The development of Philippine politics

282 THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE POLITICS

ing American sovereignty, a cabinet responsible to Congress, with voice but no vote on the floor, and a Congress
composed of a Senate, which should represent "the harmonizing of the rights of the Filipino people with the interests of American sovereignty," and a House of Representatives which should be "the seat of popular will."
The definite plank of annexation of the Federal Party
thus made the division between the Federals and the nationalists more marked. Many of the nationalists who had
originally sympathized with the party now showed dissatisfaction with it. Then and there they would have organized themselves into a party, had it not been for the
passage of the sedition law at about the same time that
the annexation resolution was approved. One paragraph
of the Sedition Law (1) reads thus: "Until it has been officially proclaimed that all war or insurrection against the
authority of the sovereignty of the United States no longer
exists in the Philippine Islands, it shall be unlawful for
any person to advocate independence of the Philippine Islands or separation from the United States whether by
peaceful or other means or to officially publish pamphlets
advocating such independence or separation." (2)
This fell like a bomb in the ranks of the nationalists.
It was undoubtedly aimed at them. Hitherto their activities had been zealously watched by the government. Now,
forestalling their plan of peaceful propaganda for independence, there was issued this veritable command which in effect strictly prohibited the establishment of any party or
association advocating the independence of the Islands. Naturally the promulgation of this law was greeted by the
Federalists with joy.
El Nuevo Dia and El Renuacimiento.
From now on, people with nationalist inclinations had
to content themselves with vague allusions to a "national
ideal," which they dared not define, much less clarify. But
(1) Act 292.
(2) The editorial of El Renacimienta of November 2, 1901 irsinuates that the
probable approval of a sedition taw was due to the expected establishment
of the Nationalist Party.