There is no reason to believe that Aguinaldo’s Government has any elements of stability.  In the first place, Aguinaldo is a young man of twenty-three years.  Prior to the insurrection of 1896 he had been a schoolmaster, and afterward Gobernadorcillo and Municipal Captain in one of the pueblos in the Province of Cavite.  He is not devoid of ability, and he is surrounded by clever writers.  But the educated and intelligent Filipinos of Manila say that not only is he lacking in ability to be at the head of affairs, but if an election for President was held he would not even be a candidate.  He is a successful leader of insurgents, has the confidence of young men in the country districts, prides himself on his military ability, and if a Republic could be established the post he would probably choose for himself would be General-in-Chief of the Army.

In the next place, Aguinaldo’s Government, or any entirely independent Government, does not command the hearty support of the large body of Filipinos, both in Manila and outside, who have property, education and intelligence.  Their hatred of the Spanish rule is very keen and they will co-operate with Aguinaldo or any one else to destroy it.  But after that is done they fully realize that they must have the support of some strong nation for many years before they will be in a position to manage their own affairs alone.  The nation to which they all turn is America, and their ideal is a Philippine Republic, under American protection—­such as they have heard is to be granted to Cuba.  But when it comes to defining their ideas of protection and the respective rights and duties of each under it, what portion of the Government is to be administered by them and what portion by us; how the revenues are to be collected, and in what proportion the expenses are to be divided; they have no clear ideas at all; nor is it expected that they should have, after generations of Spanish rule without any experience in self government.  The sentiment of this class, the educated native with property at stake, looks upon the prospect of Aguinaldo’s Government and forces entering Manila with almost as much dread as the foreign merchants or the Spaniards themselves.

Finally, it must be remembered that this is purely a Tagalo insurrection.  There are upwards of thirty races in the Philippines, each speaking a different dialect, but five-sixths of the entire Christian population is composed of the Tagalos and Visayas.  The former live in Mindoro and the southern half of Luzon, and the latter in Cebu, Iloilo and other islands in the center of the group.  The Tagalos are more numerous than the Visayas, but both races are about equal in civilization, intelligence and wealth.  It is claimed by Aguinaldo’s partisans that the Visayas are in sympathy with his insurrection and intend to send representatives to the congress.  But it is a fact that the Visayas have taken no active part in the present insurrection nor in that of 1896, that the