Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-12-08

Martin F. lew, in common with a
large majority of the former members of
the 18th Minnesota volunteers. is not in
sympathy with the policy of Imperialism
which is being carried out in the Philip
pines. Lieut.. lew had excellent op-
portunities for study of the Filipino
people, having been detailed as brigade
Interpreter and scout on the first eXpedi-
tlon of Gen. Lawton into the interior Of
Luzon and later as interpreter for Gen.
Otis. He has this to say:
When the 18th was sent to the Philip
pines, few OF us had any other thought
than that the people of those islands
were to be given their independence.
We prided ourselves on having enlisted
for the prosecution of the hottest and
most unselfish war In the.history Of any
nation.
"On our arrival in the Philippines, we
did not fall in love with the people or
with the country. We were white, or
had been once, the Fiiipinos were brown.
The white race is naturally prejudced
against all colored people. On first
acquaintance, we were not favorably i'm
pressed with the little brown natives,
and some did not overcome this natural
prejudice; but all who gave any thought
to the situation had to acknowledge that
the Filipinos are bright and fully capable
Of taking care of themselves.
"Aguinaldo and his coadjutors were
brought from Hong Kong on one of Dew
ey's boats. They were furnished with
arms and ammunition and told to wrest
their country from the hand of Spain.
Their success was greater than their
most hopeful well-wishers had expected.
Within three months they had forced the
surrender of every important Spanish
garrison in Luzon and the Visayas, ex.
cept Manila and IlOilO. The last-named
city surrendered to them In the first part
of December. In the short space Of eight
months they had taken possession of the
entire archipelago, except the single city
of Manila. Thousands of Spanish
soldiers had surrendered their arms to
them, and the entire archipelago, ex-
Guiding the metropolis, was under the
rule of the Filipinos.
sin each captured town or city, the
revolutionists Immediately organized q
local government, consisting of president
and councilmen. Every important towr
or city had its police force and court OF
Justice. Peace and good order prevailt
Schools were established, and in the
churches the corrupt Spanish friars were
succeeded by educated Filipino priests
The natives are religious, temperate ant
peace-loving, and the percentage of crime
was small.
"In September, 1898, only four months
after Dewey had brought AguinaldC
from Hong Kong to Cavite, the Filipino
republic was proclaimed at Malolos
Their constitution, modelled after ou
own, had been prepared by the ables
Filipino lawyers from all parts of tn,
archipelago. 1t gave all citizens equality
before the law, recognized freedom o
religious worship, and provided TO
gratuitous education by the state.
1.-THE Filipino daily papers, La indie
pendencia, Ell Heraldo de la Revolution
and La Republca, were edited with grea
ability, and no person who read thos
publications from day to day could fai
to recognize that these oriental peopl
were possessed of latent powers, which
If allowed to develop, would soon plac,