measure time by moving with
the sun or the other way. If westward the course of empire takes its
way, Manila is a third of a day catching up with Madrid time. If we
face the morning and go to meet it Manila is ahead. The absence of
the right day for Sunday has long been gravely considered by the
missionaries who have gone to heathen lands beyond the mysterious
meridian that spoils all the holidays. One might establish a bank on
that line and play between days, but there is only one little speck
of land on the 180 degree meridian from pole to pole.

It may be very well worth considering whether the United States
should not reestablish the 31st of December in Manila, and assert
that we hold title to the Philippines not only by the victories
of the fleet and armies of the United States, but by the favor of
Alexander VI, whose bull the Spaniards disregarded after it had grown
venerable with three centuries of usage. We quote a Spanish historian
who colors his chapters to make a favorable show for his country
on this subject, as follows: "From the Spaniards having traveled
westwards to the Philippines, there was an error of a day in their
dates and almanacs. This was corrected in 1844, when, by order of
the Captain-General and the Archbishop, the 31st of December, 1844,
was suppressed, and the dates of Manila made to agree with those
of the rest of the world. A similar correction was made at the same
time at Macao, where the Portuguese who had traveled eastward had an
error of a day in an opposite direction." It will be noticed that
the authority of the Archbishop was carefully obtained and quoted,
but it was beyond his prerogative.

The early history of the Philippines bears few traces of the traditions
and romances of the natives, but they were in possession of an alphabet
when "discovered," and were then, as now, fond of music, singing their
own melodies. The Hawaiians were enabled to get their old stories into
print because they suddenly fell into the hands of masterful men who
had a written language. The Icelanders were too literary for their
own good, for they spoiled their history by writing it in poetry and
mixing it with fiction, losing in that way the credit that belongs
to them of being the true discoverers of America. The Filipinos were
spared this shape of misfortune, not that they lacked imagination
within a narrow range of vision, but they were wanting in expression,
save in unwritten music. Their lyrical po