The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-08
Sergeant Sebastian Says the Ma
tiyes Are Anxious to Be-
come Americanized.
KIND AND lMPULslvE PEOPLE.
Vastly Different From Inhabitants
of Lnzon-Long and Trouble
some Campaign for the
Fighting Men.

First Sergeant Edwin c. Sebastian Of the
Forty-fourth United States Volunteers, a
st. Louisan. accompanied by several COM
rades. has returned from the Philippine
war. Sergeant Sebastian, who was for sew
eral years aa ernp,oye Of the United E;e-
vator Company. enlisted september e. 1888.
Arriving at Manila two months later. he
went with battalion of the Fcrty-fourth
to the island Of Panay. The troops estab-
lisheG their headquarters at Jaro, distant
about 800 miles from Manila. Sergeant Sc
bastian was MADE chief OF scouts for Coni-
pany and part OF Company e. which pc
sition he held until the close Of his term Of
enlistment. Tis bears with him the &C
acknowledgement of the commander-!n-chief
OF his distinguished services, and the let
ters he holds fro.a bis Captain ana Colonel
are warm 10 commentator OF the ability
and bravery Of the Mssorr. boy.
Asked to give his Impressions q. the war
and It's results. ana OF the people. Sergeant
Sebastian said:
aside from brief visit to Manila. going
aud touching there On our return. my en-
tire service was in Panay. There 1t was
war all Of the way. We met vastly s1pe-
rior numbers skilled in evading the Span
ish and confident they would defeat al OF
the Americans who might march against
them. They had no conception of the pow
er OF American arms, rot che faintest sus-
picion that America could succeed where
Spain had failed Moreover, we had to face
an issue, and a most serious one. too, not
reckoned In the contest with Spain. The
natives had gained the belief that Amer
lean success at arms meant the despolia-
ton Of their sacred edifices and the pro-
scription OF their faith.
Sturdy and Vikorous Race.
IT cannot say that they ara an ignorant
people. yet 1t IS hard to reconcile their con-
found them. with intelligence. They speak
Spanish in addition to their native tongue.
are alert and quick-witted. yet lack the
moral and energetic qualities one would ex-
pect of race otherwise SO far removed
from the savage. In appearance they are
light brown color slightly; darker s than
which is fiat. resembles that Of the negro,
while the long. straight black hair and the
restless black eyes are the features OF the
North American Indian. They are short,
stout, strongly built race, and can endure
an almost Incredible amount OF privation
or fatigue.
equipped troops. Theirs was a hopeless
cause from the beginninE, but. they .Ssl,
whipped them and burned them out Of house
and home before they would promise to DO
good. and then they were surprised to learn
burned houses aud towns until was posi-
lively sick Of the sight Of fire or the thought
of the duty of destruction; The native
some of them for scouts. and whenever I
would send them into house to search for
men and arms they were sure to emerge
with everything they could carry In the
way Of property and trinkets. ard were in-
variably disposed to murmur II declined
to permit them to burn the house.
81 may say they are very impnls!ve PEG.
nile. eager to acknowledge kindness. and
in no sense such a treasherous race as the
inhabitants of Luzon. Since they have real.
ICED that they are under American control
and find that they have a good government,
with guarantee that their days Of war
fare are over they are very anxious to be-
come Amercanized. Filipino fathers are
now offering substantial bonuses for Ameri-
can husbands for their daughters.
With Sergeant Sebastian also came homo
Charles P. Bland, son Of Judge Bland; An
drew Calm. Julius Fritz and Leo Fitzpat-
rick OF st. Louis. all Of Company 6. Forty
fourth United States Volunteers, and KEN
tuckian-Preston Isaacs.