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