The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-06-10

pense OF barbarism and savagery has
been for centuries one Of the most
potent factors In the progress of hu-
manity. Yet from Its very nature 1t
has always and everywhere been liable
to dark abuses.
No FIinching Prom the Task.
1t behooves US to keep q vigilant
watch to prevent these abuses and to
punish those who commit them; but II
because of them we finch from finish
ing the task on which we have entered,
We show ourselves cravens and weak
lings, unworthy of the sires from whose
loins we sprang.
There were abuses and to spare In
the civil war. Your false friends then
called Grant ''butcher." and spoke of
you who are listening to me as mercen-
aries, as "Lincoln's hirelings." Your
open foes-as in the resolution passed
by the Confederate Congress in Octo-
Der, 1s62-accused you at great length
and with much particularly Of "con-
temptuous disregard Of the usages of
civilized war;; Of subiecting women
and children to "hanishment, impris-
onment and DEATH" of murder" Of
''rapine," Of "outrages on women,n Of
'1swless cruelty" of ''perpetEsting
atrocities which would be diseraceful
to ssvages", and Abraham Lincoln was
singled out for especial attack because
of his spirit of barbarous ferocity."
Verify, these men who thus foully
slandered you have their heirs today
In those who traduce our armies In the
Philippines, who fix their eyes ON in
dividusl deeds Of wrong 70 keenly that
that at last they become blind to the
great work Of peace and freedom that
has already been accomplished.
Fighting for Peace and Freedom.
Peace and freedom-sre there two
better objects for which Q soldier can
fight? Well these are precisely the
objects for which our soldiers are fight
ing 10 the Philippines.
When there Is talk OF the cruelties
committed In the Philippines remem-
ber always that by far the greater pro-
portion OF these cruelties have COM
mitted by the insurgents against their
own people-ss well - against our SOL
diers-and that not only the surest but
the only effectual way Of stopping them
is by the progress OF the American
arms. The victories OF the American
army have been really effective means
of putting stop to cruelty in the Phil
ippines. Wherever these victories
have been complete-and such is now
the case throughout the greater
part Of the islands-sll cruelties have
ceased, and the native IL secure In his
life, his liberty, and his pursuit OF hap
piness. Where the insurrection still
shoulders there is always chance
for cruelty to show itself.
The Result of American Victories.
Our soldiers conquer; and what Is the
object for which they conquer? To es
tablish q military government No
The laws we are now endeavoring tl
enact for the government Of the Phil
ippines are TO increase the power ani
domain of the civil ct the expense O
the military authorities, and to render
even more difficult than in the past tht
chance of oppression.
The military power is used to secure
peace, in order that it may itsel
be supplanted by the civil govern
ment. The progress of the American
arms means the abolition Of cruel
ty, the bringing of peace, and the rul'
of law and order under the civil govern
ment. Other nations have conquered
to create irresponsible military rule
We conquer to bring just and responsi
BILE civil government TO the conquered
Armies Bringing Freedom.
But our armies do more than brinj
peace, do more than bring order
Iney bring freedom.
Remember always that the independ
ence Of tribe or q community may
and often does, have nothing whateve
to do with the freedom of the individus
In that tribe or community. There ar
now in Asia and Africa scores Of despot
ic monarchies, each of which il indie
pendent, and In no one of which is ther
the slightest vestige Of freedom for tn
indi vidual man. Scsnt indeed Is tn
gain to mankind from the 'independ
ence,' of q blOodstained tyrsnt VIII
rules over sbject and brutalized slave:
But great Is the gain to humanity whic
follows the steady though slow introd
uction Of the orderly liberty, the Law
abiding freedom of the individua
which is the only sure foundation upo
which nationsl independence can b
built,
| Wherever in the Philippines the II
surrectiOn has been definitely and firu
ly put down, there the individual FIJI
pino already enjoys such freedom, sue
personal liberty, under our rule, as b
could never even dream of under th
rule Of an independent" Aguinaldis
oligarchy.
! The slowly learned and difficult art
self-government, an art which our PEI
! Pile have taught themselves by the i
bor of a thousand years, cannot be gras
ed In day by people only just emerI
= ing from conditions of life which o,
: ancestors left behind them In the di
: wears before history dawped,