Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-09-16
The carollss Uprising.

NileU tllE SaldTlcSluu SdlItu lToitt Sonia
Francisco to join Dewey's fleet at Ma
nila. it stopped on the way long enough
Ladrones, and to raise there the
American flag as the first step toward
permanent possession. Now many
people are wishing that either the
Monterey or the Monadnock, as they
followed the Charleston to Manila. had
paused at the Carolines and performed
a similar office. There was a persist
ent rumor that one or the other vessel
would do this. and when the Monterey
reached Admiral Dewey without iaav-
ing such a success to report, there was
a feeling of disappointment, mdtigatei
by the hope that the Monadnock would
do what her eonsorts had failed to do.
But now a story brought by steam
er from Honolulu indicates that the
natives Of those islands have them
selves undertaken to throw off the
Spanish yoke. Whether they learned
in some way that we were at war with
Spain and SO improved the opportunity
in their own Interests, does not appear.
Unless news from the outside world
reaches the Carolines sooner than it
does the Ladrones, we may doubt
whether they knew much of the war.
although it appears that at least one
trading schooner had touched at the
Carolines. It was that schooner that
brought news to Hawaii that the peo-
pie of Ponape, the main island of the
group, had penned up the small Span
ish garrison in the barracks, with 4
good chance of capturing the whole
force.
Ponape is the island from which our
American missionary station was dis
lodged several years ago, and this fact
makes the current report the more in
tares1ing. After the dispute between
Germany and Spain as to the owner
ship of the Carolines had been decided
by Pope Leo, as arbiter, in Spain's
favor a Spanish governor and gar
rison were established at Ponape as
being a leading point in the group.
The attempt of this governor to levy
contributions of provisions or labor led
to an armed revolt. American mis-
sionaries had been established there as
elsewhere in the group, for years, and
had secured the respect and affection
of the natives by their disinterested
labors. The Spaniards suspected them,
although unjustly, of melting the re-
volt; and these suspicious were prob
ably not lessened when the natives
built their intrenchments close to the
missionary buildings at Qua, few
miles from the capital. In bombard-
ment by the Spanish gunboat these
the inmates were injured, as they had
been notified by the Spaniards of their
purpose. But such was the. state. OF
feeling created that our missionaries
werS siad to go away with their port
able property ON the Alliance, whica,
under Commander, now Captain H. c.
Taylor, had hurried from the Asiatic
station to look after them. They were
taken to Strong's Island, and, after
much diplomatic parley, Spain indem-
nified them for the loss of their build
-ings, but the mission itself was never
e-established.
Should it prove true that the natives
Of Ponape have again risen, and
should they overthrow the Spanish
garrison, one more argument would 6e
furnished those who hold the view thai
the wisest course for this government
is to assume possession Of all the
Spanish islands i'm the Pacific. And II
this conclusion should be reached i,
would be heartily welcomed, we may
we'll believe, in those parts of the
Carolines where Americans have 81
long been known by the natives ant
known SO favorably in comparison witt
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