CAMPAIGNING WITH TWENTY-SIXTHBoston_Journal_1900-05-06_3
"Lawrence's" Vivid Pictures Of Campaigning in the Philippines --- Rebels Look to Bryan
"Lawrence," one of the Boston Journal's correspondents with New England's regiment, the Twenty-Sixth, brings out in his letter printed today some very interesting points in the situation that obtains there now. He says that while the insurrection in the Island of Panay shows symptoms of reviving to a considerable extent, yet its resumption of activity is due to the wild stories spread among the natives, such as that Bryan has already been elected President, that the American troops are to be immediately withdrawn, that America is at war with Russia and similar canards. He points out the influence which the name of Aguinaldo still exerts, and makes plain that this is likely to last until the capture or final disposition of this native leader.
Speaking of the Twenty-Sixth itself, he calls attention to the increase of sickness caused largely by the difficulty of getting pure water and the sufferings which the hot season, at its height at the time he wrote, caused.
TROPICAL CAMPAIGNING
Iloilo, Panay, P.I., March 21. - Affairs remain in about the same condition as for some time in Panay. The insurrectos in Antique Province and the ladrones or bandits in the other provinces, keep up a ceaseless run of raids and forays against points just outside of our lines.
During the past week the ladrones attacked a hamlet near Pavia, about four miles from Iloilo, killed one man, a native, and drove off over 40 caribao. They were not pursued by our troops. In Antique Province, Company I of the Nineteenth Regulars, had an encounter, which they turned into ultimate victory, but at a loss of one killed, one wounded and three men missing, who, according to present insurgent custom, must also be included in the killed.
Meantime a conciliatory policy is pursued by our troops who are not very active at the present. This is probably due largely to the heat, which at midday is simply terrific. An American standing in the sun for a few seconds at that time immediately feels its effects and prostration follows any exertion. Even the natives may often be seen now with white cloths bound tightly around the forehead to lessen the headache resulting from this cause. Yet even now some of them work at midday with bared head. A few days ago when my head, under its campaign hat, was beginning to experience a dizzy sensation, I felt of the heads of a couple of the jet black-haired natives. It seemed to me almost incredible that my hand was touching a human being, for the heat was fully as intense as may be found by touching an object long exposed to the New England sun
of hottest July. Truly Providence must have created these black races especially to people the tropical zone.
Aguinaldo's Hold
While thus the troops are held inactive, heavy mule trains are daily leaving this city for the garrisoned towns with supplies for the rainy season, which is now but a few weeks ahead. What the insurgents will attempt to do there is not known, but it is hardly expected that they will be so foolhardy as to take the offensive against our garrisoned towns.
I have taken occasion the past week to continue my talks with prominent Filipinos who have now accepted our protection. They admit that they were insurrectos, and frankly say that they still desire independence. It is wonderful what a hold Aguinaldo has throughout the archipelago. Independence has become a sort of an idealism with the upper classes, and this man Aguinaldo, whom they have never seen, and know little of, is the one they are pleased to use as the personality through whom it is to be attained. As Spencer so clearly sets forth in his sociology, a people engaged in hero-worship are blind to the fruits of the object of their infatuation. So here it is useless to speak of the shortcomings and trickery of the wily Tagalog. He is their hero, their first hero, and distances lends its enchantment. The suggestion of local self-government is not enough for this class: they voluntarily announce that autonomy is not desired. It is independence and nothing else that they will be contented with. Luckily for us these classes are not very numerous.
The fact is ever so evident to one upon the ground that these people are not yet ready for self-government. There are, to be sure, among them a few men, who in education and administrative ability would take high rank in any country but these are few. The mass of these upper classes is composed of men who are excitable, unsystematic and entirely untrained in the science of government, and who have adopted their present ideal as a result of having been so long at the opposite end of the scale under the tyranny of Spanish rule.
Prefer Our Rule
The mass of the whole Visayan people are, I think I can truthfully say, not imbued with the same idealism. They have already the boons they have so long desired to enjoy - freedom from excessive and overwhelming taxation, and an opportunity to quietly earn their living. For three years they have been unsettled - first by the insurrection against the Spanish, and later that against our occupation. Now they can foresee the end, and they are not much disposed to continue to stir things up at the expense chiefly of their own happiness. They realize now that their own leaders are much harder masters than our officers, and they freely say that they prefer American rule.
This then is the present situation in Panay - the mass of the people desire peace - desire an opportunity to resume work with safety in the fields and on the haciendas. The extreme upper class - men of wealth, are infatuated with the idea of independence, and they have the means to keep the scattered forces of insurrectos in the field and to constantly harass the territory under American influence with bands of mercenary outlaws and bandits.
How long this will continue cannot be foretold, but it seems likely to end only, with the capture or surrender of the primary leader of all, Aguinaldo.
Among the incidents of the past week one shows at what cost friendship to the Americans may be made known. From one of the outlying towns a boy, who was connected with the American troops on one or two occasions as a guide, returned to his native barrio on a visit. Being seen by some of the ladrones there, he was taken and killed in cold blood, in order to afford an example to the rest of the community.
Another instance of perhaps grave import was the reappearance of smallpox among the troops. The present patient is the chief packer of the mule train. Although very prevalent among the natives, the troops have for some months been exempt and it is earnestly hoped that this is not the beginning of another outbreak.
March 17 was patroitically observed among many of the companies with the wearing of the green. Where the green came from, no one knows, but it was much in evidence, and, in consequence, the usual pro and anti-Boer arguments were more earnest than ever. The most marked company of the Twenty-sixth was K, at South Barbara. The Paymaster, it is reported was there asked to substitute greenbacks for gold solely on account of the colors.
Taking Another Island
Another island has been occupied this week, a battalion of the Forty-fourth Infantry having gone to Bohol, which is south of Panay and beyond Cebu. Not much opposition is expected there, as the people have always been considered peaceful.
A good story as showing the lack of knowledge of the people and their great "military" nobility comes from Company "G" at Kabattuan [Cabatuan, Iloilo]. A squad of men were set at work at the base of a high hill some distance from the town, constructing a butt of earth for a rifle range. The native men gathered around in great numbers and were very curious as to the object of the work. They displayed their knowledge of military engineering by pointing to the top of the hill as the proper place for what they thought was a fortification. They then disappeared. When the squad was returning to quarters in the town they met several families of women and children carrying, as is always easy in this country, all their household goods. They were coming from a district to one side of the new range. They stopped excitedly when they met the soldiers, pointed toward the new butt, succeeded in saying in poor Spanish, "Americanos mucho combatte poso tiempo," and hurried away in spite of the disclaimers of the soldiers. The natives from the range had probably reported the approach of a big fight, since the Americans
were digging entrenchments. Such is the sagacity and also the facility of moving of these people.
Boston_Journal_1900-05-06_3
