Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-03

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Inasmuch as the congress was snortly
to convene, and Pacific cab {iek!s III.
had been the subject Of confederation W
tho congress for several years, IL seemed
to me wise to defer action upon the ap~
plication until the congress had nrstz au
opportunity to act. The congress au-
journed without taking any actlon' ledN
ing the matter in exactly the sai1'c col's
dition in which it stood when the con-
sress convened.
Meanwhile it appears that the Coiii'leI
cial Pacific Cable Company had pronptiy
proceeded with preparations for laying
its cable. 1t also made application "
the President for access to ana use 9
soundings taken by the q. 3 ;. nero 1oI
the purpose of discovering practlcaole
route for a trans-Pacific cable. tne coiii-
pany urging that with access 70 these
soundings it could complete us caoie
much sooner than if it were required 70
take soundings upon it's own account.
Pending consideration of this sup)ect, ~
appeared important and desirable 70 at
tach certain conditions to the permission
to examine and use the soundlngs, II II
should be granted.
In consequence of this solicitation Oh
the cable company, certain conol.'oLs'
were formulated upon which the Presi-
dent was willing to allow access to theso
soundings and to consent to the landlng
and laying of the cable subject to any
alterations or additions thereto imposed
by the congress. This was deemed prop
er, especially as it was clear that caple
connection of some kind with emma
foreign country was a part or the COM
panys plan. This course was, moreover,
in accordance with line of precedents,
including President Grants action IN the
case of the first French cable, explaining
to the congress in his annual message OIL
December, 1875, and the instance occurring
in 1879 of the second French cable from
Brest to st. Pierre, with branch TO
Cape Cod.
These conditions prescribed. among
other things, Il maximum rate for COM
mercial messages and that the company
should construct q line from the Phlllp-
pine Islands to China. there being at
present. as is we'll known. a British Inns
from Manila to Hong Kong.
The representatives of the cable COM
pany kept these conditions long under
consideration, continuing, in the mean
time. to prepare for laying the cable
They have, however at length, acceded
to them, and an all-Amerlcan nne Dc
tween our Pacific coast and the Ch1nese
Empire, by way of Honolulu and the
Philippine Islands, is thus provided for,
and is expected within few months to
Among the conditions is one reservinS
the power of the congress to modify or
repeal any or all of them. A copy. OF the
conditions is herewith transmitted
PORTO RICO.
OF Porto Rico it is only necessary to say
that the prosperity of the island and the
wisdom with which it has been governed
have been such as to make it serve as an
example of all that is best in insular adj
ninistration.
THE PHILIPPINES.
On July last, en- the one hundred and
twenty-sixth anniversary Of the declara-
ton of our independence. peace and
amnesty were promulgated in the Philip
pine Islands. Some trouble has since from
time to time threatened with the Mo-
hommedan Moros. but with the late in
surrectionary Filipinos the war has en-
tirely ceased. Civil government has now
been introduced Not only does each
Filipino enjoy such rights to life, liberty,
and the pursuit Of happiness as ne mas
never before known during the recorded
history Of the islands, but the people
taken as a whole now enjoy a measure
Of sclf-government greater than that
granted to any other OrientalS by any for
eign power and greater than that enjoyed
by any other Orientals under their own
governments, save the Japanese alone.
We have not gone too far in granting
these rights of liberty and sef-Sover11-
ment: but we have certainly gone to the
limit that in the interests of the Philip
pine people themselves it was or just to
GO To hurry matters, to go faster than
we are now going, would entail calamity
on the people of the islands. No policy
ever entered into by the American people
has vindicated itself in more signal man
ner than the policy of holding the Philip
pines The triumph OF our arms, above all
the triumph of cur laws and principles.
has come sooner than we had any right
to expect. TOO much praise cannot be
given 20 the army for what it has done
in the Philippines both in warfare ana
from an administrative standpoint in pre-
pairing the way for civil government; and
similar credit belongs to the civil authors
ties for the way in which they nave
PLANTED the seeds of self-governmenI in
tie ground thus made ready for them.
The courage the unflinching endurance.
the high soldierly efficiency, and the gen
eral kind -heartedneSS and humanity OF on"
troops have been strikingly manifested.
There now remain only some fifteen thou
sand troops in the islands. All told over
one hundred thousand have been sent
there. OF course. there have been lndl-
yidual instances Of WrOnS-dclnS among
them They warrcd under fearful diff
culties of climate and surroundings; and
under the strain of the terrible provcca-
tions which they continually received from
their foes, occasional instances of cruel
retaliation occurred. Every effort has
been made to prevent such cruelties. and
finally these efforts have been completely
successful Every effort has also been
made to detect and punish the wrong
doors After making all allowance for
these misdecds. it remains true that rev,
indeed, have been the instances in which
war has been waged by civilized power
against semi-civiliZcr or barbarous forces
where there has been so little Wrong-doinS
by the victors as in the Philippine Islands.
On the other hand. the amount OF difficult,
important and beneiicent work which has
been done is well-righ incalculablc.
Taking the work OF the army and the
civil authorities together, it may be ques-
toned whether anywhere else in mocern
times the world has seen n better example
of real constructive craftsmanship 'nan
our people have given in the Philippine
Islands High praise should also be given
those Filipinos in the aggregate very nu-
ncrous who have accepted the new con-
ditions and joined with our representatives
to work with hearty good will for the well
fare of the islands.
REDUCTION c. ARMY.
The army has been reduced to the mini.
mum allowed by law. i is very small FOR
the size of the nation, and most certainly
should he kent at the highest point OF