Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-12-23
WE MUST RULE THEM BY FORCE.

WE MUST RULE THEM BY FORCE.
The Manchester Mirror and Farmer
thus discusses the Philippine question:
1t may be that "Agunaldo, the George
Washington of the Philippines" is only
bluffing when he threatens to do horrible
things If he is not allowed to have his
own way In the country he claims to
have liberated, but the latest advices
from Manila, via Hong Kong, are to the
effect that the bluff he Is putting up has
more in it than empty bravado and harm
less threats. One story which was
cabled to San Francisco Dec. II runs as
follows:
The Manila correspondent of the Hong
Kong Daily Press gives details of the
shocking treatment of friars and other
prisoners captured by the insurgents in
the northern part of Luzon. Gen. Seybe,
who was sent by Aguinaldo to attack
cities in the extreme north of Luzon, sent
a report to his chief that he had brought
the entire section raided completely I'M
der the control of the Filipnos. Seybe
also mentions in his report the capture of
124 friars and lay brothers, many Span
ish soldiers with their arms and property
and silver and gold of the value of
$500 600.
The Press correspondent states that
from Spanish sources have come reports
of terrible atrocities committed by the
rebels. Inhabitants of the towns of
Cagayan and Appir and other places in
Abrienz and the Spanish troops relied
upon promises of the insurgent chief that
lives and property of persons of all
classes would be respected. When the
conquerOrs marched in they were re-
ceived with music and pealing bells. The
invaders proved perfidious. They locked
churches and robbed the Spanish civil
and military authorities. The bishop
was subjected to the grossest indignities.
He was slapped in the face, beaten, sub
iected to shameless insults and despOiled
of his clerical robes. The friars were
beaten with sticks, kicked and hung
up in the tOrrid sun for several hours.
Natives were forbidden to render to faith
ers any assistance. During their great
est suffering, while hanging hungry and
naked in the Droiling sun, the Chinese
and natives furtively supplied them with
food and water. One aged friar was
placed upon horses saddle and Jumped
upon, while the blood poured from his
mouth and nose. Another, it is said, was
clothed only in rain coat, carried in til
umph for POO yards, then cudgeled TO
death amid savage cries. Nuns in con-
vents were subjected to shameless treat
ment. The Tagalos say they will teach
the Cagayanes to despise Spanish priests,
the bishop, friars and all things ecclesi-
astc.
In the meantime. while his lietunants
are converting the Spaniards and native
Catholics in this summary fashion, Agu-
inaldo has rounded up in several other
towns from 5000 to 10000 whom he is
holding for ransom under a threat to
roast them alive unless he is paid num-
Der of millions to let them go, and his
patriot insurgents have looted most of
the places outside of Manila, in which it
appears about 10000 American troops are
required to preserve order and prevent
the general massacre and wholesale pill
lage which this cheerful savage planned
while he was assisting Dewey in forcing
the city to captulate. Evidently we can
not begin to civlize him too soon, and at
this distance it looks as though the
weapon to begin with was a shotgun in
stead of Bible.
And this sugges Is, as does nearly all
else that we know happens at Manila,
that it is waste of time to consider
whether the Filipinos can be made cap
able Of governing themselves or fitted to
become American citizens. The insur-
gents who follow Aguinaldo's lead are
by far the most intelligent of the pOpula.
ton, but they are like our Indians, nat
ural born savages. who can no more be
made peacable and industrious than the
wild beasts of their forests can be tanned
and converted into domestic animals. To
talk it Just as it is we have got to rule
the Philippines as Spain ruled them; not
with her barbarity and dishonesty but by
force; by subugating and keeping in
subsection, the natives, with precious
little regard to their opinions or wishes,
and finally exterminatipg them, just as
we have the American Indians, and the
sooner we make up our minds to this the
less trouble we shall have.