The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-27
Will Appeal to President Mckinley
to Grant Independence to the Ma
tives of the Philippine Islands.
INSURGENT FLEET IN PERIL
THEIR SEIZURE CONTEMPLATED, 1T
is SAID, BY ADMIRAL DEWEY.
Eiab1e to BE Treated as Pirates for
Flying an Unauthorized Flag
Health of Americans at Manila.

| CHICAGO, Sept 26.-Maj. Gen. Francis
| v. Greene, of the American army of inva-
sion of the Philippines, and Senior Felipe
| Agoncilo vice president of Aguinaldos
| Clutionary government, arrived in Chicago
| to-day en- route to Washington. General
| Greenes errand is to give the executive his
| views and the views of his fellow Officers
| concerning the right course for this gov
ernment to pursue in regard to the future of
| the islands The Filipino goes to appeal to
the President for representation on the
| Paris peace commission and for immediate
independence for his people. If official rep
| resentation on the commission cannot be
| granted he will urge that the administration
| at Washington, in justice to the people of
| the Philippines, should secure for him the
| right to be heard by the commission in or
| der that any unjust charges or false ac-
cusations against the Fiipinos which the
| Spanish members of the commission may
set forth shall not go unanswered.
While en- route to this city Senior Agon-
| clio said to a reporter on the train: "It is
necessary to grant to the Philippine people
| official representation in the course of the
discussion of the Spanish-American COM
mission in Paris, that the provisional
| government or its official representative be
| heard before this Spanish-American COM
| mission shall reach any decision regarding
| the Philippines 1t is justice that the Phil
| ippine people should not be undsr-nded, for
| it might happen that the representatives
| of Spain would make formidable charges
against the Filipinos. and in lack of repre-
| sentation from the Filipinos these charges
might be credited. Therefore it is mad
missibe under the most rudimentary be-
| ginnings of natural or written law and
| sound reason that the Filipinos should be
without hearing"
| OF conditions in the Philippine islands and
the hopes and wishes of the Filipinos Agon-
| clio said: IF the outcome of the peace
negotiations shall be that this government
is given control of the islands 1 have not
the slightest doubt that if left alone by
| foreign powers the islands would be well
and orderly governed. When left Hong
| Kong there were in the assembly 180 repre-
| sentatives, coming from all the provinces
| of Luzon and from several of the islands,
| and 1 expect to learn reaching Wash
| ington that still more have been chosen.
| These representatives are the most popular
| men in their provinces, and the people ac-
cordingly have confidence in their govern
ment. AS to the power Of the Filipino gov
| ernment to control the islands and main
| tain order, provided the Spanish forces are
withdrawn, 1 have no misgivings. There
| are 900 armed men in it's army. Some of
| the arms came from captured Spaniards
and some from foreign countries. / am not
| at liberty to say where No, they did not
| come from Germany, and the statements
that have been made that the Fiipinos are
secretly connving with the Germans are
false and unjust. 1t is true that few
| days after the destruction of the Spanish
| feet in Manila bay representatives of the
| German empire made proposals to the in
| surgents to aid them in forming an inde-
pendent government. This offer was re-
| fused the reply made to the Germans be-
| ing that under an agreement entered into
between Aguinaldo and Admiral Dewey the
| insurgents were in honor bound to refuse
| the honor"
Agoncillo was asked what would be the
attitude of the Filipinos and the provisional
| government if the outcome of the peace
negotiations should be that the islands
| should pass into the hands of the United
| States either for temporary or permanent
| control, he replied whether or not the
| Filipinos would forcibly resist such dis
| position Of the islands I cannot state. The
| questions would go before the assembly and
| Aguinaldo's attitude must, under the con-
|
| body. The form of the provisional govern
ment is thoroughly republican. But I will
| say that the feeling of the people of the
| Philippines with regard to the question
| would depend largely on what form of gov
| ernment the Americans should propose. If
| II meant simply the control of the islands
| by the United States the government of this
| country, assuming the responsibility of
| maintaining good order and controlling the
| revenues of the islands, do not think the
| feeling against such move would be
strong though the F1lipinos are anxious to
| govern themselves, but if it should be
| planned that the United States take the ISL
| ands for the purpose of colonization. which
might eventually crowd out the native pop
ulation in my opinion there would be great
| err difficulty in bringing the people of the
| islands to submission. Our appeal to the
| United States is for aid in securing what
we most desire and what we believe to be
| for the best interests of the islands. 1t is
not made with the purpose to play into the
hands of any other nation, and if the Fill
pinos are not to govern themselves there is
no nation they would more prefer TO be gov
erned and controlled by than the United
States. AS to the possibility of maintaining
an orderly and harmonious government
among the people of the islands if 1t is left
to them many opposing arguments have
been urged, which are in large part ground
/ less
| During the day Senior Agoncilo at his
| own request. was driven to Lincoln Park to
| see the big bronze statue of Abraham Lin
| coin, who. the Filipino statesmen said, was
his ideal statesman and citizen. About ten