The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-29

covered by but single cotton garment
depending from the shoulders, presents a
sickening sight. Fully half of them appear
to be afflicted in this way. The ravages
Of smallpox are also observable in thou
sands of faces. No effort is made by the
The natives to isolate cases Nearly ali Of
the adults having had il in their child
hood, they have no fear and when child
takes 1t, the suffeter is laid on a mat in
the house, and the family goes on with its
daily routine. It is in this way 1t has
been communicated to our army.
Mentally. the FilipnOs are very decep-
tive They give a first impression OF IN
teEectuality They are very alert and
quick OF apprehension, even precocious in
their childhood and youth. With rarS eX-
ceptions, l have found the young Filpl-
nos of both sexes very quick to under
stand. but It is evident that they are not
capable of deep cogitaiion or continued
logical thought They have the initiative
faculty. but not the inventive. OF an ex-
tremely mercurial temperament quick of
temper and rash of impulse, their mental
processes are interfered with and warped
by their varying sentiments, until sucn a
thing as acting upon settled conclusion
from logical deductions is not possible
with them.
No better example of This could be given
than that of their foolish attack on the
Americans a week ago, which they must,
If they retain any mental grasp OF the sit
uation, whatever, by this time deeply de-
plore. Everything was going their way.
The President had declared that he had
taken the islands from Spain for the wei
fare of the people of the islands them
selves, who were to be aided and taught
to maintain a government of their own
They had adopted a constitution, ana
commission had already been appointed to
visit the Philippines and examine into their
form of government and their success IN
administering it, Sentiment in the United
States was crystalizing in favor OF per-
hitting them to attempt self-government
under American tutelage and protection.
They were assured of all these things, but
they were not able to craps the situation
nor TO restain themselves, Pulled up with
their grossly exaggerated opinion of their
ability as fighters, contemptuous OF the
lighting qualities of the Americans, VINO
for half a year had remained quietly IN
Manila. and permitted them to gather a
large army. supply themselves with NUM-
lions of war, and collect taxes Wlthlh a
stones throw of the military governor
headquarters, they would not brook delay,
but undertook, by sudden attack Hot
nreceded by notice of hosuliues, to drive
A
most unexpected and disastrous. Thus,
hv their own folly, in one day they sealed
the Fate Of the constitution they had labor
ed upon for three months.
There were no wiseheads among them 10
give them pause. odd men for couhsel
and Young men for war Is a saw they are
not familiar with. They have no ola men
for counsel. There is among them no
erav-haired statesman, no grand old
man no influential adviser rendered con-
servative by a long life as 1urast' leslsla-
tor or executive. All the leaders In the
movement for independence are young
men, many of them scarcely past tilei,
majority, while the army Is made up OF
boys and men mostly without family ties
I have seen scores of their so-called So
diers no taller than the guns they carry
Agulnaldo himself, the President and pu-
tative head of the revolutionary move
ment Is under 30 years OF age. MOST OF
his generals and lesser officers are sull
Younger, and many of them would still be
students in the high school at home.
The national assembly which framed
and adopted the constitution and elected
the President-for neither OF these propo-
sitIons was submitted to vote OF the peo-
ple-is composed of men equally immature
When men OF unripe judgment, swayed by
the passIona and impulses Of youth, and
untutored in the broad philosophy of his
tory, both command the army and sit in
the council chamber no better result than
what has been seen could be expected
This absence of mature years in their
counsels is not due to wise resolve OF the
older men to hold sloof from the revolu-
tionary movement, but 10 the utter abb
sence of wise old men. There seems to
be rapid decadence of intellect among
them. The mental alertness of youth is
gradually conquered by the instinct of ln-
dolence, until, when middle age is reached,
ambition is extinct, the fires of youth have
burned out, and there Is only left man
satisfied 10 eat and sleep until such time
as death may claim him. Climate and in
herited instincts have conquered the men
tai activity founded solely upon youthful
vigor. The Filipino custom of letting the
women support the family has much to
do with this, for marriage seems to be the
beginning Of the end of both physical and
mental Vigor.
Other mental characteristics of the FIJI
Pine explain the attack upon the Ameri-
cans and show his unftness for self-gov-
eminent He is by inheritance servile
treacherous, possessed of low cunning, and