The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-15

- debate we have not only
Il had the policy of this gov
ernment assailed, but1 we
have had also the American army
assaulted. This talk of barbarities
BY our army is not new talk. I
have taken pains to look at the rec
ord and I find that our army In the
war of 1872 was bitterly criticised for
the cruelties and barbaritieS Dracticed.
record devoted to the debates in con-
gress about the cruelties and barbara
ties practiced by Andrew Jackson when
he was fighting the Selninoles and the
eXiles in Florida. Also in the war with
Mexico. In the war with Mexico you
can go to the library and find book
after book devoted to the exposition
of cruelties and barbarities and out
RACES practiced and ordered to be prac-
tired by General Scott and his subor-
dinates in Mexico. The country was
infested with guerrillas, rancheros and
they were ambushing and annoying
our troops. Finally the general issued
same, that every such man 'ander the
law of retaliation should be given no
quarter whatever, but should be put to
death as the only" way to break up
such warfare. During the civil war
there were numerous complaints of
brutality and cruelty of one kind and
another. And now we come down to
the Philippines and we are told that
there is more brutality here than has
ever been heard of in all the history
Of the world.
when men marching through the
Philippines are fired upon from ambush
and shot down. much more when they
are captured and as prisoners are put
To death without mercy, their heads
cut off and stuck on the top of poles,
their arms cut off, and legs cut off, and
their eyes gouged out. and their bodies
disfgured in every possible manner,
the result is that the surviving COM
rades of such unfortunate victims will
at the first opportunity avenge such
savagery and such insult and such
wrong. do not intend to talk about
the order of General Smith, first, be-
cause | do not know whether he made
amy such order as the papers have re-
ported If he did. l will await all the
facts before judge him. do not be-
lieve he made any such order as has
been reported to us, or il he did I
think we shall find when we learn
the whole truth, that there is Il light
to be cast upon it with which we are
not now familiar. ! judge that from
the record General Smith has made.
him personally. but ! have found that
his military service commenced at the
beginning of the civil war, on the 4th
day of June. 1861 find that he was
wounded ut Barboursvile July 13. 1861,
and that he was most severely wound-
.. 1862. l find that he was also wound
ed in action ut San Juan, and I fur
ther find that he has been continuously
in the service Of his country as Il SOL
aicr more than forty years. and that
his record is one as Il soldier of which
amy American might we'll he proud. 7
cannot believe. to employ the language
of DR.. Schurnun. that transporting an
American citizen across the Pacific
would iurn him from what he is here
into brute and q savage there, ana
therefore l shall withhold Judgment as
To General Smith until we know what
the facts are. I do not believe that a
ma Nh h.a ,. of lpa
such gallantry. such valuable service
to his country would be capable of do
ing that for which we should all con-
denim him without qualification. IT Ia
not much for us To wait before we pass
judgment. IT is not much when The
man who asks it is soldier who has
more than forty years of gallant SER
vice to his credit,
I'm the Philippines The policy or
dered from here ana the policy of our
army have been in accord; and the sole
aim of that policy, AS enunciated here
and as practced there, has been to re-
store law and order by suppressing the
insurrection and all armed resistance,
and doing that with as little harshness
uiu WILL us lIttlt IDSS VI NE us II Is
possible TO innict. to the end that civil
government may he established. Our
army has shown in this work Il sur
prising humanity. 1t is II notorious
fact that for more than two years uf-
ter our operations commenced we
scarcely ever kepr prisoners. but al
most invariably gave them good meal
and good lecture and then turned
them loose and let them go back, think
ing and hoping that they would carry
messages of our kind disposition that
would result in good fruits to our
cause. That policy worked well
throughout Luzon and through all the
provinces except only four.
The msurrection continuing and the
being of Il different type of
Malays from those We had been con-
tending against elsewhere. being more
difficult to deal with. being more hos
tile, more treacherous, more savage, ii
finally became necessary as am act of
protection To our own men and our |
own interests to resort to The law. OF