The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-10-18
NOT WORTH IT.
A Private Soldiers Opinion of the
Philippines.
MORE TROOPS NEEDED.
Angeles One of the Finest Cities
in Luzon and the Seat Of an
intelligent Government.

A private soldier writes as follows to
the Washington Post from the Philip
pines:
It has been little over year since
Manila was surrendered to the Ameri-
can troops, and from that time on it has
been hard and exhausting work for the
troops, with everything at the present
time pointing to fighting and stubborn
resistance for every mile of territory
We are now advancing over. What has
been accomplished in the past year
seems so little in comparison with what
| is before US that the sentiment is that
ten yeas from now We will be fighting
in the Philippines. 1t is true that we
have advanced into territory that the
Spaniards never were within miles Of,
for all of their campaigning was never
more than FIVE miles from Manila at
the most. Still we are long way from
conquering the Filipinos. Towns and
villages that were captured months ago
by the Americans on the line of the
railroads are giving the troops left to
garrison them a great deaf Of trouble, as
the main body advances farther north.
By this harassing large body Of troops
has to be ncattered along the railroad to
protect it, thus preventing their assls-
tance N the advance. The situation
along this road can be summed up in
few words: We have control and the
right Of way over nearly fifty miles of
the road, which We can hold by force
Of arms, but mile on either side it is
as good as mans life is worth to YEN
ture, and hardly night passes that
there is not some trouble about Caloo-
can and Malolos, towns captured months
ago. This alone seems to point to the
fact that the Filipinos are not thirstlng
to drink of the waters Of protection
held out by Uncle Sam, but prefer their
mode of governing themselves.
It can be nothing else than patriot
ism with these people or they wou!c
never have held out as long as they
have. They are not savages nor lgnor-
ant and illiterate. Their mode Of living
is different, their manner Of dress and
culture are different in some respects
from ours but in business respects they
are able to hold their own with Bax-
ter street merchant. They all seem to
be fond of the advantages Of education,
and very devout in their religious be-
lief, Judging by the class of books left
behind in their houses, asall the works
are religious or historical. Their writ
ing shows great care in their penman-
ship, and some of their ledgers and ac-
count books compare favorably. with
those Of any bank in the States:
With this advantage Of education
and the cunning instilled into them
from their ancestors and intermarriage
with the Chinese, they make foe dlf-
ferent from any that the American
orces have had to contend with yet.
It can never be charged that the Amer
lean army was ever anything but hu-
name in its warfare, but it is at times
bitter dose with these people: Our
forces will advance on town and after
slight resistance the native vamooses
and the American forces take posses
sion. The next day in they will come
through ourlines, dressed in their white
clothes and carrying white flag. They
are Amigos" or Macabebes then, but
we have learned at last, at the cost Of
the lives of several good American sol
dier boys, to trust none Of them, tor
there is no confidence or respect ct word
to be placed in any Of them: The
"alcalde," or mayor, Of a townwill meet
you with all the protestations OF friend
ship and goodwill for the American
and tell you that the Filipino and
Aguinaldo are NARROW" (no good,)
and at the same time, as was shown
few days ago in capturing one OF the
most friendly to the American cause,
have commission as colonel or some
high office in the insurgents army. 1t
is a hard thing to have to do, but the
only plan before the American army is
to drive them before you women and
children, and if they want to come back
in the town take the men prisoners and
send the women outside Of the lire5:
This has more effect than the use OF
force, as the Filipino household seems
to be happy and peaccble home, and
to separate the husband and father
from wife aRd children causes tears and
lamentations, more than the bullet will
ever do; but God forbid that the Amer
ican army will ever be compelled to
resort t. such actions to gain their vic
tory.
There is one peculiar thing noticea-
BILE as the advance is made farther
north. and this is that though Manila
is spoken of as the chief city Of Luzon,
and the seat OF learning, wealth and
culture, the farther north you 60 from
Manila the appearance Of the country
and habitations of the people show
marked improvement. The land seems
to be better cultivated and the homes
are far better built, making a neater
appearance than those near Manila. In
this town Of Angeles, captured by ten
companies of the 18th infantry on Au-
gust 16, after the strongest resistance
encountered yet, every indication points
to an intelligent, well-governed city.
Tho houses are large and commodious,
a number Of them built Of stone, brick
and frame, while those built Of bamboo
are of different design than in other
places. There is magnificent church
built of stone and finished in mahogany
and the furnishings of the altar Will
compare favorsbly with the finest
church in the States. There are no
pews in any Of the churches | have
seen in the interior. should say be-
tween 5000 and 1000 COLD worship IN
this church without crowding.
On Monday morning, August II, a
part Of the 18th infantry and olst Iowa
went out on scouting trip, to gain