Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-06-03

met IN every way possible. My troop,
witnessing the earnestness, the COM
plratively disturbed and unfriendly at
tltude of the revolutionary troops, an6
many of the citiZenS of Manila, con-
clude that active hostilities have been
determined upon, although it must be
clearly within the comprehension of un
preJudiced and rejecting minds that the
welfare and happiness of the Filipino
people depend upon the friendly pro-
lection of the United States. The hand
or Spain was forced, and she has ac.
knowledged before the world that all
her claimed rights in this country have
departed 10y due process of law. This
treaty Acknowledgement. with the condi.
tons which accompany it, awaits rati-
nration by the senate of the Unit ed
States. and the action of its congress
must also be secured before the eX-
ecutive of that government can pro.
claim a definite policy. That policy
must conform t. the will of the people
of the United States, expressed through
ITS representatives, in congress. Fol
that action the Filipino people should
wait, at least. before severing the ex.
isting friendly relations. i am gov
erned by a desire to further the interests
of the Filipino people and shall continue
to labor with that end in view. There
shall be no conflict of forces if / am
able to avoid it, and still l shall en-.
deaVor to maintain "A position to meet
all emergencies that may arise
General Otis says the negotiations be-
tween the two commissions reached no
conclusion. The insurgent commits.
sioners presented as the desire of the
insurgents, absolute independence, un-
der the protection of the United States,
but the nature and scope of the pro.
lection wished for they could not eX-
plain, and the cc!,fercnces ended in
failure.
In the latter part of January the in
sursents became aggressive, interfer-
ing with the American troops, and final
ly General Otis wrote General Aguin-
aldo. calling attention to the arrest by
Filipinos of some American soldiers
and newspaper correspondent and re-
questing an explanation. Aguinado
replied that the men were arrested in
side of his lines for breach of a decree
forbidding foreigners to approach the
insurstnt lines
''NhVitii otiS Itppil tNIbldlHS ludt tTt
Americans were not outside our lines
and he quotes the correspondence
to show the efforts of the American
authorities to maintain peace
He next tells how the American SOL
diers were openly insulted, and how the
insurgents had continuously labored to
strengthen their lines, threatening to
drive the Americans out of the island,
and how, finally, on the night of Feb 4,
the demonstration was made which re-
suited in the killing of Il Filipino by an
American sentry, and the firing on the
Americans by the insurgent troops.
General Otis says:
THE insurgert army thus succeeded
in drawing the fire of small outpost.
which they had evidently labored with
all their ingenuity to accomplish, in
order to justify in some way their pre-.
meditated attack. 1t is not believed
that the chief insurgent leaders wished
open hostilities at this time, as they
were not completely prepared to assume
the initiative. They desired two or
three days more to perfect their ar
rangements, but the zeal of their army
brought on the crisis, which anticipated
their action. They could not have de-
layed long, however. for it was their
object to force an issue before American
troops, then en- route, could arrive at
Manila"
The report then refers to the uniform
ly successful military operations which
followed the outbreak of hostiltes, and
speaks highly of the efficiency displayed
by the troops under the most trying
ordcalS.
Havana, June 1.-The payment of the
Cuban troops continued yesterday at
Santiago de las Vegas, under the super
vision of Colonel Randall, 109 men re-
ceiving $15 each. Twenty-one appl-
cants, who had no arms, and who did
rot furnish the necessary Identification,
were refused payment. The arms sur
rendered were delivered by Colonel
Randall to the alcalde. Colonel Ran
dali and the pay train left last evening