The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 52, 1841-1898: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 52, 1841-1898: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Also of interest in this connection are Jagor's remarks in the
following two citations from the same book (pp. 288 and 289,
respectively). "Government monopolies mercilessly administered,
grievous disregard of the creoles and the rich mestizos, and the
example of the United States, these were the principal causes of the
loss of the American possessions [of Spain]; and the same causes are
menacing the Philippines also. Of the monopolies sufficient account
has been given in the text. Mestizos and creoles are not, it is true,
shut out, as formerly in America, from all offices; but they feel that
they are deeply injured and despoiled by the crowds of office seekers
whom the frequent changes of ministers at Madrid bring to Manila. Also
the influence of the American elements is at least discernible on
the horizon, and will come more to the front as the relations of
the two countries grow closer. At present these are still of little
importance; in the meantime commerce follows its old routes, which
lead to England and the Atlantic ports of the Union. Nevertheless,
he who attempts to form a judgment as to the future destiny of the
Philippines cannot fix his gaze only on their relations to Spain;
he must also consider the mighty changes which within a few decades
are being effected on that side of our planet. For the first time in
the world's history, the gigantic nations on both sides of a gigantic
ocean are beginning to come into direct intercourse: Russia, which
alone is greater than two divisions of the world together; China,
which within her narrow bounds contains a third of the human race;
America, with cultivable soil enough to support almost three times the
entire population of the earth. Russia's future rôle in the Pacific
Ocean at present baffles all calculations. The intercourse of the two
other powers will probably have all the more important consequences
when the adjustment between the immeasurable necessity for human
labor-power on the one hand, and a correspondingly great surplus
of that power on the other, shall fall on it as a problem." "But in
proportion as the commerce of the western coast of America extends
the influence of the American elements over the South Sea, the
ensnaring spell which the great republic exercises over the Spanish
colonies will not fail to assert itself in the Philippines also. The
Americans appear to be called upon to bring the germ planted by the
Spaniards to its full development. As conquerors of the New World,
representatives of the body of free citizens in contradistinction to
the nobility, they follow with the axe and plow of the pioneer where
the Spaniards had opened the way with cross and sword. A considerable
part of Spanish America already belongs to the United States, and has,
since that occurred, attained an importance which could not have been
anticipated either during Spanish rule or during the anarchy which
ensued after and from it. In the long run, the Spanish system cannot
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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