Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-02-18
AGUINALDO THE "SAVA6E." "

AGUINALDO THE SAVAGE"
Filipino Leader Talks to General Otis
About Civilized Warfare.
From letters written Major General
Otis by Aguinaldo, and made public
by members of the Filipino junta be-
fore they left Washington last week, it
appears that previous to the breaking
out of hostilities, General Otis threat
ened Aguinaldo with arrest if he per-
sisted in his refusal to release Spanish
civil functionaries and monks held
prisoners by the Filipinos. General
Otis advised Aguinaldo to surrender
these people, and when Aguinaldo
wrote explaining his reasons for hold
ing them, General Otis made stronger
request. Aguinaldo refused to COM
ply, and then General Otis made the
demand for the release of the prisoners
and threatened to arrest Aguinaldo if
he refused. The first letter of Agui-
naldo is as follows:
General Otis: 1t is a pleasure for
me to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of yesterday, and 1 am per-
suaded that the observations made by
you were learned in free land. First
let me tell you that it is not my policy
to make prisoners of women or chill
dren. No nun has ever been held pris-
oner by the Philippine forces. If
among our prisoners is found a child or
woman, it is because these persons
have elected to remain with their faith
er or husband. Some prisoners of this
class are supported out of the Philip
pine treasury. know that this is ap-
parently a violation of the rules and
usages of war as practiced by civilized
nations; but I think it is policy die
tated by principles of humanity.
These women and children may have
their liberty if they desire it.
"You declare that the Spanish civil
functionaries and the Spanish monks
may not he imprisoned without viola
,ion of the rules of international law.
We have never made prisoners of the
Spanish secular clergy; but have cap.
tured and imprisoned the monks. 1
feel that on this subject the foreign
mind has been very much misled. /
desire to remind you that Spanish civil
functionaries and Spanish monks are
such in name only. At the beginning
of the war between America and
Spain, General Augustin organized the
civil employees into armed corps and
they continued to bear arms against
the Philippine people. 1t is true that
they did not 90 much into the fields of
battle but they were useful to Spain
in harrassing and torturing unarmed
and inoffensive Filipinos. These peo-
pie subjected thousands of my people
to cruel, unnatural and unnecessary
tortures.
"In the matter of the Spanish
monks, permit me to tell you that they
have done more than any other class
in enslaving our people. In times of
peace this class has levied tribute from
my people. The canon laws of the
Roman Catholic church forbid that
monks shall take up arms, enter the
military service or actively participate
In politics. The Spanish monks in the
Philippines have done all these things.
They have long deceived the vatican.
When the secular clergy, who are Fill
ipinos, sought to bring the abuses to
the attention of the high authorities in
the church, they were prosecuted and
tortured by the monks and the power
ful religious corporations. These
monks pretended to the Spanish au-
thorities that to them was due in the
main the subjection of the Filipinos
and the maintenance of Spanish SOW
ereignty in these islands. The Spanish
funclionaries who were cognizant of
this deception did not disclose it, as
thew were in the hire of the rich &C.
clesastical corporations. The leading
cause of the Philippine revolution may
be attributed justly to the machina-
tions of these alleged men of God.
They have kept closed the door to lib
erty and progress. All foreigners who
have studied the Philippine situation
will bear me out in this statement.
General, in view of the history of
these monks, and the power which by
reason of their gold they are able to
exercise over certain classes of weak
and fanatical Fllipinos, it is not good
public policy that they should be al
lowed their liberty at this time. be-
lieve that the Philippine republic must
RESTRAIN the civil functionaries till such
time as they shall be deported, and
shall keep the monks in confinement
till they shall be forced by the vatican
to abstain from politics in these islands.
1t is neither hate nor revenge which
impels me to maintain the persons in
confinement. Their Imprisonment is
dictated by public policy. My people
demand that these men be held as
prisoners, and can but obey their
will.
"If you will present these views and
reasons to the free people of America