The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-05-26

fred Sonnichsen. recently ls-
sued by the ScTibners. The author
vent 10 the Philippines as Quarter
master OF the Zezlandia with the sec
ond expedition sent from San Fran
cisco IN 1888 Il was on Jan. q.
1888. while on q journey 20 Malolos.
whittier he was going for the purpose
Of taking some photographs Of the
place. that he was arrested as an
American spy. He remained a pris-
Oner Of the insurgents until, nearly
q year later. he managed to escape
His place OF confinement was gradu-'
ally shifted nOrthward to Bangued.
whence the author and some fellow
captives succeeded in making their
escape They we're Eeeaptured. how
ever. but presently we're rescued by
marines from the Oregon who had
landed at Yigan. q port on the north
western coast OF Luzon.
Sonnichsen was for several months
a fellow prisoner with Lieutenant
Gilmore at Bengued. He relates the
sending OF letters by Lieut. Gilmore
and himself 10 Manila. in the hands
OF friendly Spaniards which apprised
General Otis OF the whereabouts of
the prisoners. and from which inform
alton their rescue could readily have
been effected. While the author
says nothing directly derogatory OF
the American Commander il needs
no great wisdom 10 discern a most
scathing arraignment of the incom-
petenee OF General Otis and his con-
tinuaI and persistent blunders and
.. -, Il
OF the American forces in the Philip
pines.
Aside from the personal interest
in Mr.. Sonnichsen's narrative his
book is the first one to give us use
full information as TO the customs
and habits of the Filipino people.
On the whole the experiences Of
the author disposed him to take
favorable view OF the Filipino char
acter have gone through" he
says, much hardship, and even much
suffering in that land. but. when
compare my experiences with that of
others In similar situations during
our own Civil War. say at Anderson
vile in the South or at Rock Island
in the North. my resentment van
ishes. Had we been prisoners of the
Spanish or OF the French would we
have Jared better? l think not" And
again: Considering the circum-
stances. the poverty of those who held
us in confinement themselves some
times starving. we ought not to corr
PLAIN. Those who really have come
in sufficiently close contact with the
Filipinos to know them. and are ssb.e
to Judge them without racial or
national prejudice. cannot but admit
that they are as entitled TO be called
civilized as are ma.,H other nations.
and even more 50 than are some
whose representatives We receive nj
our capital and 10 whom we accord
the same honors as We pay - those
OF the most polished nations. Con-
sidering the chances they have had.
or rather. not had and who their
teachers were. the Filipinos have GER
tRinly behaved as well. IL not better.
toward their prisoners than other
nations have done in recent wars"
From all that he could learn during
his more OF less intimate association
with the Filipinos. Mr.. Sonnichsen
is convinced that. had Spain been
willing to abolish the monastic cor
porations as political institutions and
left only the secular clergy to dis
charge ecclesiastical functions, the
Filipinos would not only have remain
ed faithful to Spain. but would have
fought side by side with the Spanish
soldiers against the American inva-
ders. When Aguinaldo in 1897 &C
cepted the treaty or agreement of
Biacnavato II was stipulated that the
monastic corporations should he
abolished, but II Is well known that
the promise was broken and the
friars undisturbed.
According to Mr. Sonnichsen, not
only do the Tagalogs hate the friars,
but all the other natives Of Luzon.
whether noconos. Macabebes or
NestiRos. and even the Spanish sol
diers, regard them as birds OF prey.
The stories I have heard of their
cruelty and trickery would NIL vol
umes and make 4 fitting parallel 70
the records OF the Spanish Inquisi-
ton. From nobody, not even the
Spanish officers. have heard a word
in their defence, and the native secu
lar clergy unite in calling them oily
hypocrites and tyrants There were
Of course. exceptions. for once
heard Of a good friar who lived in
a small provincial town and who. as
'cura. ruled his flock with sympathy
and love until he died. The friars
are mostly Of the Franciscan. Recol.
let Augustinian and Jesuit orders
Mr.. Sonnichsen concurs with other
observers in testifying that the Eli,
pinos are less hostile to the Jesuits
than 20 the others. THE Jesuits have
founded schools and done less harm
The Recolless seem 70 be the most
hated. | have had men show me
crippled limbs caused by the friars
BY torture inflicted in underground
chambers In order 20 force their vic
Tins 70 reveal the hiding place o.
insurgent refugees Another showed
me scars on the soIes OF his fee
where the friars had tortured him hy
placing burning candies 10 the bart
flesh. have myself entered secret
chambers under their converts and
seen hideous instruments Of torture
I have spoken 20 men returning from
years Of exile in Fernando Pc 70 md
parents and relatives dead. from
whose embraces they had been tori
for provoking the enmity Of the VII
Iage cura~ In 3 footnote the author
Odds: 4 have seen and visited I
secret underground passageway from
the Bishops palace in Vigan to 1
neighhorfng nunnery. but have learn