The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-29
A MAGNIFICENT SPEECH,
The Last Republican Administration
Forced War on Spain.
HOW WE TREATED OUR FILIPINO ALLIES.
RooseysIfs Butts in Ills Memorial Day Ad.
dress. What The Money We Have
Spent Would Have Done
If Spent Here.

That was manly, fearless speech of
Hon. Jno. H. Small's in the House on
the Philippine Bill. He had made the
effort to find out the facts Just as they
were; he contemplated them without
bias or heat, excuse or palliation, and
came to the logical conclusions in ma
turaf sequence. Portions of the speech
rang with magnificent denunciation and
scathing criticism.
The principal question before Congress,
he said, is, "What shall we do with this
piece of property The answer de-
ponds upon several important considera-
lions. First, how did we come by it?
Second, is it worth keeping?
In discussing the question of how the
war with Spain began, he stated that the
time had come to reveal the actual facts
in the case. to correct the impression
that the last Republican administration
had done all IN it's power to prevent
hostilities. This was now possible. for
the letters and dispatches of Gen. Stew
art l.. Woodford. minister at Madrid,
after having been suppressed for three
years, had at last been extorted from
the Secretary of State.
."These dispatches show beyond any
doubt said Mr.. Small. "that John
Sherman, then Secretary of State, and
Gen. Woodford, made most earnest and
patriotic effort to prevent the war. and
that their efforts were brought to nought
by their being arbitrarily overruled. Gen.
Woodford was superseded in recognition
of his efforts to preserve the peace, and
John Sherman superseded by Day, went
down to his grave, embittered by his
treatment and bemaoning the war which
had resulted"
In proof of this quotations were read
from the dispatches. On April 5th, 1893,
the Queen of Spain offered to proclaim
immediate and unconditional suspension
of hostilties in the island of Cuba for
the space of six months, in order to
avert the war, Secretary Day made no
answer to this offer, but pigeon-holed it
for six days. Woodford telegraphed him
that if this were secured he believed
he could get final settlement before Au-
gust list on the basis of autonomy or
recognition by Spain of the independence
of the island. or cession of the island
to the United States.
But the President launched his war
message the very next day.
Mr.. Small then showed how Admiral
Dewey had appealed to Aguinaldo to help
him, how Aguinaldo and the Filipinos
had cordially responded and had done
everything in their power to aid tie
American forces and then how, with
perfidy unexampled in history, they
were left to suffer from the fire of the
common enemy
Unmistakable evidence was produced
by the speaker to show that the hos
tilities between the Americans and the
insurgents were commenced by the
Americans. Manila fell in the first
half of August; in the last half of the
following December the President issued
proclamation commanding his army to
seize the entire Philippine archipelago
and subjIgate to American arms" >
The Treaty of Paris, technically con-
veying the islands to the United States,
was not yet ratified. so that it could not
be even pretended that we had any claim
whatever to the archipelago
"Otr arry at Manila now assumed the
aggressive pressing forward and push
ing the Filipinos beyond the surburbs
in spite of the repeated and pitiful ap-
peals of Aguinaldo that peace might be
preserved. These appeals were accom-
panied by a warning that his people
would fight for their independence and
would be subjugated by no nation what
ever Then came the clash-February
the 4th. 1899. 1t took place in the
Santa Mesa district outside of the
boundaries of Manila, where, under the
terms of the protocol, we had no right
to be-
Official proofs. cable dispatches from
Manila to President Mckinley, were sub
mitted by the speaker to show that the
first firing was done by the Americans
Coming to our present relations to the
Filipinos. Mr.. Small said:
"Our present relation to the Filipino
is undoubtedly war-like, yet, in a tech
~ meal and legal sense war does not exist
The Constitution of the United States
denies to the President the right to make
war by limiting that function wholly to
the action Of Congress. Congress de-
clared war against Spain, but that war
came to an official end on February IA
1899. For more than two years now we
have been fighting in the Philippine
island for the purpose of subjugating
to our rule ten millions of people who
never owed or pretended to owe us
allegiance. But this the President calls
an insurrection and the men who are