Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1899)
Conservative. I uinplo of this /.onions bonovoloneo and dutiful entrance into the service of the South African tribes , voilodin ignorance and error , is afforded by Cecil Rhodes , the wickedly misrepresented and scan dalously calumniated philanthropist , who bids defiance to all prosecution , keeps up his spirits , and is accustomed to listen only to the warning voice of his tender conscience. Equally noblo- minded and capable of sacrifice , although loss prominent in magnanimity and benevolence is his abettor , Jameson , to whom ho entrusted the guidance of his troops of fortune hunters fighting for the good of "the silent , sullen peoples , " an abettor whoso noble enterprise was lamentably wrecked by the 'persistent of the stubborn opposition stupid-minded , born Boers who totally , short-sighted , are ally insensible to such far-reaohiug , hu mane efforts. Ouo Iform of "lliirdun. " Unfortunately the "White Man's Burden" occasionally assumes very doubtful forms , of which rape , practiced in the Now Hebrides and other groups of South Sea islands , is , perhaps , the most customary , and the favorite. Re cently a French cutter surprised a black chieftain's beautiful daughter , who , with eighteen companions , was bathing on the shore of the island of Aoba and carried them all away. The enraged chieftain avenged himself , according to savage custom , by slaying the white governor with an axe. The investiga tion which followed soon explained the mysterious and seemingly vicious deed. An English cruiser gave chase to the French cutter and brought back the stolen maidens , thereby rescuing them from slavery. The Frenchman was very in dignant at this pursuit and , until enlight ened by the news of the murder of the governor , could not at all understand why the Englishman should have sud denly espoused the cause of the natives and interfered in this matter , which was quite anovery-day affair. It finally turned out that English as well as French sailors committed like obduo- i , tious as a matter of business , and that [ I hundreds of maidens were annually sac rificed to this greed for gain. "Take up the "white man's burden Yo dare not stoop to less Nor call too loud on freedom To cloak your weariness. By all ye will or whisper , By all ye leave or do , The silent , sullen peoples Shall weigh your God and you. " It has already been done. "Weighed , weighed , and found wanting. " < i MoKluley'H IiiconslstonclcH. Because of the strong prejudice against negroes which rules the Ameri cans they are the least fitted to exercise sovereignty over countries inhabited by block races or to govern them with jus tice. In ft recent proclamation , the American commander , General Otis , declares that honor and justice forbid treating the Filipinos and their islands as objects of booty ; it may , however , be the intention of the Americans to take possession of the entire archipelago , and any one who opposes the carrying out of this plan will do it to his own peril. In a more recent declaration of the civil commission the Filipinos are assured that the government at Washington is endeavoring only "to secure them peace and protection , " and "to bestow upon them prosperity and happiness. " It is oven added that the United States would bo ready to fur nish armies and navies in order to main tain sovereignty over the islands , in realization of this ideal. It is a pity that such a contradictory declaration should have boon published on the fourth' , in stead of on the first , of April. These con ciliatory promises recall a passage in President MoKiuloy's message given to congress in December , 1897 , in which ho proposes the iudepoudouce of Ouba , and guarantees the neutral interposition of the United States : "I speak not of forcible auuexatiou , for that can not be thought of. That , by our code of mor als , would bo criminal aggression. " A year later , on the 21st day of Decem ber , 1898 , Mr. MoKiuley issued another proclamation in which he brusquely announced to the inhabitants of the Philippines that ho had bought them from the Spanish and would now take possession of his property. The cir cumstance that the Filipinos had de clared themselves free and independent , did not acknowledge the prerogative of the Spaniards , and wore therefore no longer human chattels in the interna tional market of the world , was not men tioned. Absurd to the last degree was the assurance that he caino "not as an ag gressor and conqueror but as a friend , " an assertion which only a man totally devoid of a sense of the ludicrous could have made in this connection. Just as reasonably might a burglar caught in the act of house-breaking allege a friendly visit in explanation of his presence in the house. It should not be taken amiss if one gives no unlimited confidence to friends who pay him a visit armed with weap ons or house-breaking tools. As Presi dent MoKiuley issued his proclamation before the peace treaty was sanctioned by the American senate or the Spanish cortes , it was not only unwise and un timely but also arbitrary and unconstitu tional , although it was , possibly , the log ical consequence of the folly committed by his peace commission in Paris. There the Spaniards acted very judiciously in deciding to evacuate the colonial camp , and to part with the lost burdensome remnant in the form of an unconquer able insurrection for an acceptable price , without , however , pledging themselves to deliver the article concerned to the purchaser. At first $40,000,000 was de manded , but in the end the half of this sum was accepted with seeming reluc tance and real satisfaction , and the con sciousness of having made a good bar gain. MoKiuley rejoiced over this ac quisition and could not await the fulfill ment of the legal conditions necessary to the validity of the contract in order to make good his claims to the property. "Forcible annexation , " which he had twelve months before designated as "criminal aggression" and an unimagin able infringement of the moral law , he now considers an honorable and praise worthy course of action. The Filipinos are no longer brave champions of lib erty , but only knavish , ambushed insur gents and obstinate enemies , at best perverse children , who for the promo tion of their mental development and civilization must be disciplined and ed ucated by American teachers. It is true that a clear-sighted , competent , in corruptible authority , Admiral Dewey , has given excellent testimony in their behalf. In a report to the secretary of the navy , June 27 , 1898 , he says : "In my opinion these people ( Filipinos ) are far superior to the Cubans in intelli gence and capacity for self-government. I know both races. " Further observa tions have only confirmed this opinion so favorable to the Togals and so inoppor tune for the "imperialist-politicians" now in Washington ; an opinion which coincides with the views of Bastion , Blumentritt and other ethnological explorers , who hove made thorough in vestigations and have given interesting reports of the peculiar condition of civ ilization , and the innate capacity for cultivation of the native tribes of this country. We speak now , of course , not of the rough mountaineers , but of the Tagals , including the Chinese and Spanish Mestizos , who everywhere take the lead and prove themselves the real introducers of civilization into the Phil ippines. Thus in speaking of the condi tion of civilization in the United States of North America one considers , not the illiterate mountaineers of the South Alleghenies , but the educated , in many cases mixed , population of the arable plains and large cities. A strongly- marked characteristic of the Filipinos is the love of freedom , which is easily wounded and offers immediate resis tance to any appearance of despotism. Only a calm and conciliatory policy can accomplish anything with them. By his indiscreet , impatient precipitancy in seeking to take possession of the "beaux restes" acquired by the Spanish colon ial selling out President McKinley in curred the entire responsibility of the bloodshed in the Philippines. America's Humanitarian Kecoril. General Otis was doubtless serious and honest in declaring that the Ameri cans , because of their sense of honor and love of justice , would not attempt to plunder the Filipinos , but he leaves en tirely out of consideration the interests and intentions of the great combines
