The National tribune., 1902-08-07

drew us to the open WINDOW. coming
up the street was Ell Libredor, seated in
the carriage drawn by the four milk
white ponies and escorted by the famous
band. Behind him as an escort marched
a battalion of troops. He bowed pleas
antiy to members of our party, as did also
many staff officers and civil dignltarleS
who followed him.
We soon followed to the Government
House, where reception was held and
where we were presented to the chief. l
saw no occasion to change the opinion
formed of him when l called on him at
Cavite, three months before, and l was IN
quite close contact with him during the
day and at the ball in the evening. From
the wide window of the second story, sur
rounded by the elite of the Mestlzo class
and the few Americans present, he made
q speech to the crowd of common people
assembled on the ground outside to do
him honor. He spoke in Tagalog, the
only language most of his auditors un-
derstood, and of which l comprehended
not a word.
1t is mistaken idea that the Filipinos
all speak Spanish, and that in making
English the official and the school IAN
Spanish is spoken only by small pro-
portion of the people, those who have
attended the few schools the Spaniards
maintained, or came in contact with for
eigners in the cities as servants, cocheros,
etc. In Manila itself probably not one
half the natives speak Spanish, with
much smaller proportion in the outside
towns, and very few indeed in the coun-
try. Nor can they all read and write
their own language, as has often been
asserted. The fact is that the majority
of Tagals cannot read the Tagal Ian
guage or any other, and the same is true
of members of other tribes and their own
language, while the Tagals and the other
tribes, some of them as intelligent and
practically as far advanced in civilization
as they, cannot communicate with each
other at all, save through the medium of
those of the tribes who may have had
opportunity or occasion to learn the Ian
guage of the other tribes. OF these hete-
rogeneous conditions l shall speak later
when describing the Aguinaldo Govern
ment.
The speech was received with frequent
bursts of applause, and 1 noticed in it
frequent popular illusions to the Repub
ica Filipinos. At its conclusion he re-
viewed several thousand troops; but of
this l shall speak when describing the
Filipino army, then in process of forma-
ton. The speech concluded with the in
evitable photograph, which, as usual,
promised much and showed little, because
of the desire to get too much into 1t,
Aguinaldo and his surrounding party of
Americans and MestiZOs appearing very
small in the print. This was a great dis
appointment to me, naturally, as l had
expected to be handed down to pictorial
fame standing on the right hand of Ell
LibredOr; but even my own family refuse
to recognize me in the picture. Then
followed the banquet
BANQUETING WITH AGUINALDo.
In the large council chamber was set a
Tong table sufficient to accommodate about
100 persons, and at this we We're seated
rs formally as at a similar occasion else
where. Let no one imagine this was a
feast of rice and garlic. On the contrary,
away out in the interior of LuzOn, with
no one present besides Filipinos and the
few American guests, we sat down to as
fine a dinner as would be served on a
similar occasion in America. The finest
of China, silver spoons and forks and
knives, cut glass in abundance, such as
never saw on a banquet table in public
elsewhere. Australian apples brought from
Hong Kong for the occasion, olives, trop-
ical fruits, 4 regular course dinner some
what too highly seasoned after the Span
ish style, coffee, desserts, cakes, cigars,
cigarets, in smoking which the ladies
Joined US, and champagne without stint
such was the feast served us. There
was, perhaps, little more liberal use of
with us, but it was daintily DONE The
greatest of courtesy prevailed, much more
than on similar occasions with us, ex-
treme formality and pOliteness of man
ner being something the Filipino has ac-
CURED from association with the Span
lard.
One special custom struck me comicaliy
One lmpales upon the tines of a fork an
olive and tenders it, fork and all, to the
one to whom he desires to extend the
courtesy. 1t is accepted and another olive
returned on another fork in like manner
by the recipient. both acts being accom-
panied by a polite bow and expressions
of high personal esteem. 1t is needless to
say that the forks thus used had not been
in service before, and that therefore the
number of persons thus complimented is
necessarily limited to the number Of clean
forks at each plate. For this reason my
practice was not extensive.
/ presume this custom is an outgrowth
of the meeting at the table of enemies dur
ing truce, each presenting the other
some of the food to prove that it is not
poisoned, just as shaking hands is an out
growth of a similar desire to show that
the one offering to do so has no weapons
In his hands. Many of our most common
customs have similar origin, and signify
not at all what they originally did. Be
ing satisfied in this way that there was
uO pOisoH III tue Ioou, anu tudl uy dSSo-
ciates were friendly, l fell to and ate
heartily Of such dishes as pleased my
palate.
Then followed the toasts, both in Span |
ish and Tagal. My acquaintance with |
Spanish had not become very extensive at |
that time and 1 had difficulty in follow |
ing the speakers at ali. l was in the |
stage of development in the language de- |
scribed by a Spanish acquaintance as "No |
mucho liable; intiende mucho;" that of |
not being able to talk freely, but under
standing considerably.
The substance of the speeches consisted
of liberal praise of Ell Libredor and his
counsellors and soldiers, and the pledging
of faith to the Republica Filipinas, with |
occasional illusions to the United States |
in somewhat complimentary terms, always |
followed by applause.
An American medical officer made |
brief speech in Spanish, in which he said |
that word had just been received that the |
United States had demanded of Spain an
indemnity of $90000,0 600 gold, or the ces-
sion of all her possessions in the Orient
and that Spain would be compelled to ac-
cept the alternative, having no money.
This statement was received with shouts
of "Bueno," 'muy bien," and vivas were
given in rapid succession for the United
States, Filipino Republic, Aguinaldo and
President Mckinley, the vivas for the lat
ter being proposed by Aguinaldo himself.
The central idea seemed to be that hav-
ing secured the sovereignty of Spain over
the islands, the United States would turn
them over to the Aguinaldo Government,
acting simply as a sort Of protector. On