The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-09

A Copy Sent to All the Foreign Consuls
Residing at Manila.
A Claim That Spain Had No Au-
thority to Cede the Islands to
the United States-The Appeal
Program Of the Washington
Government.

MANILA, Aug $3.50 p. m.-Agui-
naldo has appealed to the Powers for
recognition of Filipino independence"
in document dated from Tarlac, July
9th, and signed by Buencamihio. 1t
has been received by all the foreign
Consuls in Manila with the request that
they forward it to their respective
Governments.
The FilipinOS use their old argument
that they had conquered the sovereign
ty of these islands from Spain before
the beginning of the treaty of Paris,
and therefore Spain was in no position
to cede them to the United States. They
argue that the possession of the 1000
Spanish prisoners. captured with their
arms, fighting against the Filipinos, is
eloquent proof of the nullity of the
Spanish sovereignty, as when they sur
rendered Spain'S hold was irrevocably
lost.
The document then says:
Replying to Spanish commissions
request to release the prisoners because
Spain no longer has political interests
in the islands, we asked for treaty of
peace and friendship between Spain and
the Filipinos, whereby the prisoners
would be released. But the Commits
soners refused; because it would mean
recognition of our independence. This
is equivalent to saying that the prison
erS must stay in our hands indefinitely
because their possession is our most eff
ficacious method to adjust our account
with Spain and obtain from her recog-
milton of independence"
The FilipinOS claim that they con-
quered all the country except Manila
and that they cO-operated in securing
the latter's capitulation by surround
ing it at the cost of thousands of lives.
They also claim they conquered the
country unassisted, except for sixty
guns that Admiral Dewey gave Agui-
naldo, and that Admiral Dewey and the
British and Belgian Consuls recognize
the Filipino sovereignty by asking for
passes to visit the country.
They claim that they have letters
from American Consuls and Generals
recognizing their sovereignty and prom
Using that the Americans would recog
nize their independence (which was
at the disposition of the Powers
The Filipinos attempt to make capital
of the statement that Admiral Dewey
was SO convinced that Aguinaldo would
observe and fulfill the rules of war that
he gave him hundred Spanish prison.
ers, which the American navy had cap
tured.
Finally, the Filipinos appeal to the
Powers to influence Washington to
bring termination to 1.-The unjust war
which is devastating the country"
NO INFORMATION AT STATE DE-
PARTMENT.
WASHINGTON, Aug. S.-The State
Department is entirely without infor-
nation as to the address by Aguinaldo
to foreign Powers for the recognition
of the Filipinos either as belligerents,
or as constituting an Independent gov
eminent.
The appeal is looked upon, however,
as creating no particular change, as
it has been the desire of Aguinaldo and
associates from the first to secure such
recognition. The appeal puts this de-
sire into rather formal shape, and it
may bring to an issue the position of
outside Governments. There is no idea
here that any foreign Government will
heed the address. The International
usage as to recognition was quite fully
developed during the Cuban insurrec-
ton, at which time the question was
exhaustively discussed in Congress, and
was the subject of lengthy considera-
ton in the messages of the President.
The general view at that time was that
recognition of belligerency was not in
itself casus belli
Up to the present time there has been
no intimation to the State Department
that any foreign Power entertained
even the remotest idea of giving recog-
milton to Aguinaldo and his associates.
On the contrary, there has been most
friendly feeling maintained between
this Government and foreign Powers
throughout the Filipino conflict.
The State Department does not share
the apprehension which is said to have
arisen among army officers that China
has given indirect recognition to the
Filipinos. This apprehension grew out
of report from General Otis that
horses could not be secured for cavalry
use from China, because they were
"contraband of war"
At the State Department it is said
that the matter has not assumed
state of war; but that Minister Conger
reports that China's course is due en-
tirely to certain domestic regulations
prohibiting the expectation of horses
OR ponies.
Some time ago General Otis made re-
QUESTION on the War Department for
2, 800 horses to mount the cavalry in
the Philippines. He stated in the dis
patch that the horses in the islands
were not satisfactory, and that the con-
tracts for them in China had failed,
the words ''contraband of war;" being
added.
The matter was then referred to the
State Department for investigation, and
Minister Conger, on June 9th, wrote a
letter to Secretary Hay inclosing the
correspondence that had passed be-
tween the Chinese foreign Office and
himself relative to the refusal of China
to allow the ponies to be exported.
1t appears from this correspondence
that E. S. Dalton had contracted at
TienTsin for rs ponies and % mules,
but was refused export pass. Minister
Conger, upon investigation, found that