Evening star., 1898-09-17

are intrusted to US by Providence and their
interests are sacred trust. The Ameri-
can people would never consent to such a
betrayal of a people struggling long and
passionately for personal liberty. That
would, indeed, be lowering the flag in
true sense and making it subordinate to
another. 1t is the symbol of personal free
dom, of order and law with self-government.
and it cannot be lowered. II can only be
the protection and shield while the flag of
another free, self-governing people is rails
ed beside it.
What We Cannot Do.
Nor can We make a colony or tributary
race of these seven millions of mixed peo-
pies. We have tried the treatment of trib-
utary races in the Indian tribes, not be-
cause we would or because our system is
adapted to it. but because we must 1t has
not been a success. but scandal has fol-
lowed 1t through every stage. How much
worse would 1t be to have the same oppor-
tunittes multiplied by thousands, increased
In value because applied to productive races
OF rich resources and applied to a territory
hidden from official and public scrutiny be-
cause on the other side of the globe? II
would not answer for a moment, and when
one thinks of the rich fields for robbery
which such a simple people in the rich east
anords one wonders that the Spanish ofil-
claldom and privatedom, SO to speak, were
not more unjust or harsh to the natives.
more corrupt, and more ruthlessly hateful
than they actually were Such an opportu-
nifty for jobbery cannot be surpassed and
would go far to corrupt official life
from center to circumference. Think of
some ward politician being sent to some rich
city Of the Malays to harvest their reve-
nues. 1t would require an army to keep
him safe, and he would be a precious ras-
cal when he got through.
As a Native state.
The other alternatives are state in the
Union or a native and independen. state,
q nd 1os js x.,I,
To make this part of Malaysia a state
v ould be to introduce into our politics Ma
lay y-Melanesian-Ch:ne -Eurasion citizens,
race habits brought into our most inmost
councils. and to bring to Us not only the
Internal sqGa bibles, but the external prot
lens of this part of the far east. Tris is
the region of race separatism. not race
union; of caste, not of common geniality
and common interest. What is caste In
India is race jealousy here and IT'S rules
ere violent, rather than restrictive. The
declining one is vindictive to g degree as
shown in our wars with the Indians. We
have not absorbed the peaceabIe Mexican
on the border for fifty years Very Few of
them are yet desirable citizens. What
would be the case with the Malay, with a
distinct ethnic character which goes back
faithful ard true to beyond his earliest APP
pearancc in history? The only rea! solu-
tion is the formation of a free and inde-
pendent self-governing state in LuZon.
The elements seem to be ready for it. An
organized insurrection of long continuance
gives body and expression TO q powerful
sentiment in favor Of self-government. The
Malays and Chinese are capable of self
government to an unusually high degree.
They are self f-cOntalned, active acute, en-
terprisinE. They are not like us and they
have no great demands yet for cur civil
ization, but they are ahundanty abi3 to
care for themselves. They love their own
people, their own interests, their own pur-
suits. They care not for the Americans
with their to them, extraordinary ways,
nor could they become accustomed to thCm
without long-cOntinued personal inter
course. extending, perhaps, through gen
eratiol.s. and they could probably be left
to themselves very soon after the Span
iards were gone.
Worth Trying.
In any case this solution is well worth
trying. 1t is the most promising, the most
N accordance with existing facts, and the
least expensive. 1t would require only
some support until the people could recover
their law and order and give free express
sion to their will. And it would result in
the extension of our principles in politics
to autocratic, Iartiarchal, colonial Asia
South America is covered with the results
Of our example, as IS Central America Eu-
rope has more than one republic, and the
lcaven has thus affected the whole lump
Africa has a sturdy republic or two, and
one langu1shing one, but Asia has remained
untouched. With the republic of Luzon a
beginning would be made and the example
would spread. The N1ZcayaS and the Cen
tral Islands would in time join and there
would be imbedded in the eastern seas a
little federation, with its own internal prob
lens and difficulties, but modelled after the
great republic of the west, to them the
republic of the rising sun,
NJ w HARRINGTON