The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-06

were few it is true but there were
a number, and upon the fidelity of
each one depended the safety of the
whole party
This is one of those deeds which sur
prise the world Accustomed to metho~
deal action when an unmethodical act
like this proves successful the men
stepped in method stand aghast and
wonder how such things can be done.
The deed is one of remarkable bravery.
Hobson's sinking of the Merrimac
across the entrance of Santiago harbor
was as nothing to it either in plan, in
risk or in endurance. The wonderful
magnetic power of the man is perhaps
what strikes one as most remarkable.
To be able to control and keep faith
full such material as he had to work
with is really surprising. The untutored
Macabebes must have had the most
unbounded love and respect for their
American leader. Such devotion has
been known before, the British have
had experiences of it in India, but it is
rare, and is only given to certain gifted
people. General Funston is one of these
and his achievement will go down
among the most brilliant in history.
Chivalry is not dead yet 1t matters
not what style of dress we wear, or
what our education may be, the spirit
of adventure burns with equal brilliancy
under the blue broad cloth of the mod
ern American officer, as it did under
the silken doublet of the Elizabethan
courtier or the chain mail of the early
Crusader.
So far as Funston's share of the en-
terprise is concerned everything is sat
isfactory. But now the question arises
having got Aguinaldo what is the Am
erican Government going to do with
him? He will prove somewhat of a
white elephant upon the hands of the
military authorities and upon the Ad
ministration. Aguinaldo is one of those
individuals whom it would be much
better to have had knocked over in a
A hundred years ago there would have
been no hesitation, Aguinaldo would
have been incontinently shot, or hang
ed and no one would have commented
harshly on the deed. Now we are much
more mealy- mouthed. Aguinaldo will
be neither shot nor hanged. He will
live in comfortable quarters, probably
in Guam, he will pose as martyr and
patriot and he will serve as peg
upon which to hang a great deal of
cheap oratory. Funston did a brilliant
deed. Many will question whether it is
a wise one.
/ Thinking, carefully, it is a wise deed.
1t is true it would have been better to
! have been rid of Aguinaldo altogether,
but it is also a great deal better to have
Aguinaldo under locks and bars, than
Aguinaldo at large intriguing and To-
menting rebellion and promising Fill
Pine prodominance over the hated
Yankee. Aguinaldo kept the Islands in
a ferment, it is now possible that the
minor rebels will see that it is wiser
to give in and the Philippines will have
an opportunity to rest and have peace
one of the most important things in
the capture of Aguinaldo is the seizure
of his correspondence. Though the bulk
of this will only throw light upon the
intrigues of people in Manila, who have
been playing first on one side and then
on the other it will also show what.
outside assistance and sympathy Agui-
naldo and his cause have had to depend
upon. The developments in this di
rection will be extremely interesting.