The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-31
THE MILES CORRESPONDENCE.

light. Admitting all that is claimed for
him on the score of past military service,
this incident will greatly lower him in the
estimation of all who are capable of weigh
ing evidence and judging character.
The correspondence shows that on Feb.
II General Miles addressed a letter to the
secretary Of war requesting that he might
be sent to the Philippines for the purpose
Of carrying out a plan he had devised for
putting an end to hostilities and estab-
fishing friendly relations between the Fill
pinos and the United States government.
His plan was unique. He was TO go i'm
the double capacity OF lieutenant general
and minister plenipotentiary. In the for
mer capacity he was TO have authority,
as he put it. ito give such directions as
1 might deem advisable and judicious for
the best disposition of the United States
military forces" In the other capacity
he was to be authorized Ito take such
measures as will tend to restore, as far
as possible, confidence to the people of
these islands, and demonstrate that the
purpose of our government is prompted by
the highest sense Of justice" In these
double capacities he would nave outranked
and superseded both General Chaffee and
the Philippine Commission. He further
suggested that he be authorized to take
along with him ten men whom 1 may Sc
lect from Cuba and Porto Rico" These
Cubans and Porto Ricans to be selected by
him were TO act as his aids in explaining
to the Filipinos the true nature of the
United States Constitution and the benefits
to be derived from friendly relations with
this country. He thought that with the
aid of the ten persons from Cuba and Porto
Rico he could convince the leading Filipinos
Of the desirability Of establishing friendly
relations with the United States. on his
return to this country he was to bring
with him such number of representative
Fillpinos as 1 may think advisable in order
that they may see and know the advantage
Of our civilization and realize the DISPOSE
ton Of our government toward them In
support of this extraordinary proposition
he stated that the war in the Philippines
had now been going on three years and
had been conducted with great severity
and at IAN enormous expenditure OF public
money as well as the loss of many valuable
lives" He thus virtually condemned the
policy Of the last administration and of the
present one.
This extraordinary letter was forwarded
TO the President by the secretary of war
"disapproved." The reasons for disap-
prevail. stated briefly and respectfully. were
that the military and civil authorities now
in the Philippines had made and were max
ing rapid progress toward the complete
pacihcation of the islands; that General
Miles's plan involved practically suppressed
ing General Chaffee and the civil commits
sion. and that IT would be "a most unfor-
tunate interference with the present salts
factory progress" To show that the admin
istration was winning the confidence and
support of leading Filipinos the secretary
gave a list of t%wenty-three former members
of the insurrectionary government who are
now holding civil Offices under the United
States. He declared that, instead of having
been conducted with marked severity. the
war had been conducted with marked HUI
manity and magnanimity on the part of
the United States" General Miles's letter,
with the secretary's disapproval, reached
the President on March 5. and on March
6 the President Endorsed it Conclusions
of the secretary of war are hereby APP
proved"
This should have ended the matter. but
on March "a General Miles addressed a
second letter 10 the secretary OF war con-
troverting the points made in the secre-
tary's disapproval of his previous letter,
reiterating his assertions and Offering new
reasons why, in his opinion. his plan should
be adopted. This second letter of General
Miles was written nearly three weeks
after the final disposition of his first letter
by the President and after a resolution
had been introduced in the House calling
for the papers. 1t is evident. therefore,
that General Miles wrote his second letter
with a view of strengthening the record
in his behalf. The secretary's Endorsement
on his second letter left him without a leg
to stand on. without commenting on the
propriety OF a military officer undertaking
TO review the action of the President" he
said, II again submit the paper for such
reconsideration as the President may think
advisable, with the following remarks"
The remarks showed that General Miles
had made some very erroneous statements
and that his conclusions detracted from
the merit and services of others while they
unduly exalted his own. This final state
ment of the secretary of war was Endorsed
by the President: THE memorandum of
the secretary of war is approved as a
whole and as 10 every part. Had there
denying General Miles's request, these pa
pers would remove such doubt" This is the
most singing rebuke ever administered
by a President TO a general commanding
the army. and 1t was deserved. Aside from
the absurdity OF General Miles's proposed
plan Of pacihcation and the injustice and
confusion its adoption would have involved
he had no business 20 write TO the secre-
tary OF war in the advisory way he did.
implying a censure OF all that had been
done in the Philippines. His first letter was
disrespectful, and his second amounted al
most TO insubordination. Both letters
breathe a spirit OF vanity. egotism. AFRO
gance and se"lf-assumption that will make
the n,,blic doubt vbather Con-,