The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912Blount, James H. (James Henderson)
History
The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912
Blount, James H. (James Henderson)
Philippines -- History -- 1898-1946; Philippines -- Politics and government -- 1898-1935
govern the Islands, and there we were, and there were the Islands. In
the scheme of things some one had to do that part of the world's work,
and, as the salaries were liberal, we went to the work, not concerning
ourselves with amiable fictions of any kind. I think our attitude
was really one of more intimately sympathetic understanding of the
Filipinos than that of Governor Taft himself, because we had all known
them longer, and all spoke their language, i. e., the language of
the educated and representative men (Spanish), and knew their ways,
their foibles, and their many indisputably noble traits. But we did
not start out to play the part of political wet-nurses. Our attitude
was, if Mr. Filipino does not behave, we will make him.
Judge Carson and myself had one peculiar qualification for fidelity
to the Taft policies for which we were entitled to no credit. We
instinctively resented any suggestion comparing the Filipinos to
negroes. We had many warm friends among the Filipinos, had shared
their generous hospitality often, and in turn had extended them
ours. Any such suggestion as that indicated implied that we had been
doing something equivalent to eating, drinking, dancing, and chumming
with negroes. And we resented such suggestions with an anger quite as
cordial and intense as the canons of good taste and loyal friendship
demanded. I really believe that the southern men in the Philippines
have always gotten along better with the Filipinos than any other
Americans out there, and for the reasons just suggested. Not only
is the universal American willingness to treat the educated Asiatic
as a human being endowed with certain unalienable rights going to
redeem him from the down-trodden condition into which British and
other European contempt for him has kept him, but the American from
the South out there is a guarantee that he shall never be treated as
if he were an African. The African is aeons of time behind the Asiatic
in development; the latter is aeons ahead of us in the mere duration
of his civilization. The Filipino has many of the virtues both of the
European and the Asiatic. Christianity has made him the superior in
many respects, of his neighbor and racial cousin, the Japanese. And
Spanish civilization has produced among them many educated gentlemen
whom it is an honor to call friend.
The five lawyers, who on ceasing to be volunteer officers became
judges, had other incentives also to make the Taft Government a
success. The possession of power is always pleasant. We knew the
military folk were going to stand by and watch the civil government,
and prophesy failure. This of course put us on our metal to impress
upon the dictatorial gentry of the military profession, with didactic
firmness, the fundamental importance to all American ideals that the
military should be subordinate to the civil authority.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account