The San Francisco call., 1898-09-23

1nura, as IL IS called here-anQ WILL pear to his grave the marks of the rope the bandits tied about his body. Lastly there was hat little affair at Cavite on Thursday night, when one poor sol dier boy was killed and another re- ceived wounds from which he died two days later merely because they had ob- jected to taking wrong change from a native shop-keeper. when the troops were called out, when d volley was eX- changed between Aguinaldo's men and our own and when it looked as though civil war had really begun. It is true, as the cable has told you, that Agui- naldo sent to General Merritt a prompt disavowal of the whole affair early the next morning and that the native off cer in command denies that he gave the order to fire, placing the onus of murder upon t--e soldiers, nevertheless there Is a shrewd suspicion that the dictator-president rather wished to be- gin the trouble at Cavite, where the Americans are weaker than tt Manila and where great quantities of military supplies are stored
 And now one last and most signifi- cant incident going to chow the real disposition of the native leaders. They are such great liars, it should be pre- missed, it is difficult to find out exactly what they mean to do under any given set of circumstances. Yesterday Father II, and Father McKinnon, chaplain of the First California Regiment, paid a visit of semi-state to Aguinaldo at Bakoor, where he still has his headquarters. They were not sent, as 1 am given to understand, as official envoys. Never theless, official knowledge of their visit existed and it was deemed that they would be able to impress the dictator president of the advisability of a gem eral disarmament. Aguinaldo received them, a courtesy he extends to but few people, and made fair promises of his desire to dwell in unity with the Americans. He said, however that he must of necessity consult his Cabinet before taking final action. The farce of consulting a Cabinet of his own crea- lures is trick, by the way, worthy of an American politician. And ill the face of the fair promises of the rebel general, one of his advisers told Father McKinnon, as the chaplain informs me, l that 1t was the intention of the rebel leader to remove his official residence on Monday from Bakoor, where he Is between the American forces at Cav;ie and at Manila, to Malolos, at the end of the only railroad line on the islands, where he will lose the prestige of his own immediate clan about Bakoor Bay, to be sure, but where he will be among a lot of Tagallos, who have never seen
 
 will consequently be more willing to fellow him into the field. In effect, he wants to negotiate from a greater dis t.nce- Whether the move will be per- mitted is a question for General Otis, acting Curing General Merriuts absence 1 in Paris, to decide.
 1 Against all this, there is the peace | full indication that the natives are lev cling the trenches on the south side of the city, from which the American ap- | preach was made, and preparing the fields once more for cultivation. This, on consideration, may not be so much 8 peaceful indication as 1t looks. It may be rather confirmation of the story told Father McKinnon to the eff feet that Aguinaldo intends to remove the seat of his government to Malolos, on the north side. abandoning to the | Americans the whole region between | Manila and Cavite.
 Honors continue to be showered upon the Californians from headouarters. The First, since it came into Manila l so gallantly, is the pet of the whole Eighth Army Corps. Dr. Farrell has been on detached confidential duty fill l ing most important posts at the gen. eral hospital, ever since he has been in | Manila. Dr. O'Brien Is one of the l medical inspectors of the city and has recommended certain steps in the in- | I6TeSl Ol WHICH VII prevent a plague in the walled city if his ad- vice is followed. Colonel Smith, as you know from my last letter, is pro- vost marshal for the whole of the city north of the Pasig River. Yesterday Lieutenant William H. Tobin was de- tailed as chief deputy inspector under l the Army Bureau of Sanitation, an or | ganization formed to see that the re- commedations of the doctors are car l ried out So it goes, and Colonel l Smith says he will lose his whole staff presently. but nobody who knows him 1 doubts he Is glad to see the boys fa- vored.