The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-08-01

ItiyUf mas MOI Dt$n tblu IN th' h'"r-
paper dispatches beause they are sub
jct 60 omirol. or their correspondents
are. but gradually the people are get
ting accurate Information from the
soldiers themselves about the conduct
of tho war The effect OF this informa-
ton in shaping public policy will be
seen In the coming SESSION Of Congress.
on the whole. the volunteers are
rather disguised with ahe war busi-
ness. They are willing enough to fight
for their country. II Il Is necessary. but
men who are enduring severe hard
ships must feel that the endurance Is
a patriotic duty. The obligation Of the
United States to preserve the Philip
pines from anarchy Is high and
solemn. but II Is a moral rather than
a patriotic obligation. As an Idaho
soldier said he would rather fight
20 maintain order and decency In his
own State which seemed TO be in the
hands Of a mob. than fight for the
preservation Of order among the Fill
pinos.' Besides, when the volunteer
gets no sleep, has sore feet, is weak
ened with fever, and stands up to his
waist in water, and lodges Filipino
shots, he Is in no pleasant mood to
read I'm one OF the home Expansion
| Journals an editorial written by an
| editor, who sits in a comfortable chair
telling him that he Is gloriously fol-
lowing the Star of Empire. He be-
lieves that the editor ought to take his
turn at it, and try the fever and sore
feet and swamps and bullets.
The Bangor (Maine) Commercial
publishes q letter from Capt. Hersey OF
the 18th U. s. Regulars now in Luzon.
Capt. Hersey is a man of reputation in
Maine. The letter is addressed to the
captains father. This is an extract
1.-THE volunteers have done splendid
| fighting, there is no doubt about that
The great criticism to be made on
them is their utter disregard Of the
laws of civilized warfare. ! heard a
man OF the Montana Regiment state
that, when he had a new revolver is
sued TO him he tried 1t on an inof-
| fensive native, who was padding a
boat out in the stream. The revolver
proved to be a good one, for the native
fell over dead into the water. He
thought IL was a good joke. He ais,
told of one of his comrades, who
when a native (wounded), asked hin
for water, kicked him in the head unit
he died Filipinos claim that theiI
women are ravished. and l guess witt
a good deal OF truth. So far | have
heard Of no such disgraceful acts bein'
done by any of the regulars. In m!
opinion, tho hatred created by thes
acts OF wantOn cruelty will make any
thing like cordial feeling between TIL
insurgents and Americans, for goot
many years to come, impossible, ever
IL we succeeded in conquering them b!
force of arms"
i No one. for a moment, believes tina
the body OF volunteers would tolerat'
such conduct. But we have had here
In the case of a Regiment of volunteer
am unfortunate reputation given b.
lawless and cruel men to body o
really patriotic soldiers.
The war fever is over. The wa
editors are of on their summer vaca
tons The offers OF enlistment a
common soldiers at SIS per month ar
moderate, although multitude of mel
are eager to serve as officers. Tn
garish lights are turned Off Through
the medium of thousands Of letter
written by intelligent men, who carr!
rifles. the hell" of war Is taken hom
to the people and the political leader
who naturally follow the popular viii
will not hesitate to declare what tina
| will Is during the coming session o
Congress. This Is the peoples war
not the Presidents. Let us now Sc
how the people will manage it. WI
have faith that they will finish wha
they have undertaken. The war O
1912 was "a war brought about by On,
of the political parties. The Mexica
war was made by the slave power
The Civil war was war for union
and against general disruption. TIL
war now existing, has become at las
an effort to preserve order, and pre-
vent anarchy in "a foreign land. 1t
a new departure. 1t will not be abar
, doned.