The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-07-05
INDEPENDENCE
N PHILIPPINES
Continued from Page One.

basis Of all just Government, the ID
claration says 1t is, therefore, in vi
ter contradiction of the letter an
spirit OF the Declaration to impose b.
, force government upon a people.
i THAT the Filipinos are not willing
\ ly under your control is matter o
history. In fact, they would not &C
lcept any foreign rule if they coult
SO help it. They revoltei agains
Spain and actually won their indie
pendence. They declared the indie
ipendence of the Philippines just as
you declared the Independence of the
thirteen colonies. They organized a
republican government, which formal
| ly refused to accept the sovereignty
of the United States and, supported
by all the people of the whole Archi-
pelago offered an armed resistance to
the extension of American control
over the Islands until the Philippine
troops were completely annihilated
by the enormous superiority of your
army.
And today, after American sover-
eighty has been established, peace
restored and with the government of
the Philippines in American hands,
whenever a Filipino is asked what
does he want from the United States,
he always says; The FREEDOM of my
Country"
Quoting Henry Clay and Abraham
Lincoln as contending that al men
are created equal and all entitled to
self-government. Commissioner Quez-
on stoutly maintained that the Fill
pinos are fit for self-government. Ad-
miral Dewey was quoted as saying
that the Fslipinos were better fitted
to set up and maintain q republic than
the Cubans condition also favorably
testified to by General Merritt, who
the American army in the
in 1895
Concluding, Commissioner Qtlezon |
said:
Il wish to touch a phase of this
question which is of paramount i'm
portance to the American people them
selves. Are you still animated with
that spirit which inspired Patrick
Henry to cry: Give me liberty or
give me death?' Whatever your opin-
ions or feelings as to how foreign |
people should be treated, are YOU still
unanimous in desiring to have, at
least, here, in your hclne, republican
institutionsSs Do you still wish that
this government of yours be govern
ment of the people, by the people and
for the people? Do You expect to be
the sovereigns of this country, and to
nave the officials mere executors oil |
your will? If that be so, then you
have to stop this colonial policy. Yor
cannot have a colony and be a re
public.
I'm fact, what became of the two
great republics of the ancient times? |
Greek and Rome remained a republic
so long as they did not listen to the
voice which spoke of conquest, OF
extension of power of extension OF |
territory. But as soon as the Greeks |
and the Romans alike have sought to |
deprive weaker people of their liberty
they themselves lost their greatest
privilege, their citizenship, and bowed
their necks to Imeprial power.
This is not theoretical propose. |
ton! No ration can long endure fav
ing at the same time two opposite gov
ernmental institutions: one at home
md another abroad. Sooner or later |
one system will prevail over the other. |
You will either bring to your nome fhe
autocratic government which you have |
instituted in the Philippines or yor |
viii have to apply to those Islands the |
5eneffcent theories which govern you
at home. You can not, without being |
untrue TO yourselves, continue to eele |
brate, year after year, the Declaration |
of Independence thus reaffirming its
doctrines and at the same time, pur
sue policy in the Philippines which |
Is In fragrant contradiction with these |
doctrines. You have either to confess
that your fathers were wrong wher
they revolted against l5nglani ar.a
King George was right, or at ol.cc |
withdraw your authority over my
country"