“Otis.”

The legal situation, while the treaty was not ratified, and seemed gravely in doubt, was an embarrassment to the executive of the United States.  The Philippine question was by the act of the President a special reservation, and it was submitted to the people as too great in scope and various in detail, to be determined by one man, especially as the Philippine Archipelago was so far away from our Pacific shore as to be, according to the average citizen’s information, a new departure; and the novelties in a Republic need much consideration.  Really the departure is not new—­it is in the direct line of the logic of our history.  The President exceedingly desired to preserve the peace with the Filipinos, and gave orders not to attack them.  He trusted this anxious care would prevent bloodshed.  Hence the annoying attitude of waiting acquiesence at Iloilo, and at Manila under almost intolerable provocation.  A personal letter from Manila, dated December 8th, and written by a general officer contains this.

“Aguinaldo has sent for a new hatter with inflated blocks, and has his people dragging up field guns in face of our outposts.  You can draw your own inferences.”

There is a flavor of bitter humor in this, but the fact is prominent that the desperadoes were quite wild, and had no understanding of themselves or of us, and could acquire it only by getting themselves whipped by us.

We quote again from the letter of which we have taken the passage above: 

“The able and thinking men in this country tell me in unmistakable language that they are in no way prepared to take up the government of these islands.  They insist upon the fact that tribunals will have, through lack of native material, to be mixed bodies.  They say that with all the harshness that must accompany occupancy, the people here never had as much liberty as they have now, and that they show a strong inclination to abuse what is given them.”

This is the true story of the Philippine people wherever there has been a free and intelligent expression.

Our army did not go to Manila to harm the Filipinos who have the misfortune to become infatuated with the malicious vanity of those who have surrounded themselves with a cloud of superstition and all the inventions of falsehood.  It was necessary that Americans should protect themselves, or yield the country to the destructiveness of barbarism, and they have defended Americanism and civilization.

The dragging of field pieces to bear upon our pickets was with the purpose of bringing American soldiers into contempt, at once, and to force fighting ultimately.  The poor men who became victims were deluded and carried their defiance to an intolerable pitch.  In the same style employed when he demanded that General Anderson should consult him about getting on Philippine soil, Aguinaldo attempted to intimidate General Otis by inviting a conference, and avowing that he would make