New-York tribune., 1901-04-21
AGUINiLDO'S MANIFESTO.

The third step in Aguinaldo's progress was
taken Friday in the issuance of his peace
message to the people Of the Philippines The
first. taken much against his will, was his capt
ure by General Funston. The second, taken by
him voluntarily after conference with his old
friends ut Manila and his realization Of the
true purposes of the United States Government,
was mis- taking the oath of allegiance and his
declaration that he was satisfied with Amer
lea" Now. after further and more mature
delibaratiou. he takes the final step of publicly
urging his countrymen to follow his example in
Loyalty accepting American sovereignty. There
is no apparent reason for doubling his sincerity
in this Certainly his own authorship of the
manifesto is unmistakable Every sentence of
it evinces his we'll known characteristic style
a style quite different, may add, from that
of various other socalled Filipino documents
which have from time to time been brought
before the world by way of the "anti-impera-
ist" headquarters in Boston with the intellect
ual SAVIOR of High Bostonese most obvious in
every line. This manifesto is Agunaldo's own,
and it is as such that it is to be appreciated.
The first feature of the document. probably.
which will impress the reader is the frank con-
fession that the majority of the people of the
Philippines have already accepted American
sovereignty. Not only that but they have done
so joyfuIly. says Aguinaldo. That is a good
reply to the parrot cry of the "antiimperiaists'
| that only few have yielded, and they have
done so reluctantly and suIlenly. Aguinaldo
declares what we have long maintained, that
the country-the Philippine Archipelago-has
declared unmistakably for peace. and has done
so jeyfully. Why? Because. he adds the people
have had their eyes opened and their minds
enlightened. They have come TO understand
what American sovereignty means and will
mean. They now place their trust in this gov
ernment and believe confidently that under its
rule they will enjoy the promised blessings of
liberty. In other words. they have accepted
American sovereignty not because of physical
compulsion. but because Of intellectual and
moral conviction. They know now, as Agui-
naldo himself knows and practically confesses,
that the baeful portraitures of America given
to them by Spaniards before the war. and
repeated by uninformed md designing agtators
after the war with Spain. and again presented
in ''damnable iteration" in Atkinsonian PAM
phets and messag ges. were all lies. 1t is because
they at last see the truth that they joyfully
accept American sovereignty. That is the testi-
mony OF Acuinaldo.
What the effect of this manifesto will be upon
Philippine affairs in all details may not yet
say. The general features of its effect are.
however. obvious 1t will strengthen the cause
Of law and order. 1t will facilitate and expedite
the process of pacfieation and the establish
ment of a free civil administration, in which
the natives themselves will participate to the
largest possible extent. 1t will reduce to the
merest fraction of remnant the Ill advised
faction which still strives to hold up the stand
ard of revolt. 1t will deprive the few remaining
insurgents of the last pretence Of regularity in
their warfare. and will remove the last shadow
of constraint 70. rega arding them anything bet
ter than wandering outlaws. AS for our domes-
tic Tagals now numbering some seven or eight
we suppose they will remain recalcitrant and
unconvinced Mr. Garrison or Mr.. Crosby will
emit lyrical lament over the lost leader and
then they will go right on railing ut the govern
ment for governing the Filipinos with their con-
sent just bitterly as they have hitherto abused
ii for governing them without their consent
But then they do not really matter. If they
were in Manila instead of in Boston and New
York there might shine upon them the great
light which Aguinaldo has seen and the scales
of prejudice and hatred might fall from their
eyes as they have from his. AS it is they are
joined to the idols Of their own imagination
Let them alone The Philippines will become
loyal and free without them