The San Francisco call., 1899-12-08
THE PHILIPPINE PUZZLE.

| 7 will be remembered that recently we suggested
| a mystery in the Philippine situation. Optimists
were insisting that the campaign was all over but
the shouting, still no one accounted for the where
abouts OF nearly 6ooo Spanish prisoners OF war and
number OF Americans in the hands of the Filipino
commands, somewhere. 1t is very difficult to con-
ceive how those prisoners can be held by scattered
guerrilla bands and prevented from making juno
ton with our forces in some part OF Luzon. Since
then II has been semi-offically announced that Agun
aldo was negotiating for a surrender, and even Ad
miral Dewey who ratified the Singapore agreement
was saying that he probably ought to be shot when
we got our hands on him. Still no considerable
number of Spanish or American prisoners issued
OF that terra incognta beyond lines in which
the civil and military organization OF the Filipnos
was supposed to have been dissolved.
Since then comes the information that after the
hardest and most gallant campaign undertaken
by American soldiers presenting more obstacles than
the pursuit OF Billy Bowlegs in the everglades of
Florida, are in possession of less than onethird
of Luzon and our garrisons are being attacked with
sanguinary results.
The slaughter of the natives in the rainy campaign
is reported be enormous, yet the natives persist
and their fighting force seems to rise out OF the
ground, as if the ghosts of their dead sprang from
their unhallowed sepulchers TO fight again.
The optimistic view OF the President does not seem
10 be justified in this later report Civilians in Manila
and certain navy officers OF credbility have never
adopted the view taken by the Philippine Commits
sion that the majority of the natives not
sympathy with Aguinaldo. We do not doubt that
the willy natives express TO authorities their
opposition to the native leader, but their statement
conceas rather than expresses their sentiments.
The indication is that, except the few leading peo-
pie" OF whom we have heard so much through the
commission, the natives practically unanimous
against a change OF masters. Carnage, suffering and
famine may force them intermit fighting TO recruit
their food supply, but there is in sight prospect
OF their acceptance OF OF oblivion that will
cover the events since Wildman wrote the proclama-
ton creating their own government and famed TO
flame the spark OF independence
It is opinion that the sooner our Government
recognizes that the fight in the Philippines is prac
tically with the whole people, and that we have no
friends there among the natives except the few who
are regarded by their countrymen as traitors. the
better it will be- The Malay character is peculiar
People OF that blood who cherish a sense OF wrong
or injury won over by any generosity of
treatment The President seems TO depend upon edu-
cation industrial prosperity and laying upon them
light hand in the way OF government But all that
for nothing if be true that they are con-
vinced that they have been deceived and outraged
This vein runs through the whole Asiatic character
England fears constantly in India and so never per-
mts native Indian soldier to handle artillery or
learn its use. Every garrison in Hndostan stands
guard over British sovereignty and is like torch
over powder magazine So it must be with us in
the Philippines. We cannot furnish the natives any
better government than England gives to India, and
II will probably be much worse, so that we may as
well make up our minds to a permanent condition OF
smothered IRE in the islands ready to burst into
flame II Admiral Dewey's bad advice were followed
and Aguinaldo Is shot when caught, We will. in the
native estimation, have simply added another to the
Spanish maryrdom OF the lamented Rial and the