The news & observer., 1898-05-08
San Fransico Chronicle J

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out afreSh in the northern provinces Gf
Luzon, and that bloody battles are ex-
pected. The parallelism with Cuba IS
quite curious The pearl of the Antilles
and the gem of Malaysia became span
ish colonies in the last half of the SIX
teenth century; over both the nag 81
Spain has foated ever since. But hoth
were acquired when the Spanish soul
was full of sap; when the biood OF
Spain became impoverished ana span
ish fibre decayed under benumblng m
fiuences, the people of both colonies
grew restive, and attempts to throw OH
foreign dominion became chronic Inc
insumectionary demonstrations We're
suppressed. but the suppression was S.
cruel and brutal that it left in the Ma
Iayan mouth II taste for blood ana re-
venge.
The aggregate area of the 1000 odd
islands constituting the Philippines
group Is about the same as that of
California: but the populationt of the
islands is said to number 100000 on
100000. The principal island. Luzon.
exceeds Cuba in area by $4,000 miles.
and contains over twice the population.
In this population 200 tribes, indigen-
ouS and mixed, are said to be repre-
sented Such are the negritos, who
were the aborieines; about 5000 Span
ish born. and afew hundred English,
Americans and Germans; consider
able body of Spanish mestizos, the off
spring of Spanish fathers and natives
mothers: several hundred thousand
Chinese and Chinese mestiZos-that is
10 say. the offspring of Chinese fathers
and native mothers; but the great bulk
of the Inhabitants are Malays, who
L. 4 Al.~
Spaniards landed, and resisted fercely.
but Intellectually, the European inva-
sion. They were originally Il mild, gen
tie. kind and hospitable people. but
centuries of cruel oppression have gem
Grated among them Il warrior class
which has learned to outdo the Span
iards in ferocity. In the rebellions OF
1872 and 1895 they made no secret or
their purpose to grant no quarter.
They were originally MahometanS,
and the Spanish invaders dealt with
them as their coreligionists did with
the Moors in Spain. Steadfast adhet
ents to the Moslem creed were exter-
minated, and the work was so thor.
oughly done that there is not a mosque
left on any Of the islands, and Mr.
Foreman says that less than J00.O00
Malays now adhere to their ancient
faith. When called to account for in.
tolerance Senor Canovas justified him.
elf by alleging that mild, persuasive.
paternal influence was effective in
counteracting the savage instincts of
the natives. In this plausible theory
the Malays do not concur. In 1872 they
denounced this paternal solicitude of
their masters as intolerable tyranny.
In 1895 they went further. and. finding
4hat ch Ia nH II
quisitoria dominion of governing Off
cials, they planned the annihilation of
the whole white race in the islands.
The region is congenial for the de,
yelopmet Of passion. The whole Phil
lppine group is Of volcanic origin one
of the greatest active volcanoes in the
world, Mayon. is within sight of Man
ila. Earthquakes are frequent, and
they are so terrible that mems bones
are said to shake. Sir John Browning
said: ''They overturn mountains. they
FIJI mp valleys they desolate plains. they
open passages from the sea into the IN
terror, and from the lakes into the sea.
The earthquakes of Japan are gentle tire.
mors in comparison.
As if volcanic eruptions and earth
quakes did not suffice to keep mp popu-
lar excitement, nature selected the
Philippine group to be a cradle or ry-
phoons. Navigators sailing the China
Sea hardly dare lift their eyes from the
barometer to talk or eat or sleep so
long as they are in the latitude OF
Ouyon In the old days many brave
galleon on her homeward voyage, such
as the one Bret Harte described as
slowly drifting athwart the setting sun,
was crushed to atoms in the whirlwind
bn lnc cin nf
Yet the people, quickly as these ter
rifyng phenomena of nature make
the blood course through their veins. are
pleasure-1oving and lazy Every village
has it's band, and at the first scrape of
the violin all hands gather i'll the piazza
to dance. But the orchestra will be de-
serted in O twinkling if the word goes
around that there is a cocking-maln.
Every town has its pit. AT Manila the
audience numbers thousands, and the
government revenue from the tax on
mains amounts to hundreds OF thous-
ands However poog a native of Luzon
may be-many of them, live on 500 Il
year-he always manages to keep hght-
ing bird. il is recorded that ON the occa-
sion of fires and earthquakes the head
OF the household has been seen flying
to n place of refuge with his precious
bird under his arm, leaving ms Wlie
and children to take their chances Ill the
disaster.
The excitabc race is prone to plot
and conspiracy. In July, 1896 broth
erhood OF Malays and Chinese was
formed TO overthrow the government
Each member on being sworn made
the "blood compact From cut i'll
the arm or leg the blood was drawn
and with this blood the name Of til,
member was inscribed on the roll oi
the Katipunan. The plot was betrayed
The authorities laid hands on the ring
leaders and before New Years th,
prisons at Manila contained 4.377 per
sons, many of whom afterward me-
their fate ut tho hnds Of a firing party.
But the spirit of rebellion was no
quelled. A petition was signed by 5000
natives. Malays and half-breeds. an,
was addressed to the mikado of Japan
begging him to annex the islands
Japan had acquired Formosa, rs on
Of the results of the Chinese war, an,
from the souternm0st cape of For
L