e our authority over the islands
and, giving them independence, could retain a protectorate over them.
This proposition will not be found, I am sure, worthy of your serious
attention. Such an arrangement would involve at the outset a cruel
breach of faith. It would place the peaceable and loyal majority, who
ask nothing better than to accept our authority, at the mercy of the
minority of armed insurgents. It would make us responsible for the acts
of the insurgent leaders and give us no power to control them. It would
charge us with the task of protecting them against each other and
defending them against any foreign power with which they chose to
quarrel. In short, it would take from the Congress of the United States
the power of declaring war and vest that tremendous prerogative in the
Tagal leader of the hour.

It does not seem desirable that I should recommend at this time a
specific and final form of government for these islands. When peace
shall be restored it will be the duty of Congress to construct a plan
of government which shall establish and maintain freedom and order and
peace in the Philippines. The insurrection is still existing, and when
it terminates further information will be required as to the actual
condition of affairs before inaugurating a permanent scheme of civil
government. The full report of the Commission, now in preparation, will
contain information and suggestions which will be of value to Congress,
and which I will transmit as soon as it is completed. As long as the
insurrection continues the military arm must necessarily be supreme.
But there is no reason why steps should not be taken from time to time
to inaugurate governments essentially popular in their form as fast
as territory is held and controlled by our troops. To this end I am
considering the advisability of the return of the Commission, or such of
the members thereof as can be secured, to aid the existing authorities
and facilitate this work throughout the islands. I have believed that
reconstruction should not begin by the establishment of one central
civil government for all the islands, with its seat at Manila, but
rather that the work should be commenced by building up from the bottom,
first establishing municipal governments and then provincial
governments, a central government at last to follow.

Until Congress shall have made known the formal expression of its
will I shall use the authority vested in me by the Constitutio