The Philippine Islands | Page 7

Family 120 An Igorrote Type (Luzon) 128 A Pagan Type (Mindanao) 128 A Tag��log Girl 128 Moro Weapons 132 A Scene in the Moro Country 148 Zamboanga Fortress ("Fuerza del Pilar") 148 A Visayan Girl 164 A Tag��log Girl 164 A Visayan Planter 172 A Chinese Half-caste 172 A Tag��log Milkwoman 182 A Tag��log Townsman 182 Middle-class Tag��log Natives 196 A Spanish-Mexican Galleon 244 A Canoe 244 A Casco (Sailing-barge) 244 A Prahu (Sailing-canoe) 244 A Sugar-estate House, Southern Philippines 275 Shipping Hemp in the Provinces 288 Botanical Specimen 321 Botanical Specimen 322 Botanical Specimen Facing 323 Botanical Specimen 324 The Old Walls of Manila City 344 La Escolta in the Business Quarter of Manila 347 A Riverside Washing-scene 359 Dr. Jos�� Rizal 381 Don Felipe Agoncillo 381 General Emilio Aguinaldo 396 Don Pedro a Paterno 396 Admiral Patricio Montojo 430 Admiral George Dewey 430 General Basilio Augusti 430 Maj.-General Wesley Merritt 430 Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda 430 Tag��log Bowie-knives and Weapons 485 A Pandita (Mahometan Priest) 534 Rajahmudah Datto Mandi and Wife 534 Santa Cruz Church (Manila Suburb) 559 Panglima Hassan (of Sulu) 584 A Mindanao Datto and Suite 584 The Rt. Rev. Bishop Gregorio Agl��pay 604 A Roadside Scene in Bulacan Province 627
Maps
The Province of Cavite 371 Map of the Archipelago at the end

Introduction
"Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice." Othello, Act V., Sc. 2.

During the three centuries and a quarter of more or less effective Spanish dominion, this Archipelago never ranked above the most primitive of colonial possessions.
That powerful nation which in centuries gone by was built up by Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Visigoths, Romans, and Arabs was in its zenith of glory when the conquering spirit and dauntless energy of its people led them to gallant enterprises of discovery which astonished the civilized world. Whatever may have been the incentive which impelled the Spanish monarchs to encourage the conquest of these Islands, there can, at least, be no doubt as to the earnestness of the individuals entrusted to carry out the royal will. The nerve and muscle of chivalrous Spain ploughing through a wide unknown ocean in quest of glory and adventure, the unswerving devotion of the ecclesiastics to the cause of Catholic supremacy, each bearing intense privations, cannot fail to excite the wonder of succeeding generations. But they were satisfied with conquering and leaving unimproved their conquests, for whilst only a small fraction of this Archipelago was subdued, millions of dollars and hundreds of lives were expended in futile attempts at conquest in Gamboge, Siam, Pegu, Moluccas, Borneo, Japan, etc.--and for all these toils there came no reward, not even the sterile laurels of victory. The Manila seat of government had not been founded five years when the Governor-General solicited royal permission to conquer China!
Extension of dominion seized them like a mania. Had they followed up their discoveries by progressive social enlightenment, by encouragement to commerce, by the concentration of their efforts in the development of the territory and the new resources already under their sway, half the money and energy squandered on fruitless and inglorious expeditions would have sufficed to make high roads crossing and recrossing the Islands; tenfold wealth would have accrued; civilization would have followed as a natural consequence; and they would, perhaps even to this day, have preserved the loyalty of those who struggled for and obtained freer institutions. But they had elected to follow the principles of that religious age, and all we can credit them with is the conversion of millions to Christianity and the consequent civility at the expense of cherished liberty, for ever on the track of that fearless band of warriors followed the monk, ready to pass the breach opened for him by the sword, to conclude the conquest by the persuasive influence of the Holy Cross.
The civilization of the world is but the outcome of wars, and probably as long as the world lasts the ultimate appeal in all questions will be made to force, notwithstanding Peace Conferences. The hope of ever extinguishing warfare is as meagre as the advantage such a state of things would be. The idea of totally suppressing martial instinct in the whole civilized community is as hopeless as the effort to convert all the human race to one religious system. Moreover, the common good derived from war generally exceeds the losses it inflicts on individuals; nor is war an isolated instance of the few suffering for the good of the many. "Salus populi suprema lex." "Nearly every step in the world's progress has been reached by warfare. In modern times the peace of Europe is only maintained by the equality of power to coerce by force. Liberty in England, gained first by an exhibition of force, would have been lost but for bloodshed. The great American Republic owes its existence