Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-03-02
f9lGglaDllc NGVsOttlG Week

a. WlUglQplllU NUMDUl lnU " UUA
III Manila, Feb. 22.-Great satisfaction
n Is felt here by the Americ In authOri
q ties over the news of the submission
If of the inhabitants of the lslan1 of Ne
+ Igros to American rule and the volun
j. tary raising of the Stars and Stripe
d 1there. This action is regarded as The
: tenfering wedge through which tn,
t Occupation of the entire Bisgan groul
: Twill be speedily accomplished.
q Senior LaesoD, who was president Of
the Negros native government, is chic
: tef the Negros commission, which
arrivtd here on the transport Newport
Monday night, to offer the allegiance
of the inha bitants of the island and to
ask for American protection.
The commission had an interview
with General Otis yesterday, during
which Senor Lacson said that the in.
habitants OF the island of Cebu are
ta.so ready to accept American rule.
Prisoners captured by the Nebras.
+ kan troops confirm the report that the
insurgent leaders threaten death to
all natives who refuse to take up arms
against the Americans. Under this
threat many Pacificos have recently
been impressed into the native army in
the province of Manila.
The English banks here observed
Washington's birthday by closing.
Eighty houses were burned in an
attempt to destroy Paco. Native men
disguised as women were the incendi-
aries. When they arrived at a
marked building they told the in
mates what they intended to do, start
ed blaze and departed without moles
tation, laughing at and jeering the
unfortunate householders. The wind,
however, spoiled their plans, the flames
being famed to the district occupied
by rebel sympathizers.
Hong Kong, Feb. .22.-Aguinaldo has
issued manifesto in which heaccepts
the situation caused, be says, by "the
unexpected provocation of the Ameri-
cans, '1while lamenting the hostiliities
which he says he tried to avoid by
every means in his power, making
"humiliting concessions in return for
repeated insults and outrages by the
army:.of occupation against the people
of Manila
He adds: 81 am prepared to sacri- |
fec everything to maintain the integ-
rlty of the national honor" He fur
ther alleges that the country is unani-
nous in his support, and that the
people will perish rather than accept
the odious American dominion, ail6g-
ing that ''even the corrupt Spanish |
dominion is preferable" r.
The Philippine commission he con-
siders a farce. Otis, DENLY, Dewey
and Harden he classes as pronounced
annexationists,t the latter being charged
with having s'maliciously DETAINED"
him.
In conclusion Aguinaldo expresses
the wish to proclaim to the world
that officially dispel the false rumors
that Germany was our ally or that any
other power rendered assistance, moral
or material, to the Filipinos, nor have
the Filipinos solicited it,
Manila, Feb. 23.-At daylight this
morning the enemy commenced their
worrying tactics along various parts of
the American lines, apparently with
the purpose of withdrawing attention
from affairs on the inside of the city.
An attempt was made to rush through
our extreme left near Caloocan, but it
was promptly checked by hot and
effective musketry and artillery fire.
In the meantime small bodies of
rebels, evidently some of those engaged
in last nights iucendiary work at |
Tondo, spread out between the city
and our outposts. Every available
man was sent to drive them away.
Desultory firing continued all the
morning. The monitor Monadnock
joined in the engagement, hurting ten
inch shells over the American lines
into the bodies of the enemy. We lost
one man killed and ten wounded.
At II O'Clock sharp engagements be-
gan at the Chinese cemetery and at
San Pedro Macati almost simultane
ously. The artillery drove the enemy
from both positions. From the high
towers of the city fires were seen in a
dozen different points outside. Some
were probably due to the Monadnock's
shells. 1t is rep orted that the natives
have threatened to burn Liscolata, q
walled city, tonight.
Scores of rebels have been arrested
. in the Tondo district. One band of
I sixty rebels, with two carloads of
, arms and accoutrements, were cap,
tured in one house.
/ Business here is practically sus-
pended temporarily.
/ The fimsy native houses burned
) like tinder. Thousands of families
: are homeless.
FILIPINOS FIGHT WITH FLAMES.
Manila, Feb. 23.-.The fires in SaLts
< Cruiz, San Nicholas and Tondo dis.
g tricts last night were with the plain
. object of destroying and pillaging
this city, evidently, and were the work
of native secret militia. When the fir
ing began insurgent bugle calls with
answering blasts were heard: and sig
3 nal rockets seen to rise from severa
: points where the fires started. The
burned districts comprise all area oil
one square mile, ,Tondo comprising The
= largest part. The city fire depart
J ment was practically powerless