How would you like it if you were told that you were not capable of doing anything. We are all gathered here today to discuss what to do with the Philippines after our great win in the war against Spain. We should choose wisely, for this idea will last for a lifetime. The United States should not annex the Philippines because some of us believe the Philippines cannot govern themselves and they fought a war for their independence.
We should not govern the Philippines unless we have their consent. In Document A, president Lincoln states, “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. When the white man governs himself, that is self-government, but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government - that is despotism.” This shows that governing the Philippines is not granted unless the Philippines …show more content…
In Document D, William Jennings Bryan argued, “There can be no doubt that … we had full knowledge that they were fighting for their own independence… “ This displays everyone knowing that the Philippines were fighting for independence. When did we make a decision that the Philippines were no adequate enough to govern themselves. What was the point of all the Filipino men, women, and innocent children dying in the war for “independence.” The U.S. should give the Filipinos a chance to govern themselves and become an independent country. If we give them a chance the U.S. and the Philippines will be allies and the U.S. will be able to have more privileges because they helped the Philippines gain their independence.
Overall, the Philippines should not be annexed by the U.S. because they fought a war to gain their independence and they have the right to govern themselves. Use our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution as an example that even the new colonies can become thriving