The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-08
ORIGIN OF FILIPINO WAR.
:AGDlNS LIDO ALWAYS INSOLN i;Nr
General Otis Explains the situation
in the Phiiippines-tho American
Commander Was CunciIiatury.

| Commander Was CUnciIiatury
Inc secretary OF var has mad,
puOllc the report Of GCnera. OF, ~
TO the opCratiOnS around Mn1il.
| Cen. Otls begins with this statement:
"Ihcoc military operations are fairly
wen represented in the reports and |
have little TO add thcrcto, bat dies ire
partlcnIarly 10 call attention to tilc is
| and devci Opmcn. OF condition, and cir
cumslanccs which resulted finally in
war. This / deem tp &C ca,yn'i.:l ia
order to correct the some yh,.t ureya;l.
ing impression that the government uf
toc United States l. rc#pnnaiU..
through deceit or wrongful action for
the present existing hO.tilitiCs."
10 TINS and he gives u snort summary
OF The Phlllpptnc inaurrIction against
Spain, laying stress on tho fact thai Is
small band OF the natives Of Luzon,
leaders CT the rebellion OF 'YG against
Spain, were induced for Is monetary
ons1dcratiOn to leave the is and. Thcsn
men returned to the vicirity OF Manila
alter the destruction Of the Spanish
ilect, they being, as Cen. Otis saws,
''encouraged without authority to It,
Tempt the organization Of an indcpen.
dent government for the Philippine
people"
independence, Gen. Otis eays, was
proclaimed by AguinalAo in Angus,
and as early as July he had warned the
unitsi States authorities against the
landing Of its military forces on phil-
ippinc soil without first Obtaining his
consent, because, as he expressed it.
the Philippine people might consider
the occupation of Philippine territory
by North American troops q violation
OF their rights"
Gen O,is says: "When the Unitc |
Stale3 iorcc5 wcrc landed irOm their
transports near and 10 the soutn OF
Manila Tor the purpose Of attACkius. Tie
city tho fiction that they nero a%,in.t
AS allies Of the insurgents and in
furjherancc Of Pniiippinr indcpcn-
denco appears to have been conveyed
by in: urgent leaders"
Gen. OILS describes Aguiualu0's Ct.
lorts TO strengthen his lines in prpDar.
alton for hostiitics with tho kjnited
States during this time and explains
the growth OF the inSurInnS indyDcn-
dent movement.
Describing bri, fly the ',igh tension
Ch"t existed at tne time. Glu OILS
Includes In explanation Of his coarse
some highly important corrcspondcnca
that passed between himself aud
AguinUldo.
EArly IN u tmuary Gen. OILS vas asked
by conservative Fllipinos to @ppojnA =
committee Of army oili .crs 10 mot a1
lhsurgent committee by which pcDcr
mlR Rht be maintaiAcd. Gen. OILS re-
FUSED to rccognzt any insurgemt gov
crnment but was willing TO negotiate
with Aguinaldo or commission Az
pointed by him.
The report sets out in mil the cOr-
rcSpondcncc' on this subject which
passed b>twccn Gen. O.is and Aguin-
ALDO. The latter nain,d Il commission
consisting of three Of his leaders TO
confer with G5n. O.is, with view to
an amicablc undCrst&nding hut cX-
pressed surprise that Ohs ~oI'd rot
receive tho camm ,s5OHyrs as iii ;ial
representatives Of the naurgoGt gov
ernmcnt.
In his reply Gen. OgiS explained that
ne WAS acting merely 81 The GGent OF
the United States government. As
auch ne had no authority to recognize
the Filipino government ana could not
receive, officially, reprcs :ntaljv9s of
that' government, H. expressed
earnest hope that Che commissioners
named by him and AguinaldO would be