Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-06-16
Chief Aguinaldo's Fight Tor Lib
erty.

at Singapore.
Just before the actual outbreak OF
nostilities between Spain and the Unit
ed States Singapore was the scene OF a
secret political arrangement by which
General Emilio Aguinaldo y Femi. sup
RENE head of the revolutionary move
ment in the PHILIPPINES, entered into dI-
rect relations with Admiral Dewey while
that officer was still at Hong Kong.
In order to understand and appreci-
ate this it viii be necessary to allude 70
the causes leading TO this second appear
ance of the rebellion in the PHILIPPINES,
which was almost coincident with,
though not instigated by, the strained
relations between Spain and the United
States.
CAUSE OF SECOND REBELLION.
In December last General Primo de
Rivera, who, above all other Spanish
generals, had intimate knowledge OF the
country and its inhabitants found the
position untenable for both partiest
Neither Of these had the remotes
chance to terminate the rebellion decls-
lively, the rebels being secure in their
mountain fastnesses and the Spaniards
holding the chief towns and villages on
the coast. Primo de Rivera therefore
sent two well known Philippine natives
occupying high positions in Manila to
propose terms of peace to Aguinaido IN
Fa Bato. A council of the revolution
ary government was held, in which 1t
was agreed to lay down their arms on
condition of certain reforms being intro
duced The principal ones We're:
/. The expulsion or at least secular
zation of the religious orders and the
inhibition of these orders from all Off
/ cial vetoes in civil administration
2. A general amnesty for all rebels
and guarantees for their personal secur-
ity and from vengeance of the friars
| and parish priests after returning to
| their homes.
g. Radical reforms to curtail the
glaring abuses in public administration.
f.. Freedom of the press to announce
official corruption and blackmailing.
3 Representation in the Spanish Par
lament
g. Abolishing of the iniquitous sys-
TEN of secret deportation of political
suspects.
PEACE OF SPORT DURATION.
Primo de Rivera agreed to these re-
forms in sum and substance and made
it condition that the principal rebel
leaders must leave the country during
his Majesty pleasure. As these leaders
had lost all of their property, or had it
confiscated and plundered, the govern
ment agreed to provide them with
funds to live in a becoming manner on
foreign soil.
The rebels laid down their arms and
peace was apparently secured, but 10
sooner had they done so and returned
to their houses than the intransigeant
religious orders commenced at once to
again prosecute them and trump up i'm
aginary charges to procure their rear
rest
The Spanish Government on its side,
imagining itself secure, desisted from
carrying out the promised reforms
thinking another trick like that played
on the Cubans, after the peace OF Zan-
join, arranged by Martinez Campos,
might succeed. The PHILIPPINES how
ever, refused to be made dupes of, and
have taken up arms again, not alone in
the immediate districts around Manila,
but Throughout the archipelago.
AGUINALDo IN SINGAPORE.
General Aguinaldo, accompanied by
his aidede- camp, Colonel Marcelo II.
del Pillar, and Private Secretary J. Ley
ba, arrived incognito in Singapore from
Saigon on the 21st of April. In Saigon,
where Aguinaldo had remained for one
week, he had interviewed one or two old
Philippine friends now residing there
The special purpose Of Agulnaldo's visit
to Singapore was to consult other friends
there particularly Howard w Bray, an
old and intimate English friend, for ten
years resident in the PHILIPPINES, about
the affairs of the islands generally par
ticularly as to the possibility of war
between the United States and Spain,
and whether, in the event of success,
the United States would eventually rec
ognize the independence of the Philip
pines, provided he lent his cooperation
to the Americans in the conquest of the
country.
The situation was thus: That the
conditions of the honorable peace con
cluded ON the 14th of December. 1897,
between Aguinaldo, on behalf Of the
Philippine rebels, and Governor Gener-
al Primo de Rivera on behalf of Spain,
had not been carried out, although
their immediate execution has been
vouched for IN the agreement. These
reforms would have provided protec-
ton to the people against organized
oppression and rapacity, and would
have secured improved civil and crimi-
nal procedure in the courts and have
made good in many ways the improve
ment in the fiscal conditions Of the
people. The Reputation by the Span
ish Government of these conditions
made by Rivera left the rebel 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
AguinaldC again sought counsle of
friends in Baigon and Singa- pore, with
view Of immediate resumption Of
hostilities in the Philippines.
Meanwhile Mr. Bray was introduced
to Spencer Pratt, Consul g eneral 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 Singa-
pore, when he at once met his friends,
including Bray.
ARRANGING DETAILS
Affairs were now becoming more
war-like. Bray, after a conversation
with Pratt, eventually arranged for an
interview, between that gentleman and
Aguinaldo There were present Ger
eral Emilio Aguinaldo y Fami, f. Spen-
Ger Pratt, Consul General United