Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-04-02
What Shall Be Done With Him?

Now that Aguinaldo is captured,
the problem with which the govern
ment is met is, what shall it do with
hin? Public sentiment in the United
States will not permit either punish
ment or unusual indignity to be inflict-
ed upon the Filipino leader. His only
offence was fighting against trench
dous odds for the independence of his
country and the freedom of his people.
Gloss over the dealings of the United
States with Aguinaldo and the Fill
pinoS as the imperialistic press may,
down deep in it's heart even that press
knows that this government acted to-
wards the FilipinOS with unparalleled
perfidy. Commodore Dewey invited
Hong Kong before his ships steamed
for Manila to engage the Spanish
fleet. Aguinaldo followed upon the
American gunboat and by arrange
ment with Dewey raised the Filipino
standard and soon gathered an army
of q, 900 of his countrymen as allies of
the United States. While Dewey
held the bay Aguinaldo assaulted the
Spanish garrisonS on land and at the
expense of hundreds of Filipino lives
hemmed up the SpaniardS in Manila,
captured nearly 5000 Spanish prisoners
AMI, by the testimony Of Dewey,
treated them with great humanity.
The Fiiipinos under Aguinaldo did
all the land fighting that was done
against the SpaniardS except at the
taking of Manila, and that feat was
accomplished under arrangements
with the Spanish commandment. If
Dewey had permitted, Aguinaldo
would have captured Manila long be-
fore American troops arrived, but it
was the desire of this government
that it should not be done.
When the first American soldiers
landed at Manila they were received
by the Filipinos as deliyerers. They
were followed and Toasted and loaded
with every demonstration CT deep af-
lection; and this continued until by
the terms of the SpaniSh-American
treaty and the action of the Americans
in command at Manila it was made
clear that the PHILIPPINE islands were
to be subjugated and the inhabitants
shot into subsection. The American
soldiers that were received as deliver
ers were transformed into conquerors.
There burned in Aguinaldo's breast
the holy fire of liberty. He was no
more willing that his people should be
governed by American masters than
by Spanish. They had been struggling
for 300 years to throw off the Spanish
yoke-they would not willingly take
on an American yoke. One yoke
chafed as did another, and what they
were willing to die for was to relieve
themselves from every yoke that they
might, as they believed was their
right, establish their own republic.
The result of their unequal struggle
with the United States which Aguin
aldo entered upon was forseen from
first. The Filipinos, with their in
ferior weapons and want of discipline,
we're no match for the hardy, well
armed and well disciplined American
soldier. The subjugation of Aguin-
aldo's people and country was but a
question of time from the moment
the war of subjugation commenced.
But the hopelessness of the cause rem
dered Aguinaldo's struggle Zone the
less brave and holy. Not all the laws
and edicts and sermons and speeches
in the uni JerSe can make a traitor
and rebel oft of patti lot. Aguin-
aldo has been made the cal tive Of the