuDk bhDu AAAI w
would have said 20 the representative ::
who are yOu?' What is your gov.
eminent" Spin is the sovereign OF
those islands?" If she is not then they
belong to the victor the United States.
How can you intervene between these
two powers TO take advantage Of the
weakness Of Spain or she strength Of
the United States. without the con.
sent Of either or both?'
The most that could be claimed for
this constitution by AguinaldO would
be that by ratification by the people,
by approval Of the United States or Of
Spain, IL might in time ripen into a
government 1t was hardly worthy OF
being called q healthy seed which could
produce fruit in the political soil in
which it was soWed.
CONTINUED IN NEXT ISSUE)