The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-08

A MIR. JOHN FOREMAN mas WEltteil. duu tuo
Messrs. Scribner havo published. trul- eS-
traU-dinar7 book about phe Philippine Islands.
We cali the book extraordinary. because 1t has
no pretensions to literary merit Of any kind.
and lacks even the consecutive arrangement
OF TOPICS which would commend itself to q man
OF business habits 1t is married by rhetorical
blunders. and continually dis1aured by faults
Of diction which would not be tolerated in a
schoolboy's composition. In spite OF these
drawbacks. 1t il bu. justice to say that the
volume presents more information regarding
the subject Of which it treats than Il elsewhere
accessible In English. The author spent sew
eral years In tho Philippine Archipelago. keep
ing his eyes and ears wide open: and his per-
sonal impressions are clearly an vividly set
forth. He enables us. for instance. to form q
distinct idea OF the character OF the domesti-
Gated native. and a very curious specimen OF
human nature the Philippine Islander seems
to be. 1t Is Mr.. Foreman's observations OF the
manners and customs Of the people to which
we shall here refer. passing over the historical
and statistical data. which OCCUPY q large part
OF tho book. , 49,.
There are two facts however. the one geo.
graphical. the other historical. which 1t may be
worth while to recall by way OF premise. The
aggregate area OF the Philippine Islands Is
only about so. 900 square miles, Or little larger
Der is about 800. and the chain stretches nearly
LOO miles from north to south. and. at the
widest point. is almost TOO miles in width. The
statement OF this fact will prepare the reader
to expect considerable differences Of race and
character among the inhabltapts. and such do.
in truth. exist There Is broad difference
between the denizens OF tho northern and
southern members Of the group. With this
reference to the topography of tho island
may be coupled the statistical fact that by
the census OF 1876. the total population was
returned as upward OF 100000. but it was
impossible to make Trustworthy estimate OF
the mountaineers and savages who are
untaXed. There are about 10000 Of So
called demonstrated" natives. tho epithet
being applied to those who are ostensibly Chris
tianzed. but who for the most part, are desti-
tute OF even the rudmefft OF education. The
historical fact connected with the Philippine
Islands. which Is generally overlooked. is their
Intimate relation with Mexico up to the time
when that country became independent Of
Spain. Although the islands were discovered
by Magellan. they were first conquered and
coonized by an expedition organized by the
Viceroy OF New Spain. and they continued to
be a dependency Of that Viceroyalty up to the
second decade OF this century They were a
drag upon Mexico. which repeatedly had to
make good deficit between tho expenditure
and the revenue OF the Manila Government.
Indeed. about hundred years after the dis
covery Of the islands the King OF Spain was
urged to abandon them by a Commission to
whom the question had been submitted; II the
advice was rejected 1t was owing to the Kings
reluctance to suffer the converted natives to
relapse into heathenism.