The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-12-15
sooner had our army captured Manila

sooner had our army captured Manila
than the Filipino forces began to assume
an attitude of suspicion and hostility
which the utmost efforts of our officers
and troops were unable to disarm or
modify. Their Kindness and forbearance
were takensas prosf of cowardice The
aggressions of the Filipinos continually
increased until finally just before the time
set by the senate of the United States for
vote upon the treaty an attack evidently
| prepared in advance, was made all along
| the American lines, which resulted in a
4 temporary destructive and sanguinary re-
/ pulse of the insurgents. q ~ ~
l. An Infamous Proclamation.
Ten days later an order of the insur-
gent government was issued to it's adher-
ents who had remained in Manila, of
which General Otis justly observes that
for barbarous intent it is unequalled in
modern times" 1t directs that at s
| o'clock on the nj ght of the 10Th of Feb
ruary the territorial militia shall come
! together in the streets Of San Pedro armed
| with their bolos, with guns and ammu-
| milton, where convenient, that Filipino
| families alone shall be respected; but that
all other individuals, of whatever race
they may be, shall be exterminated with
out any compassion, after the extermina-
ton of the army of occupation" and adds:
Brothers, we must avenge ourselves on
| the Americans and exterminate them,
that we may take our revenge for the in
famies and treacheries which they have
! committed upon us. Have no compassion
upon them; attack with vigor."
| A copy of this fell, by good fortune,
into the hands of our officers, and they
were able to take measures to control the
rising which was actually attempted on
| the night of Feb. %, week later than
| was originally contemplated. Consider
able number of armed insurgents entered
the city by waterways and swamps, and
| in concert with confederates inside
Attempted to Destroy Manila by Fire.
| They were kept in check during the
| night and the next day driven out of the
| city with heavy loss. g - PIP
This was the unhappy condition of
| affairs which confronted our commissions
ers on their arrival in Manila. They had
| come With Une nope ana intention OF Co
| operating with Admiral Dewey and Major
| General Otis in establishing peace and
| order in the archipelago and the largest
measure of self government compatible
with the true welfare Of the people. 80,
What they actually found can best be
| set forth in their own words: "Deplor-
| able as war is, the one in which we are
| now engaged was unavoidable by US.
We were attacked by a bold, adventure
| Gus and enthusiastic army. No alterna-
| tive was left to US, except ignominous
retreat. -J@ i sa-.-za. s.-..-
'It is not to be conceived of that any
American would have sanctioned the sur
| render of Manila to the insurgents Our
obligations to other nations and to the
| friendly Filipinos and to ourselves and
to our flag demanded that force should
be met by force. Whatever the future
| of the PHILIPPINES may be there is no
| course open to us now except the prose
| cution of the war until the insurgents are
| reduced to submission. The commission
| is of the opinion that there has been no
| time since the destruction of the Spanish
| squadron by Admiral Dewey when it was
| possible to withdraw our forces from the
| islands either with honor to ourselves or
| with safety to the Inhabitants"
Rebellion Must Be Put Down.
The course thus clearly indicated has
| been unfinchingly pursued. Therebellion
| must be put down. Civil government
cannot be thoroughly established until
| order is restored. With devotion and
| gallantry worthy of it's most brilliant his
tory the army, ably and Loyalty assisted
| by the navy, has carried on this unwel-
come but most righteous campaign which
| richly deserve success. The noble self
sacrifice with which our soldiers and
| sailors whose term of service had expired
| refused to avail themselves of their right
to return home so long as they were
needed at the 'front.' forms one of the
| brightest pages in our annals Although
| their operations have been somewhat in
| terrupted and checked by rainy season
| of unusual violence and duration, they
have gained ground steadily in every
| direction and now look forward conf
| IDENTIFY to speedy completion of their
| task.
| f Government for Negros. -E', ---
The unfavorable circumstances con-
| nected with an active campaign have not
| been permitted to interfere with the
equally important-work of cor struction
Again invite your attention of the report
| of the commissioners, interesting and en-
| couraging details of the work already &C
complished in the establishment of peace
| and order and the Inauguration, of self
| governing municipal life in many por-
| tions of the archipelago. A notable be-
| ginning has been made in the establish
ment of government in the island of
| Negros, which is deserving of special con-
sideration. This was the first island
| to accept American sovereignty.
| Its people unreservedly proclaimed ale
| glance to the United States and adopted
constitution looking to the establishment
of popular government. 1t was impossi-
BILE to guarantee to the people of Negros
| that the constitution SO adopted should
! be the ultimate form of government.
| Such question under the treaty with
| Spain and in accordance with our own
| constitution and laws came exclusively
within the jurisdiction of congress. The
! government actually set up by the inhab-
itants of Negros eventually proved un-
| satisfactory to the natives themselves. A
| new system was put into force by order
of the major general commanding the
department, which is partly military and
partly civil.
Executive Ohicsr the Military Governor.
The civil governor advises the military
| governor on all public civil questions and
| presides over the advisory council. He,
In general, performs the duties which are
performed by secretaries of state in our
| own system of government. ~r a..
| The advisory council consists of eight
members elected by the people within the
| territorial limits which are defined in the