Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-09-28

On the 25th day of April, 1893, Congress-
declared that state of war existed between
Spain and the United States. On May l.
1898, Admiral Dewey destroyed the Spanish
feet in Manila Bay. On May 10, 1898. Maj!
Gen. Merritt, U. s. A., was placed In comt
mand of the military expedition to Manila
and directed among other things to immedi-,
ately publish proclamation declaring thai
we come not to make war upon the people
of the Philippines nor upon any part or faci
tion among them, but to protect them In
their homes, in their employments, and In
their personal and religious rights. All per-
sons who, either by active aid or by honest
submission, cooperate with the United
States in its efforts to give effect to this
benefcent purpose will receive the reward
Of its support and protection.
Some Fortunes of War.
On July 8, 1898, the Spanish feet In ata
tempting to escape from Santiago harbol
was destroyed by the American feet, and on
July II, 1898, the Spanish garrison In the
city of Santiago surrendered to the comj
mander of the American forces.
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 a view to arrang3
ing terms of peace between the two goyernj
ments. In pursuance thereof appointed az
commissioners the following distinguished
ritizers to conduct the negotiations on the
rart of the United States: Hon. William R
Day of Ohio. Hon. William P. Frye Of
Minnesota. Hon. George Gray Of DeIawarS
and Hon. Whitelaw Reid Of New York.
Forced Into Conflict.
In addressing the peace commission before
its departure for Paris, / said:
'It Is my wish that throughout the nego3
tiations intrusted to the commission the pur3
pose and spirit with which the United Stated
accepted the unwelcome necessity Of wat
should be kept constantly In view. We
took up arms only in obedience to the dio3
tates Of humanity and the ful1llment Of higk
public and moral obligations. We had no
design of aggrandizement and NO ambitioM
of conquest.
Through the long course of repeated rep1
resentations which preceded and aimed 70
avert the struggle and In the final arbitra!
ment Of force this country was lmpelled soiej
ly by the purpose of relieving grievouS
wrongs and removing long existing condi1
tions which disturbed it's tranquility, which
shocked the moral sense of mankind and
which could NO longer be endured. :
HI2n SGu6C O1 1uLys
at is my earnest wish that the Unite0
States In making peace should follow the
same high rule of conduct which guided 10
in facing war. 1t should be scrupuioua
and magnanimous in the concluding ssttieJ
ment as 1t was just and humane In Its origS
inal action. Our aim in the ADJUST
ment of peace should be directed to lasting
results and to the achievement of the COM
~ - 81 -
rather than to ambitious designs. -
without any original thought of complete
or even partial acquisition. the presence and
success Of our arms at Manila impose upon,
us obligations which we cannot disregardt
The march of events rules and overrulee
human action. Avowing unreservedly the
purpose which has animated all our eforts5
and still solicitous to adhere to 1t. we can3
not be unmindfuI that without any desire
or design on our part the war has brought
us new duties and responsibilities which We
must meet and discharge as becomes great
nation on whose growth and career, from
the beginning, the Ruler OF Nations ha8
plainly written the high command and
pledge Of civilization
Shirked No Responsibility.
On Oct. %, $780, while the peace commis1
sion was continuing its negotiations In Paris
the following additional instruction was
sent:
"lt is imperative upon that as yictors
we should be governed only by motives
| which viii exalt our nation. Territorial ex-
pansion should be our least concern; that
We shall not shirk the moral obligations OF
our victory is Of the greatest.
1T Is undisputed that Spain's authority 70
permanently destroyed in every part of the
Philippines. To leave any part in her feeble
control now would increase our difficulties
and he opposed to the interests of human.
ity. Nor can we permit Spain to
transfer any of the islands to .anothse
power. Nor can we invite another power
| or powers to join the United States in Sow
ereignty over them. We must either hold
them or turn them back to Spain.
Only One Honorable Course.
Consequently, grave as are the response
bilities and unforeseen as are the difficult
ties which are before US, the President can
see but one plain path of duty. the accept
ance Of the archipelago. Greater difficulties
and more serious complications-adminis
tive and Observation-Disclosures follow any
other course.
THE President has given to the views Of
the commissioners the fullest consideration,
and In reaching the conclusion above anS
nounced, In the light of Information comj
municated to the commission and to the
President since your departure, he has been
Influenced by the single consideration Of
duty and humanity. The President Is not
unmindful Of the distressed financial condi1
tion of Spain, and whatever consideration
the United States may show must come
from Its sense of generosity and benevot4
ence rather than from any real or technical
obligation
Could Not Abandon Them.
Again, on Nov. 13. instructed the com!
mission:
p From the standpoint of indemnity both
the archipelagoes porto Rico and the Phil
fppines) are insufficient to pay war ex-
penses but aside from this, do we not owe
an obligation to the people Of the Philip
pines which will not permit US to return
them to the sovereignty of Spain? Could we
justify ourselves in such course, or could
we permit their barter TO some other power1
Willingly or not, have the responsi@
bility OF duty which we cannot escape-
hn1fn NJ