The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-31
STRENUOUS WORDS.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE)


abiding natives who friendly to us,
cannot be held to excuse any wrongdoer
on our side. Determined and answering
effort must be made, and is being made to
find out every instance of barbarity on the
part of our troops. to punish those guilty
of it, and to take, If possible, even stronger
measures than have already been taken to
minimize or prevent the occurrence of all
such instances in the future.
Us II only in the army Of the Philippines
that Americans sometimes do acts that
cause the rest of America to regret?
lCries of "Oh, noi'l
From time to time there occur In our
country, to the deep and lasting shame of
our people, lynchings carried on under cir
cumstances of inhuman cruelty and bar
barity-a cruelty infinitely worse than any
that has ever been committed by our troops
and far more brutalizing to those guilty of
it. The men who fail to condemn these
lynchings. and yet clamor about what has
been done in the Philippines, are indeed
guilty of neglecting the beam in their own
eye while haunting their brother about the
mote in his. Understand me. These lynch
cruelty in the Philippines. Every effort is
being made, and will be made, to minimize
the chances of cruelty occurring.
SHAMELESSLY EXAGGERATED.
'But keep In mind that these cruelties in
the Philippines have been wholly excep-
tional, and have been shamelessly exagger-
ated. We deeply and bitterly regret that
any such cruelties should have been COM
mitted, no matter how rarely, no matter
under what provocation, by American
troops. But they afford far less justification
for a general condemnation of our army
than these lynchings afford for the con-
demnation of the communities in which
they have taken place. In each case it is
well to condemn the deed, and il is well
also to refrain from including both guilty
/ innocent
demnatiOn.
I'm every community there are people
who commit acts of well-nigh inconceiv-
able horror and baseness. If we fix our
eyes only upon these individuals and upon
their acts, and If we forget the far more
numerous citizens of upright and honest
! life and blind ourselves TO their countless
deeds Of wisdom and justice and philan-
/ thropy, ii is easy enough to condemn the
| community. There is not city in this land
\ which we could not thus condemn IL we
| fixed our eyes purely upon it's police record
/ and refused to look at what il had ac-
/ complished for decency, and justice, and
! charity. Yet this is exactly the attitude
which has been taken by too many men
with reference to our army in the Philip
! pines; and II is an attitude both absurd and
! cruelty unjust.
THE rules of warfare which have been
\ promulgated by the War Department and
| accepted as the basis of conduct by our
troops in the field are the rules laid down
/ by Abraham Lincoln when you. my hear
ers. were fighting for the Union. These
rules provide, of course, for the lust sever
/ ity necessary in war. The most destructive
/ of all forms of cruelty would be TO show
! weakness where sternness is demanded bv
/ iron need. But all cruelty is forbidden and
all harshness beyond what is called for by
| need. Cur enemies in the Philippines have
\ not merely violated every rule of war but
have made Of these violations their only
method OF carrying on the war. We would
! have been justified by Abraham Lincoln 6
rules OF war in infinitely greater severity
than has been shown. The fact really is
that our warfare in the Philippines has
been carried on with singular humanity
! have been innumerable acts of forbearance
/ magnanimity and generous kindness These
are the qualities which have characterized
I the war a whole. The crueties have
| been wholly exceptional, on our part.
GUILTY TO BE PUNISHED.
1.-THE guilty are TO be punished: but ir
Furnishing them, let those who sit at ease
at home, who walk delicately and live in
the soft places of the earth, remember also
10 do them common justice. Let not the
effortless and the interrupted rail overmucr
at strong men who, with blood and sweat
face years Of toll and days and nights Of
agony. and at need lay down their lives II
remote tropic jungles 10 bring the light OF
/ civilization into the worlds dark places
The warfare that has extended the bound
aries OF civilization at the expense of bar
barism and saVagery has been for centurie:
one Of the most potent factors in the pro
gress of humanity. Yet from its very nature
il has always and everywhere been liabl,
TO dark abuses.
1T behooves US TO keep a vigilant watcl
TO prevent these abuses and 10 punish thos,
who commit them; but if because Of then
We hincn from finishing the task on which
we have entered, We show ourselves crav
/ ems and weaklings, unworthy OF the sire
/ from whose loins We sprang. There wer
/ abuses and 10 spare in the civil war. You
false friends then called Grant a butcher
and spoke OF you who are listening TO m
as mercenaries, as Lincoln hirelings. You
open foes-as in the resolution passed b.