The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-03


TO President Mckinley request not t.
abandon the Fillpinos. (At this stage the
Paris conference was discussing tie iu-
ture OF the Philippnes).
A brief chapter tnea tells OF the lack
of success attending the effort made at
this time by General Merritt through
commission TO arrive at mutual under
standing with Asuinaldo. This brings
the story up TO the outbreak on the eve
ming Of The fourth OF February. This chap
ter says:
4 JUST WAR.
"DepiOrabie as war is. ~ one are
now engaged in was unavoidable by u.s.
We were attacked by a bold. adventure
Gus and enthusiastic army. No alterna-
tive was left 10 rs except ign0minOus re-
treat. Il Is not 90 be conceived OF that
any American would have sanctioned the
surrender OF Manila % the Insurgents
Our obligations % other nations, and to
the friendly Filipinos ana 10 ourselves
and our hag demanded that force should
be met by force. Whatever the future Of
the Philippines may be- there is no course
open 20 US now except the prosecution OF
the war until the insurgents arc reduced
10 submission
The commission r. OF the opinion that
there has been no time since the dcstruc-
ton of the Spanish squadron by Admiral
Dewey when II was possible to withdraw
our forces from The islands either with
honor 20 ourselves or with safety 20 the
inhabitants
The commission then takes up the con-
dillon OF the country at the time OF their
arrival comparing It with the conditions
existing at the time they lcft.
THE REBELLION LIMITED.
As showing the limited scope 0f the
rebellion, the commission states:
I'VE learned that the strongest anti
AmeDcan feeling was confined 20 the
Tagalog Provinces. namcly-Manila.
Cavto. Laguna. Batangas, Morong Bula-
can. Nueya Ecija. Principe. lnianta and
Zamblles. II was the strongest IN the
FIRST siN named. and hardly existed in
tno last four. The population or these
provinces IS estimated 10 bc about l,5lJ-
Cyo. but lt should not De supposed that
oven in the six provinces Immediately od-
iacent TO Manila the people were united
iu their opposition 20 us. Even here there
was a strong conservative element con-
sisiing Of people Of wealth and mtelh-
gcnce opposed % the war"
Under the head. THE Rebellion Not "A
National Movement" the report treats of
the rebellion outside of the province of
Luz0n. where. DO is stated. the uprising
was viewed at first with indifference and
later with fear Throughout Che archi-
polago at large there was trouble only at
those points 90 which armed TagHlOgs
had been sent in considerable numbers.
The machinery of the insurgcnt govern
mcnt served only for piunderins the
people under the pretext OF lcvying war
contributions, while many Of the insur-
gent officials were rapidly accumulating
wealth"
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
The chapter devoted TO Establishing OF
Municipal Government" gives In detail
the efforts in that direction There were
many difficulties encountered. The
towns of Bacoor and linus were selected
for the purpose Of experiment. and after
talks with the local "headmen." local
form of government was established; en-
couraeeI by the result, the work was
continued no Paranaque. and Las Pinas
with similar good results
Tho Commission sums mp the situation
at the time Of their departure as follows:
"When we left Manila q large volume
Of business was being don, and the strccts
were So crowded as t0 be hardly safe.
The native population was quite orderly
and all fear OF am uprising had long since
passed. An efficient corps of native pO-
l.emen was on duty and O. system of
public schools in which English was
taueht had been advocated by the COM
mission and established by General Ous.
Some siX thousand scholars were in at
tendance.
"lu the TagaIog province Of Luzon
where the auti-Americln feeling had been
strongest public sentiment had greatly
changed. THE Bic0.a m southern Luz0n
had arisen against th.ir Iagalog masters.
The Mlcabeb.s were clamOrins for am OPP
p0rtu1i,y TO ngnt in our ranks. and native
soldiers and scouts were already serving
under General Lawtou. Stories ot the
corruption OF insurscnt officers were be-
c9mnl daily more common, ana tne dls-
utcerauon of the enemys forces was
steadily progressing. The hope OF assl7-
tauce from outside source seemed to b.
all that held them t0g thor
DO is stated that the rebellion is essent-
ia'ly Tagal0g and that when it ends In
Luzon il must end throughout the archi-
! pela4o.
ISLAND or NEfRCs.
Special attention is given to me Island
OF NDlros Here the natives had adopted
local form of government. including
congress and bad raised the American
flg. They believed thou lives capable off
manaslna theif own alH.r7 ANA asked Tor
battalion 0f troops f1 l1ii in cheek a
mountainous hand of f1rIfIcs Ih' batta-
F. lion was furnished. but ue people proved
E unable to carry ont choir prosramme on
account 0f nl-foe'ing am0ns their own
officials The American remained ronu-
lar. AT the request of General Otis "a new
and simuliIcd scheme 0. government for
the island. giving the people q large voice
in their affairs. but placing an American
in full control was uut INTO operation. II