The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-23
WHO MADE THE PROMISES


The question is often asked, Who is
responsible for AguinaIdo? Somebody
encouraged him to return to Luzon. to
collect his scattered army, TO form a
civil government and proclaim himself
an ally of the United States. This
being true. it should be considered in
the arraignment of the insurgents for
their outbreak and subsequent deport-
ment.
Who is responsible for Aguinaldo?
The blame'is generally placed upon Ad-
miral Dewey. But how did the great
sea fighter hear of him? How was he
placed in communication with the lead
= er of the insurrection? From official
correspondence on file in the navy de-
partment 1t appears that on the very
day Dewey received orders from
Washington to proceed at once to the
Philippine islands, a conference was
held at Singapore between United
States Consul General Pratt and Ag-
uinaldo; that the consul sought the in
surgent chieftain out. and that he no.
titled the secretary of state by cable
and telegl aphed to Dewey at Hong
kong. The message to Dewey notified
him that Aguinaldo could be induced
to go to Hongkong ito arrange with
the commodore for general cooperation
of the insurgents at Manila if de-
Sired
Dewey replied: Tell Aguinaldo to
come as soon as possible" Accordingly
he was taken to Manila on board the
United States naval vessel McCulloch.
Consul General Pratt presented Aguin-
aldo and his staff with an American
flag before their departure and, in his
speech, told them that they were en-
gagged in cause similar to that with
which the emblem originated and he
assured them that American success
would result in their independence as a
people. Copies of this speech were
struck off and circulated in the island
upon Aguinaldo's landing at Cavite.
and the inspiration aided him materi
ally in collecting his forces, which were
armed by the American naval COM
mander.
Then there were newspapers printed
in the United States which held that
the Tagal troops were the principals
in that campaign against Spain, while
the Americans were an auxiliary force;
one newspaper even went so far as to
compare Aguinaldo with George Wash
ington and TO hold the cause of the
Filipinos as Infinitely higher than that
in which our revolutionary forefathers
were engaged between 17I5 and 17S3.''
Excerpts from such editorials were
translated and circulated among the in |
surgents.
When these things are considered. |
when it is recalled. that the hopes of /
the insurgents. and of the inhabitants |
of Luzon in general, were raised and |
their Importance as a people was mag |
nified by the promiscuous promises i
held out to Aguinaldo by United States |
Consuls Pratt, Wildman and Williams, |
conveying. as it must have seemed, the !
sentiments of the American people and |
the intentions of the administration. no
wonder trouble ensued when General |
Merritt deliberately and persistently
ignored the native officers as soon as
ne took command of the American
army Of occupation.
If Aguinaldo had known that all he
would have been asked to do upon his
arrival at Manila would be TO head his
people in a fight against the Spanish.
no such opposition as now exists would
have been engendered. But when he
was assured by this trio of consuls that
he was TO be recognized by the United
States as the head of a new republic.
and having been tentatively promised
by Consul Wildman that he and his
associates would be looked after, when
his republic was a de facto one, it was
hard TO hold the little leader down.
And when other officials spoke of him
as an ally and recognized him in an
osicial capacity, even as the chief of
the Filipinos, after what the consuls
had told him, the demearor OF Merritt
and the proclamation of Otis were re-
ceived by the natives as blasting of
their hopes, and We're resented by their
leaders as an insult and a menace.
If, as recent dispatches intimate, the
insurgents are disheartened, they may
sue again for peace. Yet, there have
been so many reports of this kind that
one never knows what to think of
news from Manila. Even if peace re-
suits there are still many difficult prob
lens for solution. One of these will be
TO keep the peace. Another will be to
abolish slavery and polygamy in the :
archipelago Another will be to regu-
late commerce in accordance with our
federal constitution. Another yet will
be that Of satisfying the native author !
tiles with whom the United States au- !
thorities are said TO be negotiating for
Aguinaldo's betrayal.
The fact remains, however that the |
seeds of dissension were gown by ap-
pointees of the administration, who 5
may or may not have been acting
within the scope of their delegated au-
thority, but who certainly impressed c
the Filipinos that they We're. The trou-
de arose from a lack of tact and de- |
sision on the part of the president. 1t !
might have been ended any day by a