The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-03
MODELLED AFTER OUR OWN
BREAKING OUT OF HOSTILITIES
AN ACCIDENT.
OTIS THEN FORCED WAR ON THE NATIVES
FiIipinos Capable of intellectual Development
Not Second to That of the Japanese.
How the laundering War Can
be Closed With Honor.
Peoples Paper of Minnesota.)

Martin Il. Tew, in common with a
large majority of the former members d
the Thirteenth is not in sympathy with
the policy Of imperialism which is being
carried ont in the Philippines. Lieut..
Tew had excellent opportunities for a
study Of the Filipino people, having been
detailed as brigade interpreter ana scout
on the first expedition of General Law
ton into the interior of Luzon, and later
as interpreter for General Otis. He has
this to say:
when the Thirteenth was sent to the
Philippines, few of us had any other
thought than that the people of those
islands were to be given their indepen-
dence We prided ourselves on having
enlisted for the prosecution of the hottest
aud most unselfish war in The history of
any nation.
"0n our arrival i'll the Philippines, we
did not fall i'm love with the people or
with the country. We were white, or
had been once, the Filipinos were brown.
The white race is naturally prejudiced
against all colored people. On first ac-
quaintance, we We're not fayorably inn
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 capa-
bic Of taking care of themselves.
"Aguinaldo and his coadjutors were
brought from Hong Kong on one of
Dewey'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 ex-
pected. Within three months they had
forced the surrender Of every important
Spanish garrison in Luzon and the Wis
ayas. except Manila and Iloilo. The hast
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. ex-
cept the single city of Manila. Thou
sands OF Spanish soldiers had surrender
ed their arms to them, and the entire
archipelago, excluding the metropolis,
was under the rule of the Filipinos.
In each captured town or city, the
revolutionists immediately organized n
local government, consisting of president
and councilmen. Every important town
or city had its police force and court Of
Justice Peace and good order prevailed.
Schools were established, and in the
churches the corrupt Spanish friars were
succeeded by educated Filipino priests.
The natives are religious, temperate and
peace-loying, and the percentage of
crime was small.
''In September, 1898, only four
months after Dewey had brought
Aguinaldo from Hong Kong to Cavite,
the Filipino republic was proclaimed at
Malolos. Their constitutions modelled
after orr own. had been prepared by the
ablest Filipino lawyers from all parts OF
the archipelago. IT gave all citizens
equality before the Law. recognized free
dom of religious worship, and provided
for gratuit0us education by the state.
THE Filipino daily papers. La In
dependeneia, FL Heraldo de la Revolu-
cion and La Republca, were edited with
great ability, and no person who read
those publications. from day to day could
fail TO recognize that these oriental peo-
Pile were possessed of latent powers,
which, if allowed to develop, would soon
place them even higher in the scale of
culture and advancement than their
neighbors and kinsmen. the japanese.
when The United States peace COM
nassioners at Paris bought the islands
from Spain, The Filipinos protested,
claiming that the country belonged to
them and that Spain could not convey
good and valid title to property which
she did not possess. The Filipinos were
shrewd enough 10 understand the DIES GINS
- - A., ,a1
preparations for defense The soldiers
were as keenly disappointed as tie
Fiipinos and had they been allowed a
voice in the matter, | venture the opinion
that nine-tenths Of them would at this
time have voted TO give the people of
the islands their independence, instead
of buying them like so many cattle, nm
der the fiimsy pretext of paying for inn
provements' which had no existence.
when General Otis, under instruc-
tons from Mckinley, ISSUED his proela-
nation bearing date of January 4, 1890,
giving the Fiipinos to understand that
American military rule would be es-
tablished and that their republic would
not be recognized, indignation meetings
were held in the towns and cities of the
interior. The people solemnly protested
against such action OH the part of those
who had come to their country with the
declared intention Of giving oppressed
people their independence. In one week
10000 Filipinos left Manila, and seven
special trains were run every day CAR
rying people who willingly offered their
assistance to their counhyman.
THE breaking out of hostilities on the
evening of February was an accident
resulting from the strained relations
caused by General Otis proclamation.
A few hot-headed and indiscreet Filipinos
acted nnwisely and contrary to orders
from their superiors. but it j. certain
that il was not a preconcerted attack.
When Aguinaldo and the other officials
at Malos heard Of it they Immediately
sent ENJOYS TO General Otis. deprecating
the accident and Offering 10 Withdraw
their 0IIfpacfS sa tn af n neutral zone