a, declaring our intention to treat the Filipinos as we
were pledged to treat the Cubans. After ratification the Senate passed a
resolution, introduced by Senator McEnery, of Louisiana, avowing the
purpose not to make the Filipinos United States citizens or their land
American territory, but to establish for them a government suited to
their needs, in due time disposing of the archipelago according to the
interests of our people and of the inhabitants.

CHAPTER XV.

THE UNITED STATES IN THE ORIENT

WAR, CONTROVERSY, PEACE

[1899-1901]

It was wholly problematical how long Aguinaldo unaided could dominate
Luzon, still more so whether he would rule tolerably, and more uncertain
yet whether centre or south would ever yield to him. The insurgents had
foothold in four or five Visayan islands, but were never admitted to
Negros, which of its own accord raised our flag. In Mindanao, the Sulu
Islands, and Palawan they practically had no influence. Governor Taft
was of opinion that they could never, unaided, have set up their sway in
these southern regions. But should they succeed in establishing good
government over the entire archipelago, clearly they must be for an
indefinite period incompetent to take over the international
responsibilities connected with the islands. To have at once conceded
their sovereignty could have subserved no end that would have been from
any point of view rational or humane.

The American situation was delicate. We were present as friends, but
could be really so only by, for the time, seeming not to be so. At
points we failed in tact. We too little recognized distinctions among
classes of Filipinos, tending to treat all alike as savages. When our
thought ceased to be that of ousting Spain, and attacked the more
serious question what to do next, our manner toward the Filipinos
abruptly changed. Our purposes were left unnecessarily equivocal. Our
troops viewed the Filipinos with ill-concealed contempt. "Filipinos"
and "niggers" were often used as synonyms.

Suspicion and estrangement reached a high pitch after the capture of
Manila, when Aguinaldo, instead of being admitted to the capital, was
required to fall still farther back, the American lines lying between
him and the prize. December 21, 1898, the President ordered our
Government extended with despatch over the archipelago. That the Treaty
of Paris summarily gave not only the islands but their inhabitants to
the United States, entire