The times., 1898-05-15
ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
A Polyglot Population of Span
iSh Tributaries.
Is VERY RICH IN RESOURCE !
An ExcifabIe People Prone 10 Plot
and CoDspire-Japan Has Long
Coveted the ArchipeIago-Impre
sions of Gen. Grant-Insurgentso on
the Island of Luzon Number 10000.

bring intelligence that the insurrecti0n
against the Spanish government In the
Philippine Islands, says the San Fran
cisco Chronicle, which was supposed to
have been suppressed, has broken out
afresh in the Northern provinces of Lu-
zon, and that bloody battles are expect
ed. The paralleHsm with Cuba is quite
curious. The pearl of the Antilles and
the gem of Malaysia became Spanish col
onies in the last half of the sixteenth cen
tury; over both the flag of Spain has
fioated ever since But both were ac-
quired when the Spanish soul was full of
sap; when the blood of Spain became i'm
poyerished and Spanish fiber decayed un-
der benumbing influences the people of
both colonies grew restive, and attempts
TO throw off foreign dominion became
chronic The insurrectionary demonstra-
tions were suppressed, but the suppression
was SO cruel and brutal that it left in the
Malayan mouth taste for blood and re-
venge
The aggregate area of the 1900 odd ISL
ands constituting the Philippine group is
about the same as that of California; bat
the population of the island is said to be
900 or 5000, eco The principal island.
Luzon exceeds Cuba in area by I4Q0O
miles. and contains over twice the pop
ulation. In this population 200 tribes. in
digenOus and mixed. are said TO be rep
resented Such are the negritos, who
were the aborigines: about 5000 Spanish
born, and a few hundred English, Ameri-
cans and Germans; a considerable body
of Spanish mestizos, the offspring Of
Spanish fathers and native mothers; sew
eral hundred thousand Chinese and Chi
nese mestiZos-that is 10 say the offspring
of Chinese fathers and native mothers;
but the great bulk OF the inhabitants are
MalayS who conquered the islands long
before the Spaniards landed, and resisted
fiercely, but inffectually, the European
invasion They were originally a mild
gentle kind and hospitable people, but
centuries Of cruel oppression have gen.
era ted among them a warrior class which
has learned to outdo the Spaniards in fe-
rocity. In the rebellions of 1872 and 1885.
they made no secret Of their purpose 10
grant no quarter.
They We're originally Mahometans. and
the Spanish invaders dealt with them
as their co-religionists did with the
Moors in Spain. Steadfast adherents 10
the Moslem creed We're exterminated. and
the work was so thoroughly done that
there is not a mosque left on any Of the
islands and Mr.. Foreman says that less
than five hundred thousand Malays now
adhere to their ancient faith. When called
TO account for intolerance Senor Canovas
justified himself by alleging that mild,
persuasive, paternal influence was effec-
tive 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 that they
could not shake of the inquistorial domin-
ion of governing officials, they planned
| the annihlaton of the whole white race
in the islands.
-
ment of passion. The whole Philippine
group Is of volcanic origin: one of the
grea test active volcanoes in the world,
! Mayon is within sight of Manila. Earth
quakes are frequent, and they are so ter
rible that mems bones are said to shake.
Sir John Browning said: They overturn
mountains, they fill up valleys, they desc
late plains, they open passages from the
sea into the interior, and from the lakes
into the sea- The earthquakes Of Japan
are gentle tremors in comparison.
As if volcanic eruptions and earth
| quakes did not suffice to keep up popular
! excitement, nature selected the Phil p
pine group 10 be cradle of typhoons.
( Navigators sailing the China Sea hardly
| dare lift their eye from the barometer to
! talk or eat or sleep so long as they are
/ in the latitude of Quyon. In the old
! days many a brave galleon on her home
e
| Bret Harte described as slowly drifting
| athwart the setting sun, was crushed to
! atoms in the whiriwind before she lost
! sight of Mayon.
Yet the people, quickly as these terri
| flying phenomena OF nature make their
! blood course Through their veins, are
| pleasure-loying and lazy. Every village
! has its band. and at the first Scrape OF
the violin all hands gather in the piazza
10 Rtrt rba will ha n
serted in a twinkling if the word goes
| round that there is a cooking main. Ev-
cry town has its pit. At Manila the au-
dience numbers thousands. and the gov
ernment revenue from the tax on mains
amounts to hundreds of thousands. How
ever poor a native of Luzon may be-
many of them living on $35 a year-ht
always manages TO keep q fighting bird
/ it is recorded that on the occasion OF
fires and earthquakes the head of the
household has been seen flying to place
of refuge with his precious bird under
his arm. and leaving his wife and child.
ren to take their chances In tbs disas-
ter
The excitable race is prone to plot ant
conspiracy. In July, 1895, a brotherhood
of Malays and Chinese was formed &c
overthrow the government. Each mem.
Der on being sworn made the blood
compact" From a cut in the arm or leg
the blood was drawn, and with this blood
the name of the member was inscribed
on the roll Of the Katipunan. The plo
was betrayed. The authorities laid hand!
on the ringleaders, and before New Year:
the prisons at Manila contained 1877 per
sons many of whom afterward met thei
fate at the hands OF a firing party.
But the spirit of rebellion was no
auelled A petition was signed by 800
natives, Malays and half-breeds, and wa
addressed to the Mikado of Japan, beg
ging him to annex the islands. Japan ha'
acquired Formosa, of III
results of the Chinese war, ant
from the southernmost cape o
F'ormosa to the northernmos
cape of Luzon the distance is not great
Commenting on the petition, a Japanes
newspaper which was supposed to be in
spired observed: 1.-The revolt in Manil
is really a consequence to some eXten
of the rising power of Japan in Pacif
waters. Having acquired Formosa an
become ambitious of a territorial an
] commercial empire, the eyes of the jar
anese have lately been directed towar
the next islands on the south. The weak
ness of Spain is regarded as the oppoI
tunity of Japan
1t is remembered by some who me
] Gen. Grant on his return from Asia tha
that farseeing statesman predicted the az
QUESTION by Japan of all the islands lyin
off the Chinese coast.
When the Mikado was studying tn
Philippine petition the rebellion brok
out more fiercely than ever in Luxor
though a force of 10000 Spanish regular
had been imported to suppress it. Bat
ties were fought at scores of place:
and shocking maSsacreS enSued. Bot