Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1900)
2 Conservative * ' PIIIL.IPPINK THK PKKSIDKNT'S . PltOCI.AMATION. | General Otis aprees with the anti-imperial- ists that the pn'sitlcnt'fl proclamation of De cember 21,1SSI8 , ordering extension of militiirv government over the wh"ln of the ceded terri tory befor the tn-aty with Spain wns ratified was a cause of the subsequent trouble. Ho censors the proclamation but General MiMur without orders publishes it as the president wrote it. ] HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT PACIFIC & EIGHTH ARMY CORPS. MANILA , P. I. , Dec. 29 , 1808. Brig. Gen. Marcus P. Miller , U. S. V. , Commanding First Separate Brigade , Eighth Army Corps , Iloilo , Pauay. Sir : This will be delivered to you by Captain Montgomery , of the British navy , who leaves for Iloilo in the morn ing. I inclose copy of our translation of a cablegram received today in cipher , from which you will understand the position and policy of our government toward these islands. * * * E. S. OTIS , Major-General , U. S. V. , Com. "The cablegram referred to in the above letter to General Miller was the proclamation of the president received in cipher. The translation was com pleted about an hour before the letter was written , and was transmitted to General Miller to inform him of the policy which the government intended to pursue. Neither its contents nor feasibility of immediate issue had been carefully considered. No direction for its publication had been given and it was not supposed that it would be pro claimed at Iloilo. The general , how ever , under the impression that it had been transmitted for publicacion , issued it very soon after it was received. "After fully considering the presi dent's proclamation and the temper of the Tagalos with whom I was daily dis cussing political problems and the friendly intentions of the United States government toward them , I concluded that there were certain words and ex pressions therein , such as 'sovereignty , ' 'right of cession , ' and those which directed immediate occupation , etc. , though most admirably employed and tersely expressive of actual conditions , might be advantageously used by the Togale war party to incite widespread hostilities among the natives. The ignorant classes had been taught to believe that certain words ' , as 'sover eignty , ' 'protection , ' etc. , had peculiar meaning disastrous to their welfare and significant of future political domination , like that from which they had recently been freed. It was my opinion , there fore , that I would be justified in so amending the paper that the beneficent object of the United States government would be brought clearly within the comprehension of the people , and this conclusion was the more readily reached because of the radical change of the past few days in the constitution of Aguinaldo's government , which could not have been understood at Washing ton at the time the proclamation was prepared. It was also believed that the proclamation hnd been induced partially by the suggestions of the naval authori ties hero , which three weeks previous , and while affairs were in a specific and comparatively quiet state , had recom mended "that the president issue a proclamation defining the policy of the United States government in the Philip pine Islands and assuring the inhabitants that it is our intention to interfere as little os possible in the internal affairs of the islands. That as eoon as they developed their capability for self- government their powers and privileges will bo increased. That will allay the spirit of unrest. These authorities at that time recommended the government of the islands as a territory with a civilian as a governor , to be followed later by a naval and military com mission to determine questions of a naval and military character. "The amended proclamation was thereupon prepared , and fearing that General Miller would give publicity to the former , copies of which , if issued , would be circulated soon in Luzon , I again dispatched Lieutenant Co'onel ' Potter to Iloilo , both to ascertain the course of events there and to advise the commanding general of the dangers threatening in Luzon , and which might be augmented if any action was taken which the insurgents could make use of in furtherance of their unfriendly de signs. General Miller thought his action in making publication of the proclamation on January JJd correct , as he had not been instructed to the con trary , and his opinion , he contended , was confirmed by a war department dispatch which I had directed Colonel Potter to deliver to him , and which he had received on January 6. He was satisfied that the use he had made of the proclamation was that contemplated by the war department authorities , but it was not long before it was delivered at Malolos and was the object of venomous attack. " Report of Major-General E. S. Otis , U. S. Volunteers , on military operations and civil affairs in the Philippine Islands , August 81 , 1899. THE . THAT GBIKD. STONE. TIVE possessed at Arbor Lodge in early 1855 a pioneer grindstone. It was a rare and useful thing in the neighbor hood. Everybody knew where it could be found and that all were welcome to sharpen their blades and other imple ments , of one sort and another , there upon. It was a large and rather superior "stone and its fame went out even to the aborigines. So in the spring of 1850 when Dave Kenuison and John Hughes were breaking prairie with six yoke of oxen and n twenty-four inch plow , just south of the cottage , and T there wns no one in the house except n young mother and her baby boy , a big Otoo Indian stalked up. His coining was discovered nfnr off across the prairie and the east door was quickly locked ; he tried to open it and started around to the west door. But the mother , animated by love and fear for her child , had locked that also. Look ing out of a window , after she had thus prevented ingress , she saw to her horror the big Indian aforesaid sharpening a butcher knife upon that grindstone. He was giving it a peculiarly wicked shine and an edge of cruel keenness. It wore a scalp-taking expression ; and in terror , with that intense solicitude of affection which only mothers experience , she rushed out of the east door and down onto the prairie , where the men were plowing the baby in her arms mean while howling lustily for safety. The plowmen , Kennison and Hughes , who were frontiersmen without fear , suggested that the Otoe had been in formed of that grindstone and its knife- sharpening qualities. And returning to the domicile with the mother and child , soon , by conversation with the Indian , demonstrated the correctness of their theory. However , a dispute arose as. to how and how often long knife-sharpen ing Indians might use that stone , which resulted in the application of the ox-whip upon the aboriginal tramp until he fled from the premises. And from that day on no Indian over came to Arbor Lodge to sharpen a knife. Forty-five years have converted that patch of prairie into orchards , groves and tree-shaded avenues. That baby boy , who proved a joy to his parents and all whom he loved , has grown to manage large affairs in manufacture and commerce. The place that raised him is better for his having been there. Nebraska City had an interest under the scalp which his competent and beautiful mother thought the Indian sought. Such women , such mothers give the world strong men and in them live again , for the good of all. $100,000.000. News shows that city to have "cleared" more than one hundred and sixty millions during the year 1899. It is not probable that another city of similar size in the United States can equal that showing. In this connection THE CONSERVATIVE recalls a time when St. Joseph , Mo. , held the second place in the list of American cities for her per capita wealth and Hartford , Conn. , the first. St. Joseph has been always distinguished for its permanency in richness. It has never splurged nor boomed. It is solid and sedate. The estates of decedents in St. Joe generally over-run public estimates and opinions about thirty-three per cent and dead millionaires in that town gener ally pan out three millions of dollars ,
