The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-08
INDIANS LIKE
 GREAT FATHER
Continued from First Pase)
port not one thing could have been accom-
Restoration of Order.

When President Mckinley spoke, the first duty was the restoration of order; and to this end the use of the army of the United States-an army composed Of regulars and volunteers alike-was neces- sary. To put down the insurrection and restore peace to the islands was a duty not only to ourselves but to the islanders also. We would not have abandoned the conflict without shirlSing this duty, with out proving ourselves reereants to the memory of our forefathers. Moreover, if we had abandoned it we would have in- flioted upon the F'ilipinos the most cruel wrong and would have doomed them to a bloody tumble of anarchy and tyranny. Ii seems strange looking back, that any of our people should have failed to reeog- nize a duty so obvious; but there was such failure, and the government at home, the civil authorities in the Philippines, and above all our gallant army had to do their work amid storm of detraction. The army in especial was attacked in a way which finally did good, for in the end 1t aroused the hearty resentment of the great body of the American people, not against the army, but against the army's traducers.
 Peculiar Difficulty. The circumstances of the war made 1t one of peculiar difficulty, and our soldiers were exposed to peculiar wrongs from their foes They fought in dense tropical jungles against enemies who were very treacherous and very cruel. not only to- ward our own men, but toward the great numbers of friendly natives, the most peaceable and most civilized among whom eagerly welcomed our rule. Under such circumstances, among hundred thou sand hot-blooded and powerful young
 
 other side of the globe, 1t was impossible that occasional instances of wrongdoing should not occur. The fact that they oc- cured in retaliation for well-nigh intol- erabe proyocation can not for one mo- ment be admitted in the way of excuse or justification. All sgood Americans re- gret and deplore them and the war de- pertinent has taken every step in it's power to punish the offenders and to pre- vent or minimize the chance of repetition of the offense. But these offenses were the exception and not the rule.
 Showed Great Humanity.
 As a whole our troops showed not only signal courage and efficiency. but great humanity and the most sincere desire to promote the welfare and liberties of the islanders. In series of exceedingly harrassing and difficult campaigns they completely overthrow the enemy, reduce ing them finally to a condition of mere brigandage; and wherever they con quered they conquered only to make way for the rule of the civil government for the introduction of law, and of liberty under the law. When, by last July, the last vestige of organized insurrection had disappeared, peace and amnesty were pro- claimed.
 As rapidly as the military rule was ex- tended over the islands by the defeat of the insurgents. just so rapidly was 1t re- placed by the civil government. At ths present time the civil government is su- preme and the army in the Philippines has been reduced until 1t is sufficient merely to provide against the recurrence of trouble. In Governor Taft and his as- sociates we sent to the Filipinos as up- right, as conscientious, and as able a group of administrators as ever any coun- try has been blessed with having. With them and under them We have associated the best men among the Fiipinos, so that the great majority of the officials, includ- ing many of the highest rank, are them selves natives of the islands.
 Administration Honest.
 The administration is incorruptibly hon est; justice is as jealously safeguarded as here at home. The government is con- ducted purely in the interests of the peo- pie of the islands, they are protected in their religious and civil rights; they have heen given an excellent and well admin