The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-06-17
DEN ND REBELS,

DEWEY AND REBELS.
Negotiations for Cooperation Ca
rled on at Singapore Re- St.
fore War Began.
Vancouver, B. q, June III. Some yer..
interesting information was brought III
the steamer Empress OF Japan from Ho ON
Kong regarding negotiations between m,
Philippines rebel chief and the United
states g Singapore II seems that JUS.
before the actual outbreak Of hostilities be
tween Spain and the United States. Sing.
apore was the scene OF a secret noliticaI
ARRANGEMENT by which Gen. Emilio Artil,.
aldo y Feml, supreme head Of the reyoln.
Ionary movement in the Philippines, en-.
tered into direct relations with Admjra.
Kong. s5. s. 81 3 = - - A1 ''
Causes Of the Revolution. ::
n order to understand and appreciate.
TINS interesting historical incident PROPERLY
- VIII Y DC necessary to allude to the causes
ieading % TINS second appearance of the
iebellion in the Philippines, which was al
most colncldent with, though not instigat.
I d by, strained relations between SI5ain
and the United States. In December last
/ Ten Frimo de Rivera, who, above all
other Spanish generals, had intimate
know dye Of the country and it's inhab-
itants, found the position untenable for
both parties Neither of these had The.
remo oi' chance to terminate the rebellion
sdeclslyeiy, the rebels being secure in their
mountain Businesses, the Spaniards hold
ing the chief towns and villages on the
coast. Primo de Rivera, therefore, sent
two well-known Philippine natives occu-
pying high positions in Manila to propose
terms Of peace to Aguinaldo in Biacai,
Bato. A council of the revolutionary gov
eminent was held, in which it was agreed
to lay down their arms on condition of
certain reforms being introduced.
Primo de Rivera agreed to these re-
forms in substance and made it's condi-
tion that the principal rebel leaders must
leave the country during his majesty's
pleasure. As these leaders had lost all
their property, which had been confis-
Gated and plundered, the government
agreed to provide them with funds to live
n a becoming manner on foreign soil
The rebels laid down their arms and
peace was apparently secured, but no
sooner had they done so and returned to
their houses than the intransigeant relig-
slous orders commenced at once to again
persecute them and trump up imaginary
charges to procure their rearrest.
A Trick la Cuba.
The Spanish government on its side,
imagining itself secure, desisted from
carrying out the promised reforms, think
ing. another trick like that played on the
Cubans after the peace arrangement by
Martinez Campos might succeed. The
philippines, however, refused to be made
dupes and took up arms again, not alone
in the immediate districts around Manila
but throughout the archipelago.
Gen. Aguinaldo, accompanied by his
aide de camp, Col. Marcolo II. del Pillar
and Private Secretary J. Leyba arrived
incognito in Singapore from Saigon on
the 21st Of April, 1888 In Saigon, where
Aguinaldo had remained for one week,
he had interviews with one or two old
Philippine friends now residing there
The special purpose of Aguinaldo's visit
to Singapore was to consult other friends
there, particularly Howard w. Bray, an
old and intimate English friend for fifteen
years resident in the Philippines, about
ti affairs Il; Of the islands generally, par
ticularly as to the possibility Of war be-
tween the United States and Spain and
whether in the event of success the
United States would eventually recognize
the independence of the Philippines, pro-
yided he lent his cooperation to the
Americans in the conquest of the coun-
try.
. Inc SITUATION sum Married..
The situation was this: That the con-
ditions of the honorable peace concluded
on the 18th of December, 1897, between
I Aguinaldo on behalf of the Philippine
rebels and Gov.-Gen. Primo de Rivera
on behalf of Spain, had not been carried
out, although their immediate execution
had been vOuched for in the agreement
These reforms would have provided pro-
lection to the people against organized
oppression and rapacity, religious frater-
mites. and would have secured improved
civil and criminal procedure in courts and
have made good in many ways the inl-
proyement in fiscal conditions of the peo-
pie. - +. --
0 The reputation by the Spanish govern
4ment of these conditions made by Rivera
left the Liberaf leaders, who had for the
most part gone to Hong Kong, free to
act. And it was in pursuance of that
freedom of action that Aguinaldo again
sought counsel of friends at Saigon and
Singapore with a view of the immediate
resumption Of hostilities in the Philip
pines. Meanwhile Mr.. Bray was intro
duccd to e. Spencer Pratt, consul-general
of the United States, who was anxious
in view Of contingencies to learn as much
as possible about the real condition of
the Philippines. It was few days after
this that Aguinaldo arrived at Singapore,
when he at once met his friends, includ-
ing Bray.
Affairs were now becoming more war
like. Bray, after conversation with
Pratt, eventually arranged for an inter
view between that gentleman and
Aguinaldo. There We're present Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo Femi, E. Spencer
Pratt, consul-general Of the United
Aguinaldo,s private secretary, J: Leyba,
Col. M. H. del Pillar and Mariselno
Santos.
g Conference with u. s. Consul. -:
During the conference at which Bray
acted as interpreter, Aguinaldo ex-
planned to American Consul General
Pratt incidents and objects of the late
rebellion and described the present dis
turbed state of the country. -Aguinaldo
then proceeded to detail the nature of the
cooperation he could give in which he,
in the event of American forces from the
squadron landing and taking possession
of Manila, would guarantee to maintain
order and discipline among the native
troops and inhabitants in the same hu-
name way in which he had hitherto con-
Quoted war and prevent them from COM
hitting outrages on defenseless Span
iards beyond the inevitable in fair and
honorable warfare. He further declared
his ability to establish proper and re-
sponsible government ON liberal princi-
pies and would be willing to accept the
same terms for the country as the
United States intended giving Cuba. :.
The consul-general of the United States
coinciding with the general views ex-
pressed during the discussion placed him
self at once in Geographic communication
with Admiral Dewey at Hong Kong. A
frequent interchange of kilograms conse-
quently took place. AS result another
private interview was arranged at the
Aguinaldo, Spencer Pratt, Howard Bray
and Leyba. AS the sequel of this inter
view and in response to urgent request of
Admiral Dewey, Aguinaldo left Singapore
for Hong Kong and thence went to Ma
Mia. The influence of this incident of the
future of the Philippines may prove TO be
far-reaching historical character.
81: Gen. Aguinaldo's Policy.
Gen. Aguinaldo's policy embraces the in
denendpncn a tho philinninos whose IN