Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-10
AUG STUS o. BAG ON,
UNITED STATEs
ENATo
FROM GEoR o1A.


, Americans and American domination. 1t
must be taken into account that the opin-
ions of the civil officers in the Philippines
are widely at variance with those of the
military officers on this subject The
civil officers I'm general express the opinion
that the Filipino problem is being worked
out successfully through the agency OF
the civil government, and that under its
influence the Filipinos are becoming rec
onciled to American domination. although
the most optimistic fix at least genera
ton before this can be accomplished.
Some of them think that in a few years
conditions will be so peaceable that an
American army OF 1900 is all that will
be required in the islands; an opinion
which. as previously stated, is not shared
by any military officers, from generals
down. who expressed themselves on the
subject.
These optimistic opinions Of the civil
officers are I'm a large measure based up
on the assurances of Filipinos, and of
Americans as WELL who have themselves
been appointed TO lucrative offices, rela-
tive to the temper and disposition of the
people and also upon the cordial well
come and protestations of loyalty which
have been extended to these officials as
they have journeyed to the several is
lands. That these evidences of reeoncilia-
ton to American domination have been
abundantly presented Is beyond question,
and, If they are sincere and truthful, the
conclusions of these civil officers are
largely justified; but, unfortunately,
events of daily occurrence leave little
doubt that the sincerity and truthfulness
of these assurances stand, by comparison,
upon an equality with the loyalty of the
Filipino above mentioned, who in the
morning is a peaceful agricultural amigo,
and in the afternoon of the same day an
active fighting insurrecto
1.-THE narration of "a few incidents. such
as the following, which have not hereto
fore appeared in print may serve to en-
phasize the conclusions which these al
most daily dispatches seem to justify.
THE island Of Negros has been all along
noted as one In which there has been little
or no resistance TO American authority.
It's loyalty has been much Wanted by
those who have pointed to the peaceful
and submissive conditions existing there
as sure indices throughout all the archi-
pelago-the open manifestation of which,
Ii was assumed. was only kept in sup
preston through fear of the vengeance Of
the insurrectos.
The people of Negroes have not only
been at peace with the Americans
throughout most. II not all, the period of
the unhappy struggle, but have been loud
and demonstrative in their professions of
loyalty to American rule. When Ameri-
can officials have visited them they have
made a great parade, men and women
have donned their holiday garb, flags
have fiuttered from every house, bands
have played, and addresses have been pre-
sented all aglow with expressions Of 10y
atty to the United States and of hatred OF
insurrectos. With such manifestations
and such assurances, the conclusion SEEM
ed warranted that, whatever. might be
true in other islands, there was in Negroes
no part or lot in resistance to American
authority. and no sympathy by its people
with those who were in arms against it.
Although thus justified. how far this con-
clusion was from the truth may be judged
by the following statement, made by
prominent officer of high rank in the reg
ular army. in regard to facts within his
personal knowledge.
Loyalty a FarclcaI Mockery.
''Negros and Panay are large neighbor-
ing Visayan islands. The Junta, having
direction which included within 1t both
these Islands, had its headquarters on the
island OF Panay. upon which is situated
the important city of Iloilo. In the mill
tary operations on this island the official
papers of this Junta were captured by the
Americans. Among them this officer saw
the record OF a meeting of the Junta in
which IL was recited that as 1t was impor-
tant to defend Panay and that as this
island consumed more than 1t produced,
while on the contrary the island of Ne
gros produced more than 1t consumed, 1t
was ordered that there should be no re-
bellion in Negros. but that its people
should pretend to be loyal to the United
States in order that they might be left
in peace to produce the supplies necessary
to support the Filipino army which would
be engaged in defending the island of
Panay against the American invasion. and
further, that their stores Of provisions.