The attached artifact is a letter written by James H. Blount, a former American statesman, soldier, congressman and attorney from Georgia. The letter is dated March 11, 1907, and is addressed to the editor of the North American Review. It represents a piece of United States and Filipino history, in which Blount writes to one of the leading literary journals of the time (the North American Review), seeking to publish his article that would expose America’s hypocritical anti-imperialism foreign policy and advocate for independence in the Philippines. At first glance, what may seem to be a simple cover letter to a literary magazine is actually a significant piece of American Foreign Policy and Philippine history. Specifically, Blount attempts to alert the American public about America’s conflicting positions regarding imperialism and its potential ramifications for both America and those America sought to colonize. Despite Blount sending the letter in 1907, the Philippines did not gain their independence until 1946, after nearly a half century of US occupation that Blount was trying to prevent.
The attached correspondence was addressed to the “Editor North American Review” in New York, covering a previous letter written by Blount “about a week” earlier. The North American Review, which began in 1815, describes itself on its website as “the oldest and one of the most culturally significant literary magazines in the United States. Contributors include important nineteenth-century American writers and thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, Edith Wharton, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman; and twentieth-century writers like William Carlos Williams, John Steinbeck, Thomas Wolfe, William Saroyan, and Flannery O’Connor”. It is an esteemed review, giving a voice to some of the most influential people of the past and present.
The letter itself expresses a sense of urgency, indicating that the publishing of his prior correspondence is crucial to the cause of Philippine independence. The absence of a response to Blount’s prior letter triggers Blount’s decision to resend a similar communication directly to the Editor of the Review, expressing his confidence in the publication’s support for the cause of Philippine independence.
In order to understand what this letter was meant to express, it is important to understand the historical context. Initially, the people that are referenced in the letter are David A. Munro, the assistant editor for the North American Review, James H. Blount (the author), and William Jennings Bryan (referred to as Mr. Bryan in the letter). Blount mentions that he had made a previous attempt to send the letter to the assistant editor Munro but he was either “ill or absent”, or the letter did not make it to him. James H. Blount, on the other hand, had become an advocate of Philippine independence and reminding America of the anti-imperialism position that it had taken with Cuba in the Spanish-American war. Blount had recently spent several years in the Philippines prior to writing the attached letter and was in the process of writing a 700 page treatise on the subject. As stated above, Blount’s career traversed military service, law, politics, and diplomacy. Blount, who served in the Georgia Reserve Cavalry, transitioned into law and then politics, eventually becoming a member of the House of Representatives. It was his position as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 1890 to 1892 that set him on the path to statesmanship and efforts to influence diplomatic matters and international affairs.
His seven year experience in the Philippines during the United States occupation, first as an army volunteer, from 1899 to 1901, and then as a United States District Judge, from 1901 to 1905, marked a significant chapter in his life, particularly regarding his fervent advocacy for Philippine independence, which would eventually lead to the removal from his post in the Philippines. Blount’s stance on this matter aligned with his passionate beliefs, emphasizing the importance of Philippine sovereignty in the face of American rule.
In Payson J. Treat’s book titled The Journal of Race Development, Treat analyzes segments of Blount’s 700-page “work”, and notes his emphasis on the need for a congressional statement defining the ultimate aims in the islands, and that it underscores the complexity of foreign interventions and their long-term objectives. Blount’s concerns about the readiness of the Filipino people for self-governance present a reflective platform to assess the challenges and complexities in nation building following a history of colonialism and foreign interventions. Blount’s scrutiny of his contemporaries in the Philippines, especially his critical views on Dean C. Worcester, the American Secretary of the Interior in the Philippine Commission, illustrates his strong feelings towards the liberation of the Philippines.
In the letter, Blount finds common ground with William Jennings Bryan, a staunch advocate against American imperialism, and hopes his urgent tone will lead to the publication of his work. William Jennings Bryan, who at the time was one year from running for president and owner of the newspaper known as The Commoner, was a figure who also felt strongly towards the independence of the Philippines, as he was strongly against American imperialism. Blount states that his 700-page work (as Treat refers to it) is ready to be sent, and that Mr. Bryan republishing his letter would benefit the work, if done swiftly. Blount seems to insinuate that although Bryan and himself may have differing views on many other topics, they can agree on this, as he says that, “I feel confident that the Review is ready to do anything that will aid the cause of Philippine independence, whether it agrees with Mr. Bryan as to other questions of the day or not”. Blount hopes that, due to his similar views on the subject with Mr. Bryan and his urgent tone in the letter, this attempt will see his ideas come to fruition.
Now the question becomes, did this letter from Blount work? The history of the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule, spanning over three centuries, marked a profound era of foreign dominance and colonialism. In 1898, the Spanish-American War became a pivotal turning point for the Philippines, emerging as a battleground where the United States emerged victorious. The Treaty of Paris in 1898 led to the acquisition of the Philippines among other territories by the United States, signifying a shift in governance over the archipelago. However, the subsequent Peace Treaty of Paris in 1899 introduced a significant resolution from the U.S. Senate, stating the reluctance to permanently annex the Philippine islands. The period witnessed the Philippine-American War, characterized by widespread conflict and loss of life. During the period between the Peace Treaty of Paris and World War II, Blount was assigned as a judge in the Philippine Islands and advocated strongly for Philippine independence. Many were upset with his strong opinions, and he was soon removed from his post. Subsequently, during World War II, the Philippines, under Japanese occupation, played a crucial role in the fight against Japan, leading to its liberation. Due to the tactical and economic advantages of the Philippines, America had little interest in permitting their independence. Ultimately, in 1946, the Philippine Independence Act granted the country full independence, marking a pivotal moment in its history as it emerged from colonial rule to sovereignty.
In summary, James H. Blount’s letter stands as a valuable artifact, reflecting an era of significant diplomatic complexities, debates, and the quest for Philippine sovereignty. It not only serves as a testament to American history but also as a behind-the-scenes look into foreign affairs. The multifaceted themes explored in the letter continue to hold relevance in contemporary governance, international relations, and historical analysis.
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