The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-24
AMERICANS IN MANILA.
How We Have Changed Filipino
Trust Into Hate.

DR.. J. M. McBryde, formerly presi-
dent of the University OF South Caro-.
lima and for the last few years presi-
dent OF the Virginia Polytechnic Insti-
tute, has given out letter be has re.
ceivcd from Col. ID. G. Shanks, OF the
United States army, formerly in charge
Of the military department OF the
Polytechnic, and lately on duty at Ma.
nila. The following is an extract:
"There is no doubt Of the fact that
almost all Of the officers that came out
with the first expedition feel that We
have not dealt squarely with these peo-
pie. The naval officers share this
opinion quite as freely as the army By
implication and fair inference, If not
in direct words. these people were
given to understand that We were their
| allies In their struggle with Spain.
There Is no doubt that several thous-
and tles and large quantity of am
munitiOn were Issued to them from the
arsenal at Cavite. An officer told me
not long ago that he was at Cavite
when Dewey called on Aguinaldo at
the quarters of the latter; that the
troops were turned out and made to
present arms to Aguinaldo, while the
g .
in his honor. A great many think,
therefore, that these people had good
grounds for believing that our object
was not to replace Spain as their mas
ters, tut was to use them as our allies
in the war with Spain and in return to
give them their freedom.
"At any rate, there is no gainsaying
the fact that thoy now regard us In
much more unfriendly light than they
ever regarded Spain. | have no doubt
that they would vastly prefer to see
the Spanish return rather than that
the Americans should remain. The
individual relations OF the American
soldiers and the natives have not been
such as to impress the latter with our
purity of motive or our honesty as a
people.
"At first: when the American troops
were regarded as allies. the natives
trusted them implicitly. An officer
told me thai this confidence was much
abused In Manila, where the native
merchants, being unaccustomed to the
different varieties Of American paper
money, we're swindled by having con.
siderable quantities of Confederate
money palmed off on them. 1t is said
that the Astor Battery, taking advan.
tage Of their name, won't homo leaving
|
thousands OF dollars of worthless orders
on John Jacob, who was represented as
able and willing to foot all bills OF the
organization. So great was their con.
fidence in the Americans that sol.
dier's uniform was everywhere sufIi.
cient TO obtain considerable credit.
when the regiments were ordered
from MaEil q to this place some OF the
native tradesmen and saloon keepers
being unable to collect their bills, in
terviewed the company commanders
to implore their assistance. One cap.
tain told mo that one saloon keeper
came to him with q list showing that
Henry Ward Beecher, William Nc.
Kinley and George Washington had
been liberal patrons OF his establish,
ment. Another, a tailor, begged his
assistance In collecting bill for
clothes made for and delivered to Gro.
YER Cleveland. The latter was much
moro fortunate than some OF the others
AS luck would have 1T, one private,
named O'Brien, happened to be pass.
ing at the time and was promptly
identified as the pseudo Grover. Such
tricks have made the natives wary Of
any further dealings in 'benevoIen,
| ASST latiOn. "