Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1913-10-17
For TIE HERALD.
UNCLE SANS EXPERIENCE
In GOVERNING ORIENTALS

In GOVERNING ORIENTALS
BY ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER,
Late Assistant to the Attorney Gen.
eral of the Philippines.
The great distance of the
Philippine Islands from the Uni
ted States, the character of the
people, and the impossibility OF
colonizing the islands with
American citizens, differentiates
them from all other territory
heretofore acquired by our Ma
ton.
; These facts, coupled with the
potential evils likely to result to
us in time make the acquisition
of the islands by our country a
grave political and economic
blunder. The impo1icy of having
acquired them is now, however.
a closed question, but these facts
cannot be lost sight of in any
discussion as to the capacity and
adaptability of a Republic, such
as ours, to govern successfully
an alien people; or the imperative
necessity in our own interests of
freeing ourselves of the islands
so soon as it may be done with
honor to our country and justice
to the Filipino; and the serious
consequences to us that will in
evitably follow our continued oc-
cupation of them.
There remain, however, two
questions of moment, some dis
cussion of which it is believed
will be Of interest and profit to
the American people, viz: How,
aud with villa. success are we
discharging our self-imposed du-
ties towards the Filipinos !? and,
What will be the probable out ;
come, and consequences to us, Of
our experiment =?
Whilst it would be extremely
interesting and instructive to
discuss the archipelago, its re-
sources, the people and their
characteristics, and especially
the work of the Roman Catholic
Church among them, space will
not permit it, except to say of
the work of the Church that it
was contemporary with the Span
ish conquest of the islands. Old
Spain carried in all of her con-
quests the sword in one hand and
the cross in the other. Priests
accompanied every expedition,
whether for exploration or con-
quest, and where the soldier was
suhjecting the inhabitants of a
new country to the Sovereignty
of Spain, the priests were con-
vertiug them to Christianity and
allegiance to the Roman Catholic
Church.
There is no doubt that the
missionaries who first went to
the Islands, and those who fol-
lowed for many generations after
wards, were men of great
ability, zeal, and CONSIDERATIONS;
and when the difficulties under
which they labored are consider
ed one is bound to concede with
admiration the greatness and
wonder of the work they ac-
complished, for with the excep-
ton of the Moros, who are Mo-
| hammedans, they converted al
entire people to the Christian
faith, who are today the only
christians among the Orientals;
and whatever of civilization and
education there were among the
Filipinos at the time of the
American occupation of the
Stands is due entirely to the faith
full efforts |of these missionaries.
There is a halo of legend and
romance surrounding the liYes
and labors OF the pioneer mis-
siOnaries that is almost without
| parallel, and which affords abun.
dant material for the most thrill.
ing and interesting stories.
Charity forbids discussion of the
subsequent corruption and licen.
tiousness into which the priest.
hood fell, or the crimes which
may be laid at their door. While
there can be neither excuse moi
justification therefor, never
the.ess it should be said in fair
ness that there we're extenuatinl
circumstances surrounding thei
lives, such, for example, as tn