The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

1ea y J
Feb. 10, 1900; says that he was present at
the interview between Admiral Dewey and
the lnsurgent leader and that in this inter-
view Admiral Dewey made no promises
whatever. He adds: S.
He lAeuinalao) asked me II ny govern
ment. l answered that l was there simply
in military capacity; that could not &C
knowledge his government, because had no
| authority to do so.'
| Easy to Find Fault.
| Would not or adversaries have sent
| Dewey's fleet to Manila to capture and de-
pathnx It her wod t6eg heve
| drawn It after the destruction Of the Span
ish feet; and IL the latter, whittier would
they have directed to sail? Where could
ope eaTf f 20 IT, What port In the Orient was
Do our adversaries condemn the szpedi,
ton under the command Of General Merritt
and assist in our triumph over Spain, with
which nation we were at war? Was 1t not
our highest duty. to strike Spain at every
vulnerable: point, that the war might be
successfully concluded at the earliest prac-
| ticable moment?
Asks for Honest Opinion.
And was 1t not our duty to protect the
| lives and property Of those who came within
our control by the fortunes OF war? Could
we ha We come away at any time between
May 1, 1898, and the conclusion Of peace
without stain upon our good name? Could
we have come away without dishonor at any
time after the ratification Of the peace treaty
| There has been no time since the destruc-
| tion of the enemy's heet when We could or
should have left the Philippine archipelago.
power but Congress could surrender our
sovereignty or ALLEVIATE a foot of the terri
tory thus acquired. The Congress has not
President had no authority to do either, If
he had been so inclined, which he was not.
So long as the sovereignty remains In US 1t
Is the duty Of the executive. whoever he
be attacked to suppress it's assajlants. Would
our political adversaries do less?
Begun by Insurgents.
It has been asserted that there would have
been no fighting in tie Philippines If Con.
pendence to the Tagal insurgents. The In
surgents did not wait for the action Of Con
gress. They assumed the offensive, they
opened fire on our army.
Those who assert our responsibility for
the beginning Of the conflict have forgotten
that before the treaty was ratified in the
Senate, and while it was being debated in
Vas under discussion. on Feb. i, 1859, the
insurgents attacked the American army,
! after being previously advised that the
American forces were under orders not ia
fire upon them except in defense. The pa
pers found in the recently captured archives
| of the insurgents demonstrate that this at.
! tack had been carefully planned for weeks
before it occurred.
Only One Course Open.
| Their unpr0vOked assault upon our sol
diers at a time when the Senate was DELHI
| Grating upon the treaty shows that no &C
| tlon on our part except surrender and aban
donment would have prevented the fighting,
ND Ianv n tn fcin {nI
the responsibility rests for the shedding OF
American blood
With all the exaggerated phrasemakins
Of this electoral contest, we are in danger OF
being diverted from the real contention We
are in agreement with all OF those who sup
ported the war with Spain, and also with
| those who counseled the ratification Of the
treaty Of peace. Upon these two great es
sentfal steps there can be no issue, and out
| Of these came all of our responsibilities. II
| others would shirk the obligations imposed
by the war and the treaty: we must decline
to act further with them, and here the issue
! was made. -
It is our purpose to establish in the Philip
pines government suitable to the wants
prepare them for self-government, and to
| give them self-goverhment when they are
| ready for it, and as rapidly as they are
ready for It, That am aiming to do under
my constitutional authority, and will con
tinue to do until Congress shall determine
the political status Of the Inhabitants Of the
| archipelago
Plea for Consistency.
: Are our opponents against the treaty? Il
so, they must be reminded that 1t could not
have been ratified in the Senate but for theil
assistance. The Senate which ratified thu
treaty and the Congress which added its
sanction by large appropriation comprised
Senators and Representatives, Of the people
of all parties.
Would our opponents surrender to the in
surgents, abandon our sovereignty or cede il
to them? II that be not their purpose, ther
1t should be promptly disclaimed, for only
evil can result from the hopes raised by oul
opponents in the minds Of the Filipinos, thai
with their success at the polls in November
there Will be withdra wal of our army anC
OF American sovereignty over the archipela
go, the complete independence of the Taga
log people Gecognized and the powers OF
archipelago conferred upon the Tagaloe
leaders.
! Prolongs the Rebellion.
The effect of a belief in the minds of the
Insurgents that this will be done has al
ready prolonged the rebellion and increases
the necessity for the continuance of a large
army. 1t Is now delaying full peace in the
archipelago and the establishment Of civil
governments, and has Influenced many Of
terms of amnesty offered by Gen. MacAr hui
under my direction. But for these false
hopes considerable reduction could have
ben had in our r,' military establishment in thu
government would be already at hand.
r. The American people are asked by our CD,
ponents to yield the sovereignty Of the
United States in the Philippines to small
fraction of the population. single tribe out
OF eighty or more inhabiting the archipelago,
a faction which wantonly attacked the
American troops in Manila while in right.
full possession under the protocol with
Spain, awaiting the ratification of the treaty
Of peace by the Senate, and which has since
been in active, open rebellion against the
United States. We are asked to transfer
our sovereignty to small minority In the
Islands without consulting the majority and
to abandon the largest portion of the popu.
lation. which has been loyal to us, to the
cruelties of the guerrilla insurgent bands.
Demands Cannot Be Met.
More than this, we are asked to protect
this minority in establishing 4 government,
and to this end repress all opposition Of the
majority. We are required to set up q sta
BILE government In the interest of those who
have assailed our sovereignty and fred upon
our soldiers, and then maintain 1t at any
cost or sacrifice against its enemies within
and against those having ambitious designs
from without. .,5s t.* 80.
This would require an army and navy ia,
larger than Is now maintained in the Philip.
pines and still more in excess Of what will
be necessary with the full recognition Of our
sovereignty. military support OF author.
ity not cur own, as thus proposed, is the ve Y
essence of militarism, which our opponents
/ in their platform oppose, but which by their
n policy would OF necessity be established in