Amnesty
in the Philippines
GENERAL AMNESTY.
President Grants it to
Filipinos.
Los
Angeles Times
July 4, 1902
In 1902 United States
president Theodore Roosevelt, McKinley's successor, declared peace in the
Philippines and placed the islands under civil control. He also, as this Los
Angeles Times article reports, granted general amnesty to Filipino rebels.
Washington, July 3.—The President
has formally declared the restoration of peace in the Philippines, and has
placed the islands under complete civil control, and extended general amnesty
to the Filipinos who have been in rebellion.
These three things marking one of
the most important chapters in Philippine history, were accomplished through
the issue of three separate orders and proclamations, one by the President over
his own signature, extending amnesty; one through Secretary Root, by the
President's order, relieving Gen. Chaffee from his duties as Military Governor,
and a third, which takes the shape of a general order, addressed to the entire
army of the United States in which Secretary Root takes occasion to express the
President's high appreciation of the work it has accomplished, both in Cuba and
in the Philippines.
AMNESTY PROCLAMATION.
The amnesty proclamation follows:
'Whereas, many of the inhabitants of
the Philippine archipelago were in insurrection against the authority and
sovereignty of the Kingdom of Spain at divers times from August, 1896, until
the cession of the archipelago by that Kingdom to the United States of America,
and since such cession many persons have, until recently, resisted the
authority and sovereignty of the United States; and whereas, the insurrection
against the authority and sovereignty of the United States is now at an end and
peace has been established in all parts of the archipelago, except in the
country inhabited by the Moro tribes, to which this proclamation does not
apply, and whereas, during the course of the insurrection against the Kingdom
of Spain and the government of the United States persons engaged therein, or
those in sympathy with and abetting them committed many acts in violation of
the acts of civilized warfare, but it is believed that such acts were generally
committed in ignorance of those laws, and under orders issued by the civil and
military insurrectionary leaders; and whereas, it is deemed to be wise and
humane, in accordance with the beneficent purposes of the government of the
United States toward the Filipino people and conducive to peace, order and
loyalty among them that doers of such acts who have not already suffered
punishment shall not be held criminally responsible, but shall be relieved from
punishment for participation in these insurrections and for unlawful acts
committed during the course thereof, by a general amnesty and pardon:
“Now, therefore, be it known that I,
Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, by virtue of the power and
authority vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby proclaim and declare,
without reservation or condition, except as hereinafter provided, a full and
complete pardon and amnesty to all persons in the Philippine archipelago who
have participated in the insurrection aforesaid, or who have given aid and
comfort to persons participating in said insurrections, for the offenses of
treason or sedition and for all offenses, political in their character,
committed in the course of such insurrections pursuant to orders issued by the
civil or military insurrectionary authorities, or which grew out of internal
political feuds or dissensions between Filipinos and Spaniards or the Spanish
authorities, or which resulted from internal political feuds or dissensions
among the Filipinos themselves during either of said insurrections. Provided,
however, that the pardon and amnesty hereby granted shall not include such
persons committing crimes since May 1, 1902, in any province of the archipelago
in which at the time civil government was established, nor shall it include
such persons as have been heretofore finally convicted of the crimes of murder,
rape, arson or robbery by any military or civil tribunal organized under the
authority of Spain or of the United States of America, but special application
may be made to the proper authority for pardon by any person belonging to the
exempted class, and such clemency as is consistent with humanity and justice
will be liberally extended; and, further, provided, that this amnesty and pardon
shall not affect the title or right of the government of the United States or
that of the Philippine Islands or any property or property rights heretofore
used or appropriated by the military or civil authorities of the government of
the United States, or that of the Philippine Islands organized under the
authority of the United States by way of confiscating or otherwise, and,
provided, further, that every person who shall seek to avail himself of this
proclamation shall take and subscribe to the following oath before any
authority in the Philippine Archipelago authorized to administer oaths, namely:
“‘I, ————, solemnly swear (or
affirm) that I recognize and accept the supreme authority of the United States
of America in the Philippine Islands and maintain true faith and allegiance
thereto; that I impose upon myself this obligation voluntarily, without mental
reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me, God.’”
GEN. CHAFFEE RELIEVED.
