The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-06
Masterly Address Delivered Yesterday by Resident Commissioner of the Phil ippine Islands American Occupation of Islands He Declares to be Inconsist- ent with Declaration of Independence.

try and his eight million countrymen. "Either give my country its niuepen- dence or else cease cess. dIlng the an niversary of the signing of the Decla- ration of Independence was the pitn of his address.
 .Is it an irony of Fate, that I, F1l- ipino, belonging to and representing people subject to the, United states, he queried, should address an Amer ican audience on the celebration of the Declaration of Independence?
 From the Filipino viewpoint, Com missioner Quezon said, the Declara- ton of Independence is a solemn pledge of American national faith and honor. "It is the baptismal vow of this country" he exclaimed, and
 "Since the Declaration of Indepen- dence, and by the overwhelming in- fluence of it's doctrine es, republics have been founded upon the wrecks of des- potism, and constitutional govern ments are finding their way in both hemispheres, even in countries where absolutism seemed to have been firm ly rooted. In the Philippines itself, the cry of the people for freedom, so deeply felt because of the born de- sire in every human heart to breathe the healthy air of liberty, is argued with the very words of the Declara- tion.'
 He contended that American occu- patton of the Archipelago is inconsis- tent with the Declaration of Indepen- rock of American republican institu tions, and the spirit and soul of which the~Constitution is but the body and letter." He made bold to declare that thirteen years ago immediate Fll- ipino independence would have met not one dissenting vote in this Hand of the free"
 Strange as it may seem, however" he continued, you will find to-day learned citizens and distinguished statesmen who, with the very best faith, will tell you that there is noth- ing in the Declaration of Independ- ence which forbids this country from governing against their expressed will, foreign people They will tell you, as former Senator Beveridge, from Indiana, said in the Senate, that the Declaration was written by self men That there are races. trustees under God. of the mission to thrust their ideas, ali over the world, by force, if there needs be!
 ''I am not of course, speaking now of Imperialists who frankly confess that in considering colonial problems they do not care one iota about prin- ciples. That their only concern is the question of dollars and cents. They sare, not to be dealt with on. this II. E l discuss with those whose supreme code of action is the balance of trade. To them the Declaration of Indepen- dence is a wornout paper, worthy only of dreamers whom the theoretic world has boasted with the meaning less name of patriots"
 ''The Islands are source of your national weakness" he declared. They are costing you, they have cost you, hundreds of millions of dollars. and their retention has not dropped one single cent in the pockets of the American people who are bearing the burden of this expense. Very few men in this country are the only ones ben efitted by such an enterprise. As business proposition, therefore, or as a matter of national profit to you the Philippines are, as Congressman Eos ter has said, a lemon
 Let us turn from this view of the question, which is not my concern at this time. Let us hear those who in advocating colonial policy for this government, honestly think that they are so doing without disregard to either the Declaration of Indepen- dence or the Constitution of the Unit ed States. Those who think that this republic can hold colonies and re- main a republic. Those who think that they are engaged in a most noble and altruistic enterprise, which will give honor and glory to this country. Those who say that your mission in the Philippines is a divine mission for the purpose of uplifting the Filipino people.
 .sI cannot, of course, help to res pect. admire, and even love these peo- pie. For men who for the sake of what they thing is the cause of uni- versal advancement and civilization. for the sake of what they believe to be the good foreign people. induce their country to make sacrifices. are certainly big enough to command the affection of everybody, their oppo- nents as we'll as their comrades.
 At the same time, I must state that, in my opinion, in the opinion of the Filipino people, and dare say, in the opinion of the large majority of. the American people, they are wrong Wrong in their theory and wrong in their procedure.
 How could any one sustain that any country on the face of the earth no matter how strong, no matter how advanced, no matte rhow altruistic and noble it's motive may be, has the right to govern a foreign people with out their consent accirding to the principles proclaimed in the Declara- ton of Independence?
 The consent of the governd is the base of all just Government, the Dec laration says It is, therefore, in ut ter contradiction of the letter and spirit of the Declaration to impose by force a government upon a people,
 That the F'ilipinos are not willing ly under your control is a matter of history. In fact, they would not ac- cept any foreign rule of they could so 1help it. They revolted against Spain and actually won their inde- pendence. They declared the inde- pendence 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 Arch ipelago, offered an armed resistance to the extension of American control over the Islands, until the Philippine troops were completely annihilated oy the enormous superiority of your ar my.
 And to-day, after American sov- ereignty has been esta blished, peace restored. and with the government of the Philippines in American hands, whenever Filipino is asked what does he want from the United States, always says: The Freedom of my