The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-02-12
FREEDOM
Lopez Says FiIipinos Will
Take No Less.
Willing to Accept Guardianship
For a While But Not
Forever.

Senor Slxto Lopez, dated The Arling
ton, Washington, d. O., Jan. 20, 1901,
which said In part:
Dear Mr.. Paine:---I have to thank
you for your most interesting and
sympathetic letter, which reached me
via Chicago and Philadelphia, and !
now hasten to reply.
l fear that you have misunderstood
my statement of the terms upon
which the Filipinos would be pre-
pared to end this most deplorable
war. The Filipinos will never accept
American sovereignty in the sense in
which that word is generally under
stood. Whether they would accept
suzerainty would also depend upon
the definition Of the word and the
powers which It implied. But let me
now briefly state what I intended to
convey to you on Jan. l..
The administration is demanding
certain rights In the Philippines.
These are SO far as I can discover:
I. The right and the means TO fulfill
certain (unspecifeO obligations to
other nations.
2 The right and the means to pro-
tect life and property-foreign and ma
tive.
8. A basis of trade and military op-
erations for the far east.
4. Coaling stations.
5. The right, or the desire, to rails,
us-by process called "benenvolent
assimilatlon'-out of condition Of
savagery which does not exist in our
country.
In order to obtain these rights the
administration demands that our peo.
pie shall surrender Internationally,
and submit to American sovereignty.
The Filipinos, ON the other hand,
demand one "unallenable right"
namely, Independence; or the right to
institute" government deriving
its just powers from the consent
not of any foreign nation, but "of the
governed" 1t is only by the exercise
of this right that the Filipinos will
be able to secure equitable laws, in
sure just administration, and prevent
the exploitation OF their country an,l
its resources.
But while firm in this demand, the
Filipinos are prepared to yield to the
United States everything included sor
implied In the above list from ID
Inclusive. Ip addition to this, they
are prepared to repay, in whole or in
part, the twenty millions of dollars
paid to Spain, IL the demand be made
by the United States.
AS to paragraph 5, the Filipinos do
not want and will not accept any
thing in the form Of benevolence or
charity from any nation in the world.
But If any American citizen or citl-
zens desire to embark In. missionary
enterprise, and If they really think
that there are those in the Philip.
pines who need special enlightenment
they would be at liberty to spend
their missionary zeal without let or
hindrance. The Filiplnos would onI =
reserve the right to recommend that
such missionary zeal be expended on
Spain. or Turkey, or Russia, or tho
east end of London. or perhaps in
some parts of America. where educa
tiOn and enlightenment are more ur.
gently needed than in the Philip.
pines.
1t will therefore be seen that every
demand that the administration Is
making, with the exception of that
denied to George III, will be granted
by the Filipinos.
Now, therefore, II the adminstra
tion will say to the Filipinos: W.
will not deny you the one right which
you claim and which we enjoy. We
will grant you your independence
but we reserve the right to take sucil
steps as are necessary to enable us
to fulfill our obligations and conservr
| our rights--the Filipinos will lay
down their arms at once.
If the acceptance of this offer en-.
tailed some definitely defined form of
suzerninty, or II 1t necessitated joint
action in foreign affairs, the retention
Of American troops, or the appoint
ment of customs commissioners, the
Filipinos would raise no objection
provided that these conditions werc
not to be made perpetual. These and
all such questions are matters of de,
tail, and could be included in a
treaty.