Gen. Chaffee is relieved of his
civil duties, and the Philippine Commission is made the superior authority in
the following order:
The insurrection against the
sovereign authority of the United States in the Philippine Archipelago, and
provincial civil governments having been established throughout the entire
territory of the archipelago not inhabited by Moro tribes under the instruction
of the president of the Philippine Commission, dated April 7, 1900, now
ratified and confirmed by the act of Congress approved July 1, 1902, entitled
“An act temporarily providing for the administration of civil government in the
Philippine Islands and for other purposes.”
The general commanding the division
of the Philippines is hereby relieved from the further performance of the
duties of Military Governor, and the office of Military Governor in said
archipelago is terminated. The general commanding the division of the
Philippines and all military officers in authority therein will continue to
observe the directions contained in the aforesaid instructions of the
President, that the military forces in the division of the Philippines shall at
all times be subject, under the control of the military commander, to the call
of the civil authorities for the maintenance of law and order and the
enforcement of their authority.
EULOGY OF THE ARMY.
Finally, the President, through the
Secretary of War, pronounces the following eulogy upon the United States Army:
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, July 4, 1902.
“The following has been received
from the War Department:
“WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 4,
1902.
“To the army of the United States:
The President, on this anniversary of national independence, wishes to express
to the officers and enlisted men of the United States Army his deep
appreciation of the service they have rendered to the country in the difficult
undertakings which they have brought to a successful conclusion during the past
year.
“He thanks the officers and the
enlisted men, who have been maintaining order, and carrying on the military
government in Cuba, because they have faithfully given effect to the humane
purposes of the American people. They have, with sincere kindness, helped the
Cuban people to take all the successive steps necessary to the establishment of
their own government. During the time required for that process, they have
governed Cuba wisely, regarding justice and respecting individual liberty; have
honestly collected and expended for the best interests of the Cuban people the
revenues, amounting to over sixty millions of dollars; have carried out
practical and thorough sanitary measures, greatly improving the health and
lowering the death rate of the islands. By patient, scientific research they
have ascertained the causes of yellow fever, and by good administration have
put an end to that most dreadful disease, which has long destroyed the lives
and hindered the common prosperity of the Cubans. They have expedited justice
and secured protection for the rights of the innocent, while they have cleansed
the prisons and established sound discipline and healthful conditions for the
punishment of the guilty. They have reestablished and renovated, and put upon a
substantial basis adequate hospitals and asylums for the care of the
unfortunate. They have established a general system of free common schools
throughout the islands, in which over 200,000 children are in actual
attendance. They have constructed great and necessary public works. They have
transferred the government of Cuba to the Cuban people, amid universal
expressions of friendship and good will and have left a record of ordered
justice and liberty, of rapid improvement in material and moral conditions and
progress in the art of government, which reflects great credit upon the people
of the United States.
“The President thanks the officers
and enlisted men of the army in the Philippines, both regulars and volunteers,
for the courage and fortitude, the indomitable spirit and loyal devotion, with
which they have put down and ended the great insurrection which has raged
throughout the archipelago against the lawful sovereignty and just authority of
the United States.
“The enemies by whom they were
surrounded were regardless of all obligations of good faith, and of all the
limitations which are imposed upon civilized warfare. Bound themselves by the
laws of war, our soldiers were called upon to meet every device of unscrupulous
treachery, and to contemplate without reprisal the infliction of barbarous
cruelties upon their comrades and friendly natives. They were instructed, while
punishing armed resistance, to conciliate the friendship of the peaceful, yet
had to do with a population among whom it was impossible to distinguish friend
from foe, and who, in countless instances, used a false appearance of
friendship for ambush and assassination.
“Under all these adverse circumstances
the Army of the Philippines has accomplished its task rapidly and completely.
With surprisingly few individual exceptions, its course has been characterized
by humanity and kindness to the prisoner and non-combatant.
“The President feels that he
expresses the sentiments of all the loyal people of the United States in doing
honor to the whole army which has joined in the performance, and shares in the
credit of these honorable services.
“This general order will be read
aloud at parade in every military post on the Fourth of July, 1902, or on the
first day after it shall have been received.
[Signed]'ELIHU ROOT,
“Secretary of War.
“By command of Lieut.-Gen Miles.
Source: Los Angeles Times,
July 4, 1902.
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