Delaware gazette and state journal., 1900-01-25
4OUT OF THE EAST COMETA LIGHT"
New YORK Rveniug Post, Jan. leth.

Hong Kong, March 3lst, 1888. 1t WAS
published for the first time yester-
day, having been sent to the Senate
by special request. Dewey, like the
careful officer he was, had thoroughly
investigated the state of the Spanish
defences at Manila, and expressed his
confidence that he could reduce them
and put the city at his mercy in
single day. He did exactly that one
mopth later. 1t was, Of course, strictly
in the lire Of his duty to inform his
government respecting the military
situation, and the Navy Department
would hare been inexcusable if it had
not, at the time it telegraphed Dewey,
if war broke out. But the significant,
the critical part Of Dewey's report Is
this: There is every reason to be
lieye that, with Manila taken or even
blockaded, the rest of the islands
would fall either to the insurgents or
ourselves.n
Now. IL is not too much to say that
this sweeps completely away the de-
fence Of our Philippine adventure
which has been made by the President
and his most ardent supporters. What
lie that defence? Why, that when the
war began. this government never
dreamed Of annexing the Philippines.
Dewey was sent only to destroy the
Spanish feet. That was perfectly
legitimate operation, as both blow to
the military power of our enemy and a
means of protecting our Pacific coast.
But, to the surprise and almost to the
CONSERVATION Of the President, he
found that 1t would not do to recall
Dewey'S squadron that lie must send
troops; that he must take Manila and
occupy Luzon, and that then. led ON
strangely by Destiny and Providence,
he must, with many misgivings, much
against his will, aud in obedience only
to lofty sense OF national duty, in.
struct our Paris Commissioners to de.
mand cession of tho whole archipelago.
This is no carioature of Mr.. McKinley's
account of his Philippine stewardship.
Read what he said in Boston on Feb
ruary 10th, 1899: 1.-THE Philippines
were intrusted TO our hands by the
providence of God. 1t is trust we
have not sought
In the light Of Dewey's report this
now sounds uncommonly like devout
explanation by All Sin that the q
packs in his sleeves found their way
there. providentially. Here was the
Commodore OF the squadron writing
three weeks before the war was de.
elared. In answer to inquiries from
his government. he distinctly fore
shad0wed the seizure of the whole
group. 1.-THE rest of the islands would
fall either to the insurgents or our
selves. This was in the hands of the
Administration at the very time when
1t was asserting that the occupation, of
the islands was pure after thought,
dire military necessity unforeseen, an
unexpected command Of God. What
can we say now of such talk except
that it Was sheer hypocrisy? There
have been many hints and indications
before that the annexation of the
Philippines was part OF the Admins
tration programme from the very first.
People in the confidence of Admiral
Dewey, and Assistant Secretary Roose.
veN, as be then was, have smiled
knowingly over the theory that nobody
ever dieamed of our taking the Philip
pines. But now we have the first official
document proving that the thing was
contemplated from the beginning, Is
it any wonder that when Senator
Sewell went to, the President and
begged himito order Dewey to sail away
after the battle Of Manila Bay, lest
complications arise, and we be COM
PEELED to take over the islands, Mr.. Nc.
Kinley refused to do it? Dewey was
there precisely in order to make tine
islands "fal to ourselves" and the
President knew it. He had a sure
inkling of the vast designs of Provi-
dence in that matter, because he had
been acting in the spirit of the old
Puritan who said, when some one
piously sighed, "Well, God mend all!''
May, We must help him to mend it ="
Only less important than Dewey's
report is the official Report of Tour
Through Island of Luzon" made in
November. 1898, by two naval officers
Of Dewey's squadron, and only now
given to the public. Senator Hoar sue
ceeded in extracting this valuable
document from the Navy Department,
and getting it printed in the Con-
gressional Record. 1t is endorsed by
Admiral Dewey as "the most complete
and reliable information obtainable, f"
and it Is no exaggeration to say that 1t
completely snuffs out the sIoech Of
Senator Beveridge These naval officers,
Messrs. bWilcox and Sargent, Travelled
| for six weeks in the interior of Luzon,
and discovered such evidences Of
general intelligence and education and
good order and respect for the law and
| patti lotto aspiration that the record is
one, we should think, to bring blush
even to the cheek CT the superior Lodge,
who was again arguing yesterday that
| the Filipinos are but set of sayages,
who ought to be only too happy to have
| US come and kill them in ciVilizedway.N
What is most encouraging about the
whole situation is that light is be-
ginning to dawn. Whenever the cover
IL taken off the Philippine iniquity, a
fresh set OF its defenders are.struck
dumb. Every new document which the
| administration can be forced to publish
| is practically new exposure of blum
dering or worse. More official reports
arc to come. Gen. Otis report, which
| SO clearly oonvicts the President of
being the one man responsible for the
war with the Filipinos, speaks of naval
reports or representations made from
Manila in December, 1898. What were
they? Was one of them report from
Dewey which, it has been alleged, the
President quite disregarded and so
| fioundered into his war? We shall soon
know, for the Senate has asked for all
| the documents In the case, and il the
government does not give them up, its
| silence will be, like suicide, a con.
fession. In any case, the policy of
| secrecy and suppression is evidently
drawing to It's end. It is most
| righteous itch 10 know things which
the country at present has regarding
| thsse Philippine mysteries; and the
sooner we get to the bottom of the