OTIS AMENDS BENEVOLENT ASSIMILATION PROCLAMATION

After fully considering the President's proclamation and the temper of the Tagalos with whom I was daily discussing political probems and the friendly intentions of the United States Government toward them, I concluded that there were certain words and expressions therein, such as "sovereignty," "right of cession," and those which directed immediate occupation, etc., though most admirably employed and tersely expressive of actual conditions, might be advantageously used by the Tagalo war party to incite widespread hostilities among the natives. The ignorant classes had been taught to believe that certain words, as "sovereignty," "protection," etc., had peculiar meaning disastrous to their welfare and significant of future political domination, like that from which they had recently been freed. It was my opinion, therefore, that I would be justified in so amending the paper that the beneficent object of the United States Government would be brought clearly within the comprehension of the people, and this conclusion was the more readily reached because of the radical change of the past few days in the constitution of Aguinaldo's government, which could not have been understood at Washington at the time the proclamation was prepared. It was also believed that the proclamation had been induced partially by the suggestions of the naval authorities here, which three weeks previous, and while affairs were in a specific and comparatively quiet state, had recommended "that the President issue a proclamation defining the policy of the United States Government in the Philippine Islands and assuring the inhabitants that it is our intention to interfere as little as possible in the internal affairs of the islands. That as soon as they developed their capability for self-government their powers and privileges will be increased. That will allay the spirit of unrest." These authorities at that time recommended the government of the islands as a territory with a civilian as a governor, to be followed later by a naval and military commission to determine questions of a naval and military character.

The amended proclamation was thereupon prepared.

- Otis, in his 1899 report