94 Presidential Addresses 



the most adverse conditions of climate, weather, and 

 country, our troops completely broke the power of 

 the insurgents, smashed their armies, and harried 

 the broken robber bands into submission. In its 

 last stages, the war against our rule sank into mere 

 brigandage; and what our troops had to do was to 

 hunt down the parties of ladrones. It was not an 

 easy task which it was humanly possible to accom 

 plish in a month or a year; and therefore after the 

 first month and the first year had elapsed, some ex 

 cellent people said that it couldn't be done; but it 

 was done. Month by month, year by year, with 

 unwearied and patient resolution, our army in the 

 Philippines did the task which it found ready at 

 hand until the last vestige of organized insurrection 

 was stamped out. I do not refer to the Moros, with 

 whom we have exercised the utmost forbearance, 

 but who may force us to chastise them if they per 

 sist in attacking our troops. We will do everything 

 possible to avoid having trouble with them, but if 

 they insist upon it it will come. Among the Fili 

 pinos proper, however, peace has come. Doubtless 

 here and there sporadic outbreaks of brigandage will 

 occur from time to time, but organized warfare 

 against the American flag has ceased, and there is 

 no reason to apprehend its recurrence. Our army 

 in the islands has been reduced until it is not a 

 fourth of what it was at the time the outbreak was 

 at its height. 



Step by step as the army conquered, the rule of 

 the military was supplanted by the rule of the civil 



