History Analysis essay
19.4. RICHMOND PLANET AND WISCONSIN WEEKLY ADVOCATE, EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS FROM AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE PHILIPPINES (1899–1900)
Black soldiers serving in the Philippines to put down the insurgency against the United States sent letters to African American newspapers relating their experiences on the islands. Some disheartened soldiers found that the color line extended far beyond the boundaries of the United States, while others saw action in the Philippines as a chance to prove their patriotism and their equality. The first and third letters below were published in the Richmond Planet on December 30, 1899, and December 22, 1900, respectively. The second letter was published in the Milwaukee newspaper Wis- consin Weekly Advocate on May 17, 1900.
Dear Mr. Editor: We received copies of the Planet sent to us at this point. You can imagine how much we appreciated them when we had not seen a paper of any kind for weeks, and as for an Afro-American paper, I can not remember when I last laid eyes on one. . . .
The whites have begun to establish their diaboli- cal race hatred in all its home rancor in Manila, even endeavoring to propagate the phobia among the Span- iards and Filipinos so as to be sure of the foundation of their supremacy when the civil rule that must neces- sarily follow the present military regime, is established.
I felt it worth the while to check the Filipino as to his knowledge and view of the American colored man that we might know our position intelligently. What follows is a condensed account of the results. The questions were put to the intelligent, well-educated Filipinos. . . .
Ques. Do the Filipinos hold a different feeling toward the colored American from that of the white?
Ans. “Before American occupation of the is- lands and before colored troops came to the Philip- pines, Filipinos knew little if anything of the colored people of America. . . . All were simply Americans to us. This view was held up to the time of the arrival of the colored regiments in Manila, when the white troops, seeing your acceptance on a social plane by the Filipino and Spaniard was equal to, if not better than theirs, . . . began to tell us of the inferiority of the American blacks—of your brutal natures, your canni- bal tendencies—how you would rape our senioritas, etc. Of course, at first we were a little shy of you, after being told of the difference between you and them; but we studied you, as results have shown. Between you and him, we look upon you as the angel and him as the devil.
Of course, you are both Americans, and condi- tions between us are constrained, and neither can be our friends in the sense of friendship, but the affinity of complexion between you and me tells, and you ex- ercise your duty so much more kindly and manly in dealing with us. We can not help but appreciate the differences between you and the whites.” Interview of Senor Tordorica Santos, a Filipino physician. By the difference in “dealing with us” ex- pressed is meant that the colored soldiers do not push them off the streets, spit at them, call them damned “niggers,” abuse them in all manner of ways, and con- nect race hatred with duty, for the colored soldiers has none such for them. The future of the Filipino, I fear, is that of the Negro in the South. Matters are almost to that condition now. No one (white) has any scruples as regards respecting the rights of a Filipino. He is kicked and cuffed at will and he dare not remonstrate. . . .
