The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-02
OUR OBLIGATIONS TO AGUINALDo.
(Manchester Mirror.

l \
How much justice there is in the
charge that our ancestors did not keep
faith with the bashaw of Tripoli ninety
years ago we do not know, but we do not
think any one need worry lest we do not
give the Philippine claimant all that be-
longs to him and all that is good for the
people over whom he insists he is entitled
to rule. Aguinaldo Is typical insurgent
chief Crafty, cunning, personally brave,
am bilious, cruel, venal and treacherous,
he has made business of organizing re-
beiIions among the more ignorant ma
tiyes, and, when he has made himself
and his associates SO troublesome to the
authorities that they felt Obliged to bar
gain with him, selling out. He was the
leading spirit in the uprising against
Spain in 1895 and when it assumed for
midable proportions he took large sum
OF money, agreed to disband his follow
ers, leave them to their fate and quit the
country, which he did. When Dewey was
at Hong Kong, Aguinaldo was there with
a few lieutenants, living in grand style
upon the money Spain had paid him,
upon his pledge not to trouble her any
more; but this did not restrain him in
the least from making trade with o. f.
Williams, the American Consul at Ma
Mia, and Mr.. Wildman, Consul at Hong
Kong, to re turn to the Philippines. collect
his followers and assist in destroying the
power and aut hority Of Spain there. How
much was paid him for thins treachery
is not made public but we know that he
was furnished with arms and ammuni-
ton by our people and materially assist
ed in forcing Manila to surrender, and
that when he had done that hs was only
restrainel from pilloging the place ana
butchering it's people by our navy ana
army, hand that he has ever since been In
re- beliion against us because he has OF
been permitted to kill and burn a ma
gather the spoils of war as he planned.
He has now set himself up as ruler or the
archipelago and declared his purpose to
fight the United States as savagely as he
ever fought Spain, il what he calls his IN
dependence Is not recognized.
We repeat that no one need fret ab out
our betraying and abandoning this band
it, who has always been ready to betray
any cause for price and butcher any
number of innocent people to grat1fy MS
savage ambition. The question is not
how we shall reward him, but now can
we prevent him and his associates from
destroying those we are bound to protect.
Elk Consul Williams, who, as we have
said, has had experience with MIN, is OF
the opinion that the most feasible way IS
that adopted by the Spaniards, hiring
i'm to be peaoeable. He thinks that hall
a million dollars paid to Aguina'do ana an.
his secretary and $500, 900 more dlstrl.
buted among his 10000 followers in SIC
gold pieces would probably induce them
to disband and agree to let us civilize
their countrymen to our hearts content,
and that the investment would be q good
one; and SO it would if we were sure OF
getting what we bargained for. 1t will
| doubtless cost many times million and
three hundred thousand to subiugate by
force and control these insurgent patriots,
put who will guarantee that if we bus
tnem they will stay bought? They never
dad when Spain traded with them and
pain the money. Who can say they will
deliver the good to the United States