Amador ledger., 1900-08-10
HOW WE GAME BY THE PHILIP
PINES.

Critics of the Republican admins
tration policy would lead people to be-
heve that the acquisition of the Philip
pine islands was premeditated, conceived
rs result of an overshadowing imperi-
allstic spirit and born in very malice of
capitalstic greed.
The truth is that the administration,
ibid not go to do it'' as they say down
IN Missouri, but was pushed to it by the
irresistible logic of events over which
the nation had no control. AS the
nation could not do less, SO it did not do
more than its whole duty in that regard.
Let us look at it, not in a partisan
spirit but as any patriot might inquire
into the conduct of country he loved
to see if such conduct were worthy of
commentator or reproach.
The war with Spain is a historical
fact and one whose justice and neces-
sity no loyal American will bring into
question. We are all agreed as to that.
The United States had vast and
growing commerce with countries on the
farther side of the Pacific ocean. Spain
had formidable feet in Asiatic waters
ready at any moment to wipe American
commerce off the Pacific. Our govern
ment had not on the farther shore of the
Pacific a single harbor of refuge in
which its feet, under Admiral Dewey,
could coal, victual or replenish its sup
plles further than to enable it to reach
the nearest American port. We had to
capture port or bring our navy home
and surrender the Pacific to Spain
Dewey, under orders from Washington,
proceeded to Manila, destroyed the
Spanish feet and broke Spain's power
In the Pacific, and there is not man
on earth who will Withhold justification
for that policy up to, and including the
battle of Manila.
The battle of Manila broke Spain S
power in the Pacific and left her iucap.
able of governing her possessions there
She had to part with the Philippine
islands, if not to the United States. then
to Germany or to some other power pos
sessing an ambition to reach out and
expand its commerce and its form of
civilization. This much ought to be
: clear because it is clear that the Philip
pine islands can not be governed with
out a navy.
1t is fundamental principal of inter-
national law that whatever nation de-
stroys an existing form of government
must establish another form of govern
ment in its place. To fail to do this is
to funk, to sneak, to be national mar
plot and to earn the contempt of all ma
tions and of the men of all nations.
We had destroyed the existing govern
nent of the Philippine islands because
Z we had destroyed the instrumentality
whereby that form of government
could be maintained-the Spanish navy
Nor could we delegate this high duty
of establishing government in and for
the Philippine islands to any other per-
son or powers. Populous islands with
cities and towns are not to be bought
and sold as uninhabited lands. We
could not give those people over to the
relentless sway of despotic and imperi.
alistic power, and with no better con-
science could the whole teeming group
Of islands, embracing many peoples,
speaking many different languages, be
turned over to the ungentle mercies OF
single native tribe which chanced to
excel the others in ferocity of diplomacy
In fine, the Philippines came to be
ours, not through any policy of national
expansion that had been preconceived
by the party i'll power, nor, through
commercial greed or industrial averice,
but simply and solely that our nation
might discharge national obligation
with national honor, that obligation
arising out of the fortunes of a just
war, valiently conducted and honorably
concluded.