Conservative. 9
DIE
Eiue uborsiohtlioho Darstollung der
othnographisohen und historisoh-politis-
ohen Verhaltnisse des Arohipels. Yon
Ferdinand Bluinentritt. Mit oiiiem
Anbange : Die wiohtigsten paragraphen
der Verpassnng der Philippinisohen
Bepnblik. Hamburg : Aotien-Gesells-
ohaft , 1900 , pp. 77.
The author of this very timely bro
chure who is universally recognized as
one of the best authorities on the sub
ject begins with a condensed , but ex
ceedingly interesting and .instructive
description of the geography , ethnogra
phy , climate , mineral resources , fauna
and flora , agricultural products , indus
trial activity and commercial relations
of the archipelago , the area of which is
somewhat larger than that of the
Kingdom of Italy.
The Spaniards , who discovered the
islands in 1521 , divided the population
into three classes : NegrillosNegritos ( ) ,
Indies and M6ros , or the black , wooly-
haired aborigines , the pagan Malays
and the Mohammedan Malays. The
Negritos , of whom scarcely more than
20,000 remain , still lead the life of no
madic hunters in the highlands of the
interior , use bows and arrows as weap
ons of warfare and the chase , and
practice the crudest fetishism. It is
as difficult , however , to get any clear
conception of their religion as of their
language , which seems to have been
entirely lost and given place to a rude
Malay gibberish. Like all primitive
peoples they offer an extremely inter
esting study to the ethnologist , and
have therefore been frequently describ
ed and portrayed in illustrated journals ,
thus giving rise to the notion generally
prevailing in our country , and sedul
ously propagated by strenuous imper
ialists , that the Filipinos are savages ,
whom it is our "plain duty" to civilize.
In reality the Negritos no more repre
sent the population of the Philippines
than the Sioux do that of the United
States. Like our red men they belong
to a decaying race doomed to extinction ,
and are not of the slightest significance
in determining the future development
and political destiny of the country.
There are now three classes of Malays :
Heathen , Mohammedan and Christian.
The first of these original conquerors and
colonists are a strong and stalwart race
of mountaineers and headhunters , who ,
like their kinsmen the Dayaks , of Bor
neo , cut off and keep as trophies the
heads , as the American Indians take the
scalps , of their foes. This barbarous
custom proves that they are still in a
state of primeval savagery , and in their
religious ideas they have not advanced
beyond the rudest form of ancestor wor
ship. They fight with bows and arrows ,
knives and spears , and a peculiar battle-
ax with which they behead the slain.
They are divided into many petty tribes ,
? K and do not number altogether more
ktai & 'v.v : M ' * .ro/iVS A&yy $
than 600,000 persons , including women
and children.
As a factor in the industrial , mercan
tile and political evolution of the Philip
pines they are scarcely more to be con
sidered than the Negritos. The same
is true also to a considerable extent of
the Mohammedan Malays ( Mores ) , who
are not more than half a million in num
ber , and inhabit for the most part the
islands of Suln and Mindanao. For
merly they were enterprising and ener
getic as slave traders and pirates , but
during the last forty years this lucrative
free bootery has been in a great measure
suppressed by European gunboats , and
the consequent loss of prestige and rev
enue has been attended by a steady and
serious decline in wealth and power.
The Christian Malays , numbering
about 8,000,000 , of whom nearly seven-
eights belong to the three leading tribes ,
Tagals , Bisayas and Dokans , constitute
virtually the Filipino's since it is with
them that foreign powers have to deal
in their commercial and diplomatic re
lations with the archipelago , and with
them that the Americans will have to
solve and settle the burning Philippine
question. Blumentritt characterizes
them as a highly gifted and progressive
people , worthy of the sympathy and es
teem of all civilized nations. He
instances some jurists like
Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano
Ponce , scientist , like Dr. Jose Rival ,
journalist , like Graoiano Lopez Jaena ,
artist , like the painter , Juan Luna ,
whose picture "Spoliarium" took the
first prize at a Paris exhibition. If the
Filipinos under Spanish domination
could produce such eminent men , what
may they not be able to accomplish
when they enjoy the advantages of a
free government with a career open to
every talent ?
In a succinct , but remarkably vivid
historical survey of the Philippine
Islands since their discovery by Magel
lan in 1521 , or rather since their subju
gation and occupancy by Don Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi and Don Juan Salce-
do in 1565 , the lamentable effects of
Spanish misrule are clearly brought to
light. The real sovereigns of the archi
pelage were the Augustines , Domini-
cians , Franciscans and Jesuits , who
soon became in many provinces the
great landowners , and reduced the na
tives to a state of vass-Uage and practi
cal serfdom. They did nothing to pro
mote , and every thing'to prevent , the
education of the natives. Even the law
prescribing that Spanish should be
taught in the common schools was
easily evaded , because the persons who
acted as school inspectors belonged to
the monastic orders. The ground of
this strange opposition to instruction in
Spanish was that the monks might keep
the control of affairs in their own hands
by actingas interpreters between the
Filipinos and the civil and military
authorities fresh from Madrid and fre
quently changed in consequence of
ministerial crises and shifts in the colon
ial office. With the collapse of Spanish
supremacy the detested friars fled from
the country , but Archbishop Ohappelle ,
of Manila is now endeavoring to have
them recalled and restored to their
former privileges.
An admirable account is given of the
repeated attempt of the Filipinos to
throw off the Spanish yoke and especi
ally of the recent insurrections under
the direction of Emilio Aguinaldo.
Professor Blumentritt being in constant
communication with the principal mem
bers of "La Junta Patriotica" was kept
well informed of their purposes and
prospect ? . Ho warned them to be wary
and expressed the fear lest the Ameri
cans should make use of their services
to expel the Spaniards and then take
possession of the Archipelago them
selves. In reply to this earnest admoni
tion he received several copies of the
agreement entered into with the consul-
general Pratt on April 25 , 1808 , and
known as the treaty of Singaporewhich
virtually promised the political inde
pendence of the Philippines. This doc
ument was published in French , Span
ish and English without being repudiat
ed by the American government. It is
true that McKinley did not formally
confirm it , nor did he disavow it , but
preserved a discreet silence until the
Spaniards had surrendered and the
Philippine army was no longer needed.
Even the proclamation of their inde
pendence by the Filipinos on June 12 ,
1898 , and the founding of the Philippine
Republic on August 1 , of the same
year , did not call forth any protest from
the cabinet at Washington. This pol
icy of shifts and subterfuges , of trickery
and tergiversation is unworthy of a
great nation and deserves the condem
nation and contempt of the civilized
world. The plea that the Filipinos are
not * fit for self government is a poor
palliation of breach of faith and easily
disproved by facts. Not only is the
proportion of learned men larger than
in Servia , Bulgaria and Montenegro ,
but also the persons unable to read or
write is less than in the Balkan Penin-
sula , Russia , many provinces of Italy ,
Spain and Portugal , the South Ameri
can Republics and some of our own
Southern States. Indeed great care is
bestowed upon elementary education
and as a rule common schools for boys
and irls are well organized and effi
ciently conducted. That they could be
greatly improved is undeniable , but
their deficiencies are due not to the in
difference of the Filipinos , but to the
interference of the monks.
Blumertritt is convinced that the
prompt recognition ot the political in
dependence of the Philippines under
the protectorate of the United States
would be for the best interests of both
countries. Such an arrangement would
' . I .J , ; . < V.A "
