Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-07-20
PRAISES FORMER oPPREssoRs
Aguinaldo Tells His Followers What
Good Fellows the Spaniards are and
EXhOrts Them 20 Fight Americans.

Manila, July ia copy of the In
dependencia has reached Manila con-
tanning the speech which Aguinaldo
made during the recent celebration at
farlac of the anniversary of Filipino
Independence. IN substance it is as
follows:
"Filipina, beloved daughter of the
ardent sun of the tropics, commended
by providence to the care of Spain, be
not ungrateful 10 her. Salute her
who warmed you with the breath of
her own culture and civilization. 1t is
true she sought to crush thy aspra-
ton for independence as Il loving
mother opposes separation forever
from the daughter of her bosom. This
but proves the excess of affection Spain
feels for thee.
"Filipina. delicate flower of the east.
scarcely eight months weaued from
the breast of thy mother, thou hast
dared to brave Il powerful nation such
as the United States after barely or
ganiZing and discip1ining thy little
army. Yet we reply we will be slaves
to none nor allow ourselves to be de-
ceived by soft words. Let us con-
tinue to defend our fatherland until
independence is assured, for this is
Justice.
eve shall see at last that the great
American nation will acknowledge the
right which is on our side. That doe
trine of the great Monroe-that
America is for Americans--is not for
gotten. just as we affirm that the
Philippines are for the Filipinos. Some
states of the American union have
arisen in our favor. Especially is the
democratic party convinced that both
victors and vanquished will lose pre-
ciouS lives. Thus many of the people
and many statesmen censure President
Mckinley as inhuman for having or
dered his military representatives at
Manila to seek means TO bring about
hostilities with the Filipinos. These
facts prove that they wish to try us
to see if we are able to live up to the
second color of our banner, red, which
signifies courage, heroism and martyr.
dom. Therefore we should not resent
this struggle with the Americans. In
spite of their expressed desire to dom
mate all the Philippines. well con-
vinced are they that we fight with jus
tice and right on our side and that
autonomy is all a show of deceit only
serving to save certain accumulated
wealth.
eve have never concealed that we
aspire but to Independence, that we
will struggle OH to obtain it, perhaps
from those who are now our enemies
and tomorrow will be our allies, as
they were for the overthrow of the
Dower of Spain. We might well accept
this autonomy, but what can we do
with it if our ambition is independence
and if we are to accept it only to later
overthrow by force of arms the SOW
ereignty of America? As believe it
is the intention of the autonomists to
make use of treachcry and deceit we
cannot accept such procedure.
Let us avoid the example of those
natives who, having at one time been
colonists, accepted AUTONOMY to en-
able them to make their work surer
once everything was prepared. His
tory has given us an example Of this in
recent events. Let us persist in our
idea which is only the Legitimate
aspiration of a people which il
dcsirouS at all cost to preserve its
national honor spotless and pure as
crystal. Thus. then. there will not
be single Filipino autonomist. Those
who are so are in the eyes of the peo-
pie but time servers, fearful of losing
their riches, threatened by risks OF
war.
"Filipinos, let us be constant. Let
$ strengthen the bonds of our union.