The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-03
Journal Correspondent at Ma
Mia Discusses Conditions.
FilipinOs at Last Realize That
They Must Lose.
ARE DEMORALIZED
End Only a Question of a Short
Time.
Natives Look to Uncle Sam For
Relief.

Especial Cor. Topeka state Journal
Manila, P I. May 15.-It would be very
unwise to prognosticate the date Of the
cessation of hostilities in the Philippines
but everybody here is hoping that Senior
Aguinaldo will soon weary of his vain
struggle and like a sensible man accept
the hand of fellowship of Uncle Sam.
With Malabon. Malolos, Calumpit,
Isadore and Fernando in the possession
If American troops and General Pillar
dying in a hospital and General Monte
Negro a sepulchraI figure siIhouetted
against a dim sky in shadowland, as
suredly the backbone" of the 1nSurrec-
ton is broken. Generals NOriel, Al
Varez and Tabal, with $4,000 men and
sixteen pieces of artillery are shut off in
Cavite province from all communica-
with the head officials Of the Filipino
republic where ever they are. A captain,
his orderly trumpeter and six privates
belonging to an infantry regiment under
NOriel were captured & few days since
by a party of American scouts, and
brought into Manila. When told of the
fall of MalOlOs and the undignified flight
of president" Emilio, the captain
smiled and said to his informer:
mo, no, senior! That is not possible;
the combined forces of the American
republic could not take MalOlOs- 1t IS
tmpregna BILE. Senior has been told the
tmaginings Of some silly-mfnded dis
patch carrier And he could not be
made to believe that the people in the
north could meet with such ignominious
defeat.
Yesterday afternoon a rebel lieuten-
ant came in through General LawtOn'S
lines, accompanied by an orderly He
stated to the general that he desired an
audience with Major General OTIS, as
ambassador extraordinary from the FIJI
ipinO ministers of public affairs. After
being fed by the way they were raven
Ously hungry-the two dusky-faced rep
resentatives of "TagalO libre" We're es-
corted to Manila by Captain SeWau, an
aide-de-camp Of General LawtOn's. On
reaching the palace, they were the
cynosure of all eyes, for the news was
flashed ahead that our friends, the enc
my wanted to talk peace.
AS the Filipinos climbed the broad,
marble steps to the entrance Of the
palace they stumbled clumsily like a
big, lanky lad from the country the
first time he puts on skates The lieut.
enant wore a regulation uniform of light
blue cotton and patent leather shoes
With his superiuous gold braid and six
silver stars on his shoulders, Lieuten-
ant PerfectO Reyes was in odd contrast
to the private who trudged YEARLY
along at respectful distance behind
him, in bare feet and ragged trousers,
rolled up almost TO the knees
After a conference with Governor
General Otis of an hour the rebels were
escorted to the depot and went out i'm
mediately to the front and crossed over
into the insurgent lines.
[ did not learn the result of the in
terview, but it is rumOred that nothing
was accomplished. Unconditional sur
render is what is demanded by the
American authorities.
Hundreds Of the insurgents are de-
sorting from AguinaldO's army and are
returning to their farms and Dlanta-
TONS glad to accept the prOtectOrate of
the American people. 1t is with great
difficulty that the rebel officers control
their men; the day is past when the
| Filipinos will make a hard stand. They
realize the u ter hODelessnesS of the
struggle and many of them are eager to
| become brothers of the "bueno Ameri-
canOs."
Ignorant, superstitious, hot-headed,
| they have been easy prey for designing
! scOundrels. But their eyes, which have
been blindfolded for centuries, now be-
hold a beautiful ray of light and their
simple hearts are full of an earnest de-
| sire for that of which they are capable,
/ but have never known; a grand civili-
| cation with AL that that implies. They
are starving for knowledge, for physi-
| cal betterment and for true religion.
Proud Columbia is gathering this
simple people about her and will teach
! them the all of Hfe-the grandeurs of
| the human soul
Oftentimes, as my comrades fell dead
about me and the grOanS Of dying sons
of Columbia caused the strongest men
| to sob, I have wondered if the cost of
saving these Philippines first from that
! eternal enemy OF freedom, progress and
| enlightened Thought, Spain, and then
| from themselves and lifting them up TO
| a higher plane of living was not too
| great. OF course, the price of civiliza-
/ ton has always been blood, and 1 pre-
sumo it will ever be so. But, oh! to see
so much of the noblest blood in the
/ world spilled by naught but vampires
/ the Spanish-and such fiendish, Meph-
! istO-lke beings as AguinaldO and his
/ ilk; to realize that thousands of homes
| are forever darkened and that thous-
| ands of hearts are broken. Is not the
| price too much? War is but a grim
| horrible tale of wreck and ruin: of pat
riotic blood poured out on the country s
/ altar; of bHghted lives and broken
hearts; of invasion, pillage and exter-
/ minatiOn. And yet, it is right that
| Spain should have been and was hound
| ed to death and that the present strug-
! gle should NOT cease until the light of a
| glorious liberty fills all the jungles OF
| Luzon and reflects in the innermost
| souls of the dim-eyed creatures
| whose pitiable existence and past
history would evoke the sympathy even
( of a sphinx.
| The FilipinOs want salvation from the
| bonds of ignorance and superstition anC
| their humanity demands it of Columbia
| to break the letters and set them free
1t is meet that the noble principles on
| which our republic was founded and the
| principles taught by Christ on the