Yours truly,
John W. Galloway
Sgt. Major,
24th U.S. Infantry
Editor, New York Age
•••
I have mingled freely with the natives and have had talks with American colored men here in business and who have lived here for years, in order to learn of them the cause of their (Filipino) dissatisfaction and the reason for this insurrection, and I must con- fess they have a just grievance. All this never would have occurred if the army of occupation would have treated them as people. The Spaniards, even if their laws were hard, were polite and treated them with consideration; but the Americans, as soon as they saw that the native troops were desirous of sharing in the glories as well as the hardships of the hard-won battles with the Americans, began to apply home treatment for colored peoples: cursed them as damned niggers, steal [from] and ravish them, rob them on the street of their small change, take from the fruit vendors what- ever suited their fancy, and kick the poor unfortunate if he complained, desecrate their church property, and after fighting began, looted everything in sight, burn- ing, robbing the graves. This may seem a little tall—but I have seen with my own eyes carcasses lying bare in the boiling sun, the results of raids on receptacles for the dead in search of diamonds. The [white] troops, thinking we would be proud to emulate their conduct, have made bold of telling their exploits to us. One fellow, member of the 13th Minnesota, told me how some fellows he knew had cut off a native woman’s arm in order to get a fine inlaid bracelet. On upbraiding some fellows one morning, whom I met while out for a walk (I think they belong to a Nebraska or Minnesota regi- ment, and they were stationed on the Malabon road) for the conduct of the American troops toward the na- tives and especially as to raiding, etc., the reply was: “Do you think we could stay over here and fight these damn niggers without making it pay all it’s worth? The government only pays us $13 per month: that’s starvation wages. White men can’t stand it.” Meaning they could not live on such small pay. In saying this they never dreamed that Negro soldiers would never countenance such conduct. They talked with impu- nity of “niggers” to our soldiers, never once thinking that they were talking to home “niggers” and should they be brought to remember that at home this is the same vile epithet they hurl at us, they beg pardon and make some effeminate excuse about what the Filipino is called. I want to say right here that if it were not for the sake of the 10,000,000 black people in the United States, God alone knows on which side of the subject I would be. And for the sake of the black men who carry arms for them as their representatives, ask them to not forget the present administration at the next election. Party be damned! We don’t want these islands, not in the way we are to get them, and for Heaven’s sake, put the party [Democratic] in power that pledged itself against this highway robbery. Expansion is too clean a name for it.
Sir: I have the honor to address you as to the present situation in the Philippines. Two battalions of the 25th Infantry, colored, arrived in Manila Bay on July 31st, 1899. . . . Since our landing on the Island of Luzon we have executed some of as hard and effective work as any other regiment in the Philippines, also made some of the more important captures of the campaign. . . . Wherever we have been stationed on the islands we have made friends with the natives and they always express regret when we are ordered from amongst them, especially if we have been stationed near them for any length of time. Our officers and men always make it a rule wher- ever we are stationed to treat the natives with civility and we have always complied with this rule. . . . We treat them with due consideration, insurgent prisoners as well as peaceable natives; but whenever they show fight, they are greeted with a warm recep- tion and they soon learn to their discontent what kind of fighting material, the seemingly peaceable black fighters of Uncle Sam’s regular army are made out of. We have been stationed in Zambales Province longer than in any other one place on the Island. We were the first U.S. soldiers to enter the province where we were met with strong resistance, but the Filipi- nos never once had the nerve to stand their ground when they were charged upon by the dusky fighters. They never have once scored a victory over the 25th Infantry. . . . We were jubilant over the prospects of going to China a few weeks ago, but . . . our wise Excellency, the President, has restored peace, which he always does whenever his good and wise judgment is called into play. The 25th would like to have had China added to her list, but we will be contented with our past accom- plishments; but whenever duty calls us we will not be weighed and found wanting. Our courage has won us fame; our moral principles and kindness have won us friends; our good workmanship and how to deal with the enemy have won us fear; our good discipline has won us praise from our superiors. . . .
I have read a good many accounts, by discharged volunteers and regulars through the American news- papers, of depredations committed upon Filipinos by our men in the field, which reports are false. . . . The prisoners as well as the peaceable [natives] are treated with great consideration. Our officers take great pride in protecting [the natives]. . . . If a person were to search the roots of these re- ports they could easily see where they originate. Some men came into the army for pleasure and some for adventure, but when they enlist and are presented their field equipment and commence camp life, their expectation of feather mattresses . . . ham and eggs, quail on toast and other such delicacies are not real- ized, they commence to cry to go home; they gener- ally turn [out] to be chronic kickers and newspaper correspondents. It seems as if they expect to campaign in a Pullman Palace Car. The American Army is better off without such men. . . . They should be corralled up and fed on beeftea and chicken broth until they can be given back to their parents. . . .
Respectfully yours,
James Booker
Co. H, 25th Infantry
"To Conquer or Redeem" Manifest Destiny Parts I and III
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Supreme Court in the 1930's
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Film: "The Labor Movement of the 1930s"
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