Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1899-11-10

by the Hong Kong government to leave
those waters by the following day.
The squadron left Hong Kong on the
morning of the 25th, and Mrs bay on
the 27th. Aguinaldo did not leave
Singapore until the 26th, and SO did
not arrive in Hong Kong in time to
have conference with the commo-
dore.'
1T had been reported to the commo-
dore as early as March by the United
States consul at Manila and others,
that the Filiipnos had broken out in
insurrection against the Spanish author
ity in the vicinity of Manila, and on
March 80 Mr.. Williams had tele-
graphed: Five thousand rebels armed
in camp near city. Loyal to us in case
of war;
Upon the arrival of the squadron at
Manila it was found there was no in
surrection to speak of, and it was ac-
cordingly decided to allow Aguinalde
to come TO Cavite.on board the McCul-
loch. He arrived, with 13 of his staff,
on May 10, and Immediately came on
board the Olympia to call on the COM
mander-in-chief, after which he was
allowed to land at Cavite and organize
an army. This was done with the
purpose of strengthening the United
the enemy. No alliance of any kind
was entered into with Aguinaldo, nor
was any promise of independence made
to him, then or at any other time"
First Idea of Independence.
The commissions report then rap
idly sketches events now historical. It
tells in substance how the Filipinos at
tackled the Spanish, and how General
Anderson arrived, and Aguinaldo, at
his request, removed from Cavite to
Bacoor.
The report states that Aguinaldo
wished to attack the Americans when
they landed at Paranaque, but was de-
TERED by lack of arms and ammuni-
ton. From that point on there was q
growing friction between the Filipinos
and the American troops.
A brief chapter tells of the lack of
success attending the effort made at
this time by Generl Merritt, through 3
commission, to arrive at mutual un-
derstanding with Aguinaldo as to the
intention, purposes and desires of the
Filipino people.
The Outbreak.
This brings the story up to the out
break ON the evening of February A,
with the attack upon the American
troops following the action of the Ne
braska sentinel. The commission, in
concluding this chapter, says:
.sAfter the landing of our troops,
Aguinaldo made up his mind that it
would be necessary to fight the Ameri-
cans, and after the making of the
treaty of peace at Paris his determine
tion was strengthened. He did not
only openly declare that he intended to
fight the Americans, but he excited
everybody, and especially the military,
by claiming independence, and it is
doubtful whether he had the power to
check or control the army at the time
hostilities broke out. Deplorable as
war is, the one in which we are now
engaged was unavoidable. We were
attcked by bold, adventurous and en-
thusiastic army. No alternative was
left to us except ignominious retreat.
1t is not to be conceived that any
American had sanctioned the surrender
of Manila to the insurgents. Our OBJ
legations to other nations and to the
friendly Filipinos and to ourselves and
our flag demanded that force should be
met with 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 COM
mission 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.
Should our power, by any fatality,
| be withdrawn the commission believes
| the government of the Philippines
would speedily lapse into anarchy,
which would excuse, if it did not me-
cessitate, the intervention of other
powers, and the eventual division of
the islands among them. Only through
American occupation, therefore, is the
idea of free government and united
Philippine commonwealth at all con-