The American Senate, which we take to be next to
the Diet of Frankfort the slowest deliberative body that ever existed, intends, it is said, to ratify the Treaty with Spain on February 6th. It is time it should, for the dominant native class in the Philippines are evidently getting their beads in the air. They have proclaimed a Republic, they have authorised Aguinaldo to declare war on the United States, and they evidently expect European assistance of some kind. It is greatly to be regretted that they should out of sheer ignorance and vanity provoke the lesson they will receive, but it is the way of the East. No Asiatics community ever accept new rulers until convinced on some san- guinary day that Providence is against them, after whieli, if leniently governed, they accept the decree, and go on with their daily labour. The Tagals may when defeated take to the bush, but we do not think they will. They have a strong liking for trade and for the sea, and as the American negro troops will be as healthy in the bush as they are, they will soon declare in Spanish fashion that honour is satisfied, and that as America is a. Republic they are content to be protected by its flag. An independent Philippine Republics would in ten years be either English, German, or Japanese. People forget how intensely the Japanese desire the islands, which would exactly double the area of their Empire, and which they would refertilise. They are ready even now to pay 24A,000,000 for their possession.
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