Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-10

| in the United States upon Porto Rican
products, under the laws existing prior to
| the aforementioned act of Congress, have
gone into the treasury of Porto Rico to re-
lievc the destitute and for schools and other
public purposes. In addition to this we
| have expended for relief, education and Inn
pIovement Of roads the sum of LIB .OS4 %.
| The United States military force in the is
| land has been reduced from IL 900 to l.5oo,
and native Porto Ricans constitute for the
| most part the local constabulary.
Under the new law and the inauguration
of civil government there has been graf
| flying revival Of business. The manufac-
! lures of Porto Rico are developing; her i'm
ports are increasing; her tariff is yielding
! increased returns; her fields are being cult
| waited: free schools are being established.
| Notwithstanding the many embarrassments
incident to a change of national conditions
| size Is rapidly showing the good enects OF
| her new relations to this nation.
| The Philippine Question.
| For the sake Of full and intelligent under
standing Of the Philippine question, and to
give to the people authentic information OF
the acts and aims of the administration. l
| present at some length the events Of i'm
| portance leading up to the present situa-
| ton. The purposes Of the executive are
| best revealed and can best be judged by
what he has done and Is doing. 1t will be
seen that the power Of the government has
| been used for the liberty. the peace and the
| prosperity of the Philippine peoples. and
| that force has been employed only against
| force which stood in the way Of the realiza-
| ton of these ends.
| On the 25th day Of April. 1898, Congress
declared that a state of war existed be-
| tween Spain and the United States. On
| May /. 1893, Admiral Dewey destroyed the
Spanish fleet in Manila bay. On May ID.
| 1898, Maj. Gen. Merritt U. 8. A., was placed
| in command of the military expedition to
| Manila. and directed, among other things.
to Immediately publish proclamation de-
n a IN W VIC n n ~ al q -
| the people of the Philippines. nor upon any
| party or faction among them, but to pro-
| tect them in their homes. In their employ
| ments and in their personal and religious
rights. All persons who, either by active
aid by honest submission, cooperate
| with the United States in Its efforts to give
effect to this benehcent purpose will receive
the reward of its support and protection"
| On July 3. 1898. the Spanish fleet, in at
| tempting to escape from Santiago harbor,
was destroyed by the American fleet. and
| on July II. 1898. the Spanish garrison in the
! city of Santiago surrendered to the COM
| mander Of the American forces.
Instructions to Peace Commissioners.
| Following these brilliant victories. on the
| 10Th day OF August, 1898, upon the initia-
tive of Spain. hostilities were suspended.
and protocol was signed with a view to
arranging terms of peace between the two
governments. In pursuance thereof 1 ap-
pointed as commissioners the following dis
| tinguished citizens to conduct the negotia-
| tons on the part Of the United States: Mr..
| William r. Day of Ohio. Mr.. William P.
Frye Of Maine, Mr.. Cushman K Davis of
| Minnesota, Mr.. George Gray of Delaware
and Mr.. Whitelaw Reid Of New York. In
| addressing the peace commission before its
departure for Paris l said
ut is my wish that throughout the nego-
| ttations entrusted to the commission the
! purpose and spirit with which the United
States accepted the unwelcome necessity of
war should be kept constantly In view. We
| took up arms only in obedience to the die
| tates of humanity and in the fufillment of
| high public and moral obligations. We had
/ no design of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and no ambi-
| ton of conquest. Through the long course
| of repeated representations which proceeded
| and aimed to avert the struggle and in the
! final arbitrament of force this country was
| impelled solely by the purpose of relieving
| grievous wrongs and removing long exist
| ing conditions which disturbed its tranquil
/ lity, which shocked the moral sense of man
| kind and which could no longer be endured.
1T is my earnest wish that the United
| States In making peace should follow the
| same high rule of conduct which guided it
! in facing war 1t should be scrupulous
| and magnanimous in the concluding settle
ment as it was just and humane in its orig
Our aim In the adjustment of peace
| should he directed to lasting results and to
| the achievement of the common good under
| the demands of civilization rather than to
without any original thought Of COM
| plete even partial acquisition, the pres
ence and success of our arms at Manila
| imposes upon obligations which we can
not disregard. The march of events rules
and overrues human action. Avowing UNI
reserve6fy the purpose which has animated
! all our effort, and still solicitious to adhere
to 1t, cannot be unmindful that without
| any desire or design on our part the war
! has brought us new duties and responsible
| tiles which we must meet and discharge as
| becomes a great nation on whose growth
| and career from the beginning the Ruler of
| Nations has plainly written the high COM
| mand and pledge of civilization"
| On October %. 1893, while the peace COM
! mission continuing its negotiations in
| Paris. the following additional instruction
| was sent:
Obliged to Take the Islands.
1T is imperative upon that victors
we should be governed only by motives
| which will 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 undis-
puted that Spain's authority is permanently
| destroyed In every part of the Philippines.
| To leave any part in her feeble control
| now would increase our difficulties and be
| opposed to the interests Of humanity.
| Nor can we permit Spain to transfer any
of the islands to another power. Nor can
we invite another power or powers to join
the United states In sovereignty over them
We must either hold them or turn them
back to Spain.
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-adm
trative and international-would follow any
other course. The President has given to
the views of the commissioners the fullest
| consideration and In reaching the con 'lu-
sion above announced in the light of in
formation communicated to the commits
sion and to the President since your de-
parture, he has been influenced by the sin
gle consideration Of duty and humanity.
The President is not unmindful Of the dis
tressed financial condition of Spain. ana
whatever consideration the United States
may show must come from Its sense Of
generosity and benevolence. rather than
from any real or technical obligation"
Again. on November ID. I instructed the
commission:
From the standpoint Of indemnity both
the archipelagoes porto Rico and the Phil
ippines) are insufficient to pay our war eX-
penses but aside from this do We not owe
an obligation to the people of the Philip
pines which will not permit to return
| them to the sovereignty of Spain? Could
We Justify ourselves in such q course or
could we permit their barter to some other
power? Willing or not, we nave the re-
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