New-York tribune., 1903-01-05


English from Kedah; the sland of singapore
had been purchased from the Sultans OF Johore
by Sir Stamford Raffles; the East lnofa Sohl-
pany had opened a factory in Petani. whence
they were disiodged l. "a heet OF harandlng
Dutchn en-; but I'm spite of these encroachments.
and thts aggression Of the Siamese IN certain
Quarters the bulk OF the AaaYan lands were.
as late as 1874. under the rule OF ther own
rajahs and mobiles Here. theh we nave q
Malayan race. similar in every respect to the
ma Sority Of Filipinos. practically untouched ns
outside influences. left wholly 10 their own de-
vices and permitted to work out their own
processes of national development. Here. If
ever then. the opportunity Tor the AiaiaEah
peoples TO prove Their ability 10 govern Ineii,, ~
selves, il. indeed. such ability We're iateht ~
them. yet the result was what the result must
be when the brown man una unaertakes takes, me
task of ruling his teiloWs-a task ioI "iii0h
nature has not fitted him.
II was my lot to live for some two years In
Malavan State under native rule, to be for
corsiderable period the only white in the
country. and to he thus admitted witness 70
the actual working of an adIllnlstfatso!i coL e
trolled entirely by brown men of lhe ,t ha,uie ~
that adnlinistration can. therefore speak Will
authority. and subsequent experience mas
proved to that il was merely tFplcai OF otner
similar governments. II would be tedious TO ex-
anime in detail the machinery OF mlsrule tne
abuses. the barbarities. the lnJust1ces ana i tle
misery for which that misrule was responsible
suffice il TO say that might the only law.
that mans possessions were his so long, ana SO
long only. ne had the strength TO nolu tnell
and that such government there was existed
solely as a means of forcing eXactlonS from 1he
reassutry and of satisfying the desires ana
lusts of the rajahs and mobiles. In tacI mere az
elsewhere throughout Asia the brown man olS-
PLAYED his complete indifference TO the IeelnSs
and the sufferings of others, provided that ms
own comfort were duly attended to; those pos
sessed of power regarded If solely as a source VI
profit and personal gratihcatlon; tne loea ai VI &c
sponsibility toward the ruled never so much as
occurred TO the rulers. and anything III IAs
nature Of altruism was virtue undreaIleo Oh
The details do not SignifN--ln any semi pei pol
ous community much must befall that is re-
voting 10 the Europeans sense OF right justice
and propriety: but the main fact stands OUT
no faon nj
tinctness that cannot be ollnked-the iacl lidt'
left to himself. the brown man never mas peei
and presumably never will be, able TO RUE ms
fellows as white require that their govern
rnents should rule them
In the Dark Ages a somewhat similar lack o.
responsibility and sense of duty cnaraCterIIeo
the governing classes in Europe. but the con-
tinuance of this was contrary to the ,Whe!e spirit
of the white nations. Gradually, therefore, py
violent revolution or by the slow process OF ue-
yelopuaent, governments were brouSnt more anu
more into accord with the popular VIII; the peo-
pie began to have greater voice IN the man
aeernent of their own affairs pubic opinion pc
came united strong, able to impose lts wlshss Ut
the ruling caste, and so eventually the prlh-
ciples upon which good government rests were
evolved, and took their place as a1ionS Whlcil
no man sought longer to dispute. Given time 1t
may be urged. similar developments @ @inlght nav hese
been witnessed in Asia also, but the tacts as We
know them hardly bear out TINS sahgtllle oett ~
Asia has had tirne-Inore time than Europe; pul
in all the lands where the brown men stlll RUE
rndsturbed no step in this dlrectlon mas peeis
made On the contrary, the only conception oi
,eoyernrnent to which the brown mans MIND is
seemingly open is autocracy or an oLeatchy-
The antocrat or the oligarchs may be changed,
but Immediately other autocrats or otner on
garchs are set up in their places. Nothlng re-
sembling a limited monarchy or a repupilc mas
ever been founded by Asiatics; the people iie
bulk of the governed, have never really hao d
voice in affairs they have been as driven cattie
before their chiefs and the only change for
them has been the occasional substitution py
their unreasoning aid, perhaps, OF -hlng S'oLh ~
for King Log And throughout the East lIe 'tc-
ton of the autocrat or the oligarch mas Ia.
variab blv been selfish careless Of the welfare OF
the governed. and disfgured by cruelty. m1usIce
and greed
HOPE WITHOUT FOUNDATION.
The notion that the Filipinos will rapidly learn
use of their freedom is based upon a nope
which has for its foundation no single hlstorlcaI
precedent in Asia. hope winch, lndeed Ills TUE
counter to every deduction that can be drawn
from Oriental history. - , -
That the Filipinos. in common with othef. Drown
1oeoples must be ruled by paterTlal govern
ment for their. own good not led TO cherish a
vain hope that the power they would only mis-
use will some day be placed in their hands; is
the cardinal axiom which the Americans, in the
face of all their republican predictions ana
theories. are bound to accept II lle5 Viii @
bring the ENTERPRISE. upon which they are en-
eaged in the Philippines to successful issue:
They must abandon once fer all the beIlef held
by so many of the noblest spirits among theIn
with President Roosevelt at their head that the
Filipino is capable of being educated to a point
that will enable him to make sood use OF aueol- @
onv. thev must be content to learn their lesson
from the older nations: they must accept tnelr
position as bearers of the white mans burden a
position which entails that with INFINITE patlence'
with keen and tender sympathy for the brown
man with thorough understanding OF ms 1eel-
ings and character such as only sympathy can
produce they must set themselves to the task OF
ruling him in exile. privation and travail I'M
PEELED thereto by a spirit which has in 1t no
trace Of seldshness Their reward Will lie WhollV
in the results which will thus be effected by
slow but sure degrees-a magnificent reward Tor
the nation but one purchased at heaVy price
by the men who do her work For the rest until
this axiom be accepted unreservedly. nothing
lasting can be wrought hoped for in the
Philippnes and the blood and treasure which
the people Of the United States are lavishing in
that distant archipelago will be blood and treas
ure wasted.