The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-06-16
LIBERTY LOVING PATRIo rs.

LIBERTY LOVING PATRIOTS.
AS time progresses, the fact is be-
ing more strongly brought out that
this country made most stupendous
mistake when 1t laid claim to the
possession of the Philippine Islands
and began a murderous and soulless
warfare upon a liberty-loving, pa
triotic people. Commander John ID.
Ford, fleet engineer of the Asiatic
Squadron, who has been at Manila
for the past eighteen months, has
just returned to this country, and
gives out IA published statement
which has attracted no little atten-
ton, especially in official circles at
Washington. In speaking of affairs
in the Philippines, Mr.. Ford says:
"When left Manila the 9th of last
month, we held not quite as much
ground as was ours during the first part
OF August last year, and our lines were
restricted to the suburbs of Manila.
These troops did push out into the
country, but could not hold the ground
they made by raids and were oblige to
fall back. 1t is impossible to conquer
the people or to gain the islands with
out more troops. If we send a great
many more soldiers out there and bend
all our energies to doing it, we can beat
them and take the island 1t would
mean great loss of life aud considerable
time, but it could be done. AS it is now,
it is all we can do to hold our own. TIL e
insurgents are constantly encroaching,
and though, as | have said, raids are
made, tn" natives driven back and the
line thrown out, we can't hold the
ground, because we have not enough
men.
"The line is always active and there
is no relief. Men spend months in the
trenches subjected to a great mental
and physical strain and never knowing
at what moment they will be assaulted
The lines of the natives are often not q
block away from our own and the rule
is when you see head exposed tc
shoot it. The natives are always on the
defensive. They make no advances Of
their own, but wait and shoot when
they can, do all the damage to us they
know how and when we sally out they
are driven back into places where it il
impossible to follow, so strong is thei
number, so impregnable the country
"The Filipinos pictured in the sensa
tional papers are not the men we ar,
fighting. They are entirely distinc
and separate. The fellows we deal will
out there are not ignorant savages
fighting with bows and arrows, but 81
intelligent, liberty people, full
of courage and determination. TIL
idea that the Filipino is an uncivilizet
being is mistaken one. original.
the natives of those islands sprang from
japanese stock and are identically tn
same race, with change in languag
and customs. There was time whel
the feudal system prevailed in Manila
savagery of the people is found only il
} the very lowest class of Negritos o
little niggers,' as the FilipinOs ar
called.
"They have the intellect and tn
stamina to govern themselves and hav
done it 30 years, although under tn
rule of Spain. They were the clerks
the bookkeep ers, the assessors, an
managed the entire machinery of gov
: eminent. Their courage is undoubte
and they fight to the death, havin
: among them a superstition that if yol
t are killed you do not really die, but i
= three days reappear somewhere else.
GAS for their condition now, as far a
| can see, they are stronger, more de
termined and more skillful in the art c
war than when the fighting out Their
started and as the days go by they il
t crease in strength and knowledge, hay
: ing nine or eleven millions of people t
draw from. They are armed wit
Mausers-the best rifle in the world
, and are far better marksmen than tn
, Spaniards. At first they shot high an
missed, but now they have caught 0
and aim low, with deadly effect. The
l have a good Government now, whic
they are operating successfully an
preserve law and order. They Gel
i. tainly don't think theirs is a hopeless
| fight, and don't think any one els
r does who knows anything about it,.