Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-28

organs would now have us believe he
was not, that Aguinaldo was mere
bribe-taker, who was bought UP by the
| Spanish. The record, however, tells
| another story.
Again let us consult Public Docu-
ment No. g. 1t is known that Agui-
! naldo made a compact with Spain in
December, 1897, according to which re-
| forms were to be given to the Fill
| pinos, while he and other insurgent
| leaders left the country with large
sum of money. The rest of the story
the true story-was told by Major
| General Greene, of the United States
army, in his report dated August 80,
| $685. as follows:
Aguinaldo and his associates went to
Hong Kong and Singapore. A portion of
the money. 500, 0G0, was deposited in the
banks at Hong Kong, and a lawsuit soon
arose between Aguinaldo and one of his
subordinate chiefs named Artacho. which
is interesting on account of the very non
orable position taken by Aguinaldo
Artacho sued for a division of the money
among the insurgents according to rank
Aguinaldo claimed that the money was a
trust fund. and was to remain an on n deposit 1
l would carry out their promised reforms,
and if they failed to do so it was to be
used to defray the expenses OF a new IN E
surrection The suit was settled out OF
court by paying Artacho $500: NO steps
have been taken to introduce the reforms,
mere than 2,CC0 insurgents who had been
deported to Fernando Pc and other places
are still in confinement, and Agulnaldo IS
now using the money to carry on the
operations of the present instruction.
1t is further known that Aguinaldo
even refused money for his personal
expenses from American officials, which
is made plain in a statement by Gen.
Whittier in said Document No. 81. He
says: "Aguinaldo went to Cavite, un-
der permission of Admiral Dewey, in
reply to a telegram sent by Spencer
Pratt, Esq, our consul general at Sing
apore, who offered that chief money for
his expenses. The offer was declined"
Does this look as if Aguinaldo was
a bribe-taker, as administration organs
would have us believe? On the con-
trary, according to Gen. Greene ,Agui-
naldo used the money received from
Spain as a trust fund" to prosecute
the instruction before the Americans
captured Manila. Further, in Docu-
ment No. 81 appears letter from Cen
eraI Anderson, commanding our forces
at Cavite, to Aguinaldo, dated July 4,
in which he said:
General, I have the honor. to inform
YOU that the United States of America,
whose land forces | have the honor TO to
with the kingdom of Spain, has entire
sympathy and most friendly sentiments
for the native people of the Phlipplne
Islands For these reasons l desire to
have the most amicable relations with
YOU and to have you and your people
cooperate with US in the military opera
1t was not until five weeks after
this-that is. August 13-that Manila
surrendered lGeneral Greene, of the
United States Army, afterward reported
as follows concerning the value of the
insurgent operations:
Between 2,OOo and 5000 Spanish native
troops surrendered to it l(Aguinaldo's
army during the months OF June and
July: it constantly annoyed and harrassed
the SpaniardS in the trenches, keeping
them up at night and wearing them out
with fatigue, and it invested Manila early
in July so completely that all supplies
were cut off and the inhabitants as well
as the Spanish troops were forced to live
on horse and buffalo meat, and the CHI
nese population on cats and dogs. 1t cap
tured the water works of Manila and cut
off the water supply and if it had been in
the dry season would have inflicted great
suffering on the inhabitants for lack of
water These results, it is true, were
obtained against dispirited army, con-
tanning a considerable number of native
troops of doubtful loyalty. Yet from
August. 1896. TO April: 1897, they fought
$500 of the best regular troops sent out
from Spain. infiicting on them loss of
over 40 officers. and 2500 men. killed and
wounded, and they suffered still greater
losses themselves.
General Whittier testified in the same
vein. He said to the commissioners at
Paris:
Jaudenes, the acting captain general
in reply to Merritt and Dewey's notice to
remove his non-combatants. acknowledge
ed that the insurreetionists surrounded the
city and that he could not remove women,
children, etc.. out. His fear and solicit
tufle about the natives entering the city
when / received the surrender of the city
were almost painful to witness. This at
mission demonstrates as well the military
ability shown by the Filipinos.
Again General Whittier said, in an
swer to question from Senator Frye,
one of the peace commission, whether
the insurgents had been of material
assistance to the Americans:
Very great. II the protocol had not
home would have insisted upon their