Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

240 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

China and all the other neighboring countries, which have a
well-developed industrial life. Here is, therefore, another
reason to make us ready for any contingency.
I shall not finish without uniting my voice with those of
all Filipinos who convene to affirm that among all the forms
of foreign government that there are in the world now, none
is so benevolent, so tolerant, liberal and humane as that which
the United States has implanted in these Islands. It would
be ignoble to deny this clear and evident fact. Under this
government we have greatly advanced in all the branches of
human activity. We, the Filipinos, wish to feel the inspiration of the high ideals of the American life and its progress.
And with the same sincerity, that we make this just declaration
which honors our character, we should ask in this occasion if
the time has come for us to think, taking into consideration
the facts already expressed, if the great American democracy
would always be incompatible with the aspirations of the
Philippine democracy for economic, ethnological, and geographic reasons; if the moment has already come to know by
the signs which we see at present, the surprises which may be
in store for us in the future, uncertain and unknown to our
country.
The people of our race who will discuss this same subject
with greater knowledge and greater perspicacity while we are
not yet free and independent, will give, I am sure, a more
enlightened response to our present preoccupations, and if we
attain our object, we, who have responded to the call of this
first Congress, giving the best we can of our thoughts to speak
of our neighbors in the Extreme Orient, have complied with
our duty in the history of our country.
A general discussion followed, which was continued
in the afternoon. It was the feeling of the majority
of the section that there were four different ways of
solving the Philippine problem. In the first place,
the government of the United States might recognize
the independence of the Philippines and then com