St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-02-15
THE PHILIPPINE INSURGENTS.


Dwelling in genial cline where
kindly Providence has placed ready at
hand the means of subsistence, it seems
that nature had intended that the Fill
Pine should be docile tractable, hospi-
table and kindly disposed. Indeed the
natives Of the Philippine Islands pos
sess in a measure these virtues but
centuries of oppression have made them
in Ia. main revengeful suspicious,
often treacherous and sometimes as
cruel as the Spanish, from whom they
have learned lessons in brutality and
crime.
1t is hard matter to fathom the
character of the native Filipino. He
has been a mysterious factor to all civ
ilized races with whom he has had to
deal The Spanish have been unable to
fathom him in all the years of their
dealing with him. He has a mind of
his own and is keenly sensible to OPP
preston. Pe is too, not proof against
the hattery of the world, and, best of
all, loves p sition and prestige. 1t is
doubtful whether there is a man in
Aguinaldo's army who has not some
mark of rank Almost every man claims
to be cole ,el, major or captain.
Perhaps lieutenant or sergeant or
corporal will be enough rank for few
Of the lesser personages. Under Span
ish rule the natives were anxious to be
made petty rulers in the outlying
towns, and until the recent insurrec-
ton broke out these positions were
much sought after by them.
The native Filipino, whether Negrote,
Tagal or Igorrote, thinks for himself.
He can love with all fervor, and he can
hate as car no other race. He is not
slow to forget wrongs, and when his
enemy is once within his power he
shows no mercy. This was shown at
Cavite, at Bacoor, at ParaniQue and
elsewhere, when, few months ago,
some of his former oppressors were
placed under his power through condi-
lions resulting from the destruction of
,he Spanish feet and the reduction of
Notifications by the guns of Admiral
, Dewey's ships. The horrors enacted at
these places have already been ted to
, the world The retribution of the Fill
pinos was swift and sure, and in the
short time which elapsed between the
reduction Of the works by our fleet and
/ Ihe landing of our marines the streets
, pf these places literally ran with Span
I lsh blood.
The source of most of the native up
n risings can be traced directly to tn,
i. Spaniards themselves. Too lazy to dc
). their own work, they employed natives
4 TO perform il for them Native soldier
q were employed in the Spanish army n
It the same time and all the while thes
Is intelligent natives We're permitted t
lamiarize themselves with the Span
IL lsh maladministration Excessive taxes
a. rruelties Of Spanish soldiers in the en-
torcement Of unjust Spanish laws. OK
N sesses of officials of church and stat,
I. were originally responsible for thes
" native uprisings. and after they wer
De inaugursted there were continual ban
barities Of Spanish rule which keI
these NATIVES "a constant rch, illu
against unjust laws Here Ina the PM
ippincs the Cuban horrors have b-s
duplicated huudredfold and thci
abuses have gone ~ far that. even wei
t-f.If q. -Hatu rlsr
n never reclaim these islands Onr tim,
er arrival relieved her from The iuril
'r- humiliation Of defeat 40 the hands
~ the revolving natives az there j. lit
10 doubt that sOoner or later. through q
means OF treachery Manila and ind,
a all the Spanish pu,Sessigns here woi
IN have fallen into the hp'Hs 1T her ret
laf lious subjects
'se For over three centuries they h
ne been Ia unsuccessful conflict with
UT fierce tribes vt the interio' and those
the smaller islands OF the gro
Through all these ye. y the native tri
have bafied the Spaniards NJ ~
a. point and had our interference not
'''' short tie successful operations Of
as insurgents about Manila IL is difficult
cp tell what the outcome would have b.
Is a for the insurgents were making n
inroads upon the spanish defenses ali