New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-22

FORMER COMMANDER OF PHILIPPINE
VOLUNTEERS TELLS WHY HE DE
SERTED THE SPANISH CAUSE
ANn DEC AMrr HEREI
AND BECAME A REEEL

Assembly Instituted with great nOurlsh OF UuHl-
pets. as u sort of Home Rule Parliament The In
surgenis say II * merely rise counienanced only
by hire.ng- who unpatriotic and unrepresenia-
tive The principal man associated with X Is feiTo
Palermo who chiefly instrumental In mediatins
between the authorities and the insurgent leaders
last December. when Aeriinaldo was Induced 10 lay
down his sword and 20 away from the Philippines
This man Palermo had at one time great In
nuence with the natives. and espoused the cause
Of reform. his enemies say, only FOR the purpose OF
selling the cause the Spaniards For money AT
any at he Is now the advocate OF the Spanish
authorities and issues peous appeals TO The vie
torious insurgents TO abandon their evil ways and
join hands with the Spaniards against the common
Zoe. the Americans
The insurgents their side. swear 10 tear
Palermo limb from limb renegade Filipino.
faithlcss 'prostituting his FOR dollars hire
ling scoundrel. tit perhaps TO be a SpAniard but
not a Filipino"
These remarks are necessary to explain the FOL
lowing communication written by Felipe Buen-
canine: -
Dear Brother Flpinos.
with the intention Of fulfilling duty 90 broth
erhood which | have 10 discharge before the eyes
OF all honorable men, bring 10 your notice the
facts connected with my mission from Lieutenant
Colonel Anda Y Zaazar. commanding the Third
Section. Spanish Army; and with my present posi-
ton here IN the rebel camp as simple servant
Of the people just Ike all the rest, from the Die
tator himself down to the lowest soldier.
AS the facts in question are set forth I'm "A letter
of this date from myself TO the caoialn-seneraL
Don Basillo Augustin. quote 1t in full and there
by in my opinion, best attain the above Object
Cavite June .. 1893.
To His Excellcncy Don Basilio Augisiin o ,,,,
IN" seventeenth day of my confinement I'm This
city OF Cayite prisoner and VIII WIN M IN,
has occurred before my eyes since ! came wiih
your authority TO negotiate with the said Asui-
naldo with the object OF securing MS anHe''"'c 10
the Spanish cause.
AGrINArDo WAS FOOLED
First. have TO report that received with
the reverse OF a welcome. doubtless on account OF
Senior Agulnaldo having on a previous occasion
been ANONYMOUSLY fooled by Your ENceUencys
predecessor. General Primo de Rivera and by Don
Pedro A Palermo, FOR these gentlemen mo-,
shanefuly broke the conditions OF III" "sreemen'
made at n an6Sdg i Sn my and
Your Excellency was reg irdcd 40 hnoth'r 49,, ,.
TO he detained ana subjected to m Interrogation.
in which the FIRST ana. In fact. the only question
Don Palermo presented to ~ ia Bak ma bato;"
| said | had not. but had come on my own lnl'la-
that IN view OF the American invasion. the couii-
fyr, Ing frash iniurreciion In favor OF the
leans had led civil war which could hays 10
doing the least good 10 the side or tho other
and he would be very stupid to contemplate giving
causing all Of MS to be destroyed. According 10
my way Of thinking. | said II would he great
Vita this the conference closed and was no.
tin.d that / under arrest, because had NOT
Satisfactory credentials 20 supper, my claim TO De
a bona nde envoy. There were some VINO uIgcl
that ! should be shot As spy. but the humanity
Of the Dictator prevented that
III was commonly rumorcd IN Manila that several
natives were trying 20 Win the '5"" ohefod
by the Manila authorities for Asunaldos h"hh
Any such person. failing 70 get near Agunaico IN
any other way. might well Try as an envoy, and
II f. strange that Buencamino had no credentials
A suspect under arrest would write any sori OK
letter TO his principal, with the hope ~ concilhi-
ing his captors on the day Of his arrest May -
Agiinalio promptly issued an order that. !n view
OF the price put his head. he would IN future
shoot anybody coming as an envoy without proper
crsdentials)
SAW MUNITIONS OF WAR SHIPPED.
Returning TO my prison which Is the house Of
Ozorio tho Chinamen wss completely cut on
from all communication for several days during
which I saw through the window n constant stream
! OF carts laden with rifles. cannon and ammuni-
ton going 10 tho whnrf and being taken on board
ak sorts and sizes OF vessels DAY after day. a"d
with great numbers OF mon-I should think over
/ thirty thousand. Shiploads ot arms and ammnni-
ton and former rebels also came from iions Kong
and. after my period ot strict Isolation expired
/ learned tina. on tho .sth OF May three hundred
! marines under Commandanie Pazos. wer" capt
urod between linus and casus Nielo, Will h f
general the new revolution Is.
l alat l,.r ana
rendered almost without hrinE "a thot; giving up
cannon and small arms pubic i.nas n"n h "r-
] myself had recruited. although General Mcn',
| transferred them TO captain j. Roldan. ~
hundred volunteers Of my contributing ana one
hundrcd,od Of marines under l1Sui,nan'- oIon"
Pin,os for help. He was the man WHO replaced
me at paranaque Pnt9s commit 'ns s'u f,am
Las Pinas the aid 81 Bacoor not rciieciing ihn'
| If three hundred men could do nothing against
'i,i
break through the enemy was simply throwing the
And # turned out for The ono hnndrgd w an
surrounded on the way hy o.tr ,noS" mo-, '''
! Then follows "A list OF other places captured of
high officers. military and civil with their wives
| and families. taken and well treated. ana the
statement OF the capture Of 300 prisoners. 800"
rifles. field guns large quantities OF money ana
ammunition. and many friars. together with The
assertion that Aguinaldo had about thirty thou
sand troops near Manila besides a force at Rataam
and Nueya Ella to cut of General Monet. ani
another IN Kalamba. under Paciano Rial. 10 at
tack Bahamas
FAULT OF PENINSULA OFFICERS.
Finally to-day. my and my cousin had come
II force that surrounded them on Ne Inpote H9id.
whore they went TO sop Pio del flna men r1oi, u,
going over 10 the rebels. from mem iearh'u u"
the utter collapse OF my sectlon-aii IN" iault ot
the Peninsula officers whom Your Excellency put
TO up Is inassd 1 .co RI, gr'9 n & yg9r
army presents ana IL gives PROOF OF F'illdpi' MN
! lessness before the onslaught OF IN" rebels 40
not blame Your Excclency or your Officers.
think you would ali do your duty till YOU died ~
your posts. but put ny farm In the logic ~ nara
facts and ! to sorrow mat ARuiuhldo IS
bound win sooner later. and That nothing bet
ter In store for Your Exc.llency than glorious
death though "A sad and d.plorable sort OF glory.
since II Involves the death Of thousands Of human
| beings.
Manila IS surrounded ashore and bockaied iy
sea without hope Of help from anywhere. ana
/ AgIinaldo Is ready 10 make use OF the American
squadron 10 lombard II you stubbOrnly continue
10 resist Frankly know no other possibility IMAM
death. But you are aware that the entry Of q
hundred thousand Indians. Infatuated win fierce
fighting intoxicated with victory innamcd with
! boodshed means "A massacre In which none would
be spared not women nor children. nor Spanish
priests especially frlars