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.

8 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

sistent with the accomplishment of the indispensable requisites
of a just and effective government.
Accordingly, the civil government followed a policy of
benign and just treatment of the people of these Islands. This
policy immediately bore its fruits and the whole Philippines
was soon brought under the effective control of the government. Seeing the response that the Filipino people had given
to this wise and benevolent policy-for not only did they
abandon all efforts to make violent resistance, but even cooperated heartily with the American government-various
Americans, including the then Governor-General Taft, saw the
possibility of convincing the Filipino people sometime in the
future to consent to the admission of the Philippines as a state
of the North American Union, thus giving these Islands and
the people thereof the status, rights and privileges enjoyed by
the United States and its citizens. Those well-meaning Americans found support from a group of influential Filipinos who,
under the banner of the Federal Party, tried to convince the
people that it would be to our benefit and advantage to be
incorporated in the great American nation. However, these
American and Filipino visionaries were sorely disappointed.
The old Federal Party was defeated at the polls and soon disappeared. Now we will have to hear of a Filipino who does
not believe in the ultimate freedom of his country. The Americans left no stone unturned to attract the Filipino people and
to convince them of the desirability and of the advantages of
being considered full-fledged American citizens. To this end.
they established here a school system which carried on a propaganda for the perpetuation of the American regime. Students
were sent to the United States, in the belief and hope that when
they returned to the Islands they would favor and work for
the permanent annexation of the Philippines to the United
States. Nevertheless, all these efforts have been in vain for
all those who came from the public schools and also the returned students have become the most vehement supporters of
the movement for the immediate and complete severance of the
ties that bind the United States and the Philippines. It will
thus be seen that, notwithstanding the most benevolent and