The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-10
No Alliance win Insuraen,.

surgents. or that any promise OF nc
pendence was made 20 fhem Lone 81
fore their leader had reached Manila 49,.
had resolved II The commander 81 i,
American navy would give .hem sr-..
/ with which TO hight the Spanish sr,g.
they would later turn upon ". which ~.
did murderously and without the sh,f,s.
| Of cause or justification. There mn, Il
those without the means OF fun infar,.,
/ ton. who believe that We We're In .rI...
with the insurgents and that We ss.,.r.5,
/ them that they should have indepepla-..
| To such let me repeat the facts. or m.
| 26th day OF May, iSqS, Admiral Devys, 49,
instructed by me TO make no alliance ans
any party or faction IN the PhHlur.rs'
that would incur liability To mainttI,
\ their cause In the future. and he rsuii,I
under date of June 6. 1855: Have a.t..t
I according TO spirit Of department ip.
I structions from the beginning. and / b,ta
entered into no alliance with the lnspr.
Y gents or with any faction. This squadron
/ can reduce the defenses OF Manila al ans
\ moment. but Il Is considered useless pr,1
/ the arrival OF sufficient United states
forces 90 retain possession" In the =.
por, Of The frst Philippine commisslon.
/ submitted on Nov ,. 1889. Admiral Dewes
one OF it's members. said
mo alliance OF any kind wns entered
/ into with Aguinaldo. nor was any pror-tsa
OF independence made to him az any
| u=ne."
Gen. Merritt arrived in the Philippine
/ on July IS 1888. and a dispatch from ADJ
miral Dewey Go the government at Wasa.
ington said: Merritt arrived xester.i,v
/ Situation IL most critical al Manila Ina
/ Spanish may surrender az any moment
Merritt's most difficult problem viii -
how TO deal with the insurgents url4-
Ast inaido, who have become aggressive
and even Threatening toward our army
| Here il revealed the spirit o. The .nssr.
gents ns early as July. 1885. before ina
/ protocol was signed. while We we're .rt
engaged In active war with Spain Even
then the Insurgents were Threatening or
army.
| ON Aug. -. Manila was captured ana o.
thls ana subsequent events the phlhD-
Of les Commission says: when the city
of Manila was taken Aug. u. the Fllplnos
took no part In the attack. but came f0l.
/ loving In with a view to footing the city.
and were only prevented from doing 20
/ by our forces preventing them from en-.
tering Aguinaldo claimed that he had ihs
right 20 occupy the city. he demanded q
Il Cen Merit, the palace of Malacanan FOR
/ himself and the cession Of all the churches
\ OF Manila, also that a part OF the money
taken from the spaniards as spoAs OF var
should ne given up and above an that
he should be given the arms Of the span.
lsh prisoners. All these demands were re-.
/ n sod
Gems. Merritt Greene and Anderson who
were IN command al the beginning Of our
occupa lion. and until the surrender of Ma.
! Mia state that there was no alliance
/ with the insurgents-and no promise %
them Of independence. on Aug II. ISS
Gen. Merritt was instructed that thers
must MOI be any Joint occupation o. Ma
Mia with the insurgents. Gen. Anderson.
under date OF Feb. 10. 1900. saws that 10
was present az the interview between Ad-
miral Dewey and the insurEeut lsader
and that In this interview Admiral Dewey
made no promises whatever. He adds
/ He (Aguinaldo) asked me II ny gov.
eminent was going 20 recognize his gov.
/ eminent. I answered that I was there
simply In a military capacity: that
could not acknowledge his government be-
cause had no authority to do So
Some Questions Asked.
Would not our adversaries have sent
| Dewey's feet 10 Manila 20 capture and
destroy the Spanish sea power there Or
|. dispatching IL there. would they have
withdrawn Il after the destruction o. the
/ Spanish feet and IL the latter. whittier
would they have directed Il to sail? Where
could Il have gone7 what port In tho
| Orient was opened 70 It? DO our adverse
\ ries condemn the expedition under the
! command Of Gen. Merritt TO strengthen
/ Dewey In the distant ocean. and assist In
our triumph over Spain with which nation
We were al war? Was II not our highest
| duty to strike Spain az every Vulnerable
polnA that the war might be successfully
concluded at the earliest practicable mo-
ment9
And was n not our duty 20 protect tire
/ lives and property OF those who came
within our control by the fortunes OF war
/ Could we have come away az any time
between May !. 1885. and the conclusion Of
peace without stain. upon our good
name?
Gould We have come away without de.
honor az any time after the ratification o.
the peace treaty by the Senate Of the
| United States?
There has been no time since the De-
| struction OF the euemy's fleet when We
could or should have left the Philippine
Archipelago. After the treaty Of peace was
/ ratified no power but Congress could sur
render our sovereignty or ALLEVIATE foot
OF the territory thus acquired. The Con-
gress has not seen NJ TO do the one o.
the other, and the President had no su-
,horiiy 20 do either. II he had been 50 IN
clined. which he was not. So long as the
/ sovereignty remains in us Il II the duty
OF the executive, whoever he may be. 70
uphold that sovereignty and II Il be a.
| tackled 10 suppress It's assailants. Would
our political adversaries do less?
Democrats Ratified Treaty.
II has been asserted that there would
| have been no fighting In the Philippines
II Congress had declared It's purpose 70
| give Independence 20 the TaEal nsur-
gents. The insurgents did not walt for
the action OF Congress. They assumed
the offensive. they opened fire on our
army. Those who assert our responsibility
for the beginning of the conflict have Tor
gotten that before the treaty was Tat-
fed In the Senate and while &c vas he
Ing debated In that body, ana
while the Bacon resolution was
under discussion. on Feb & $50, the
insurgents attacked the American army,
after being previously advised that the
American forces were under orders Tot
TO fire upon them except In defense The
papers found la the recently captured
archives OF the insurgents demonsTais
that this attack had been carefully plan
ned for weeks before II occurred. IneH
unprovoked assault upon our soldiers a.
time when the Senate was de.ihefau"s
upon the treaty shows that no action 90
our part, except surrender and abQndon'
ment, would have prevented the hghhns
and leaves no doubt IN any fair milp
OF where the responsibility rests iof 'Hs
shedding OF American blood
With all the exaggerated phrase-maklns
OF this electoral contest We are u dah