The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-29
THE SULTAN Of SUI
Declares Allegiance to
Our Government.
The End NOT In SIGHT

Public Opinion In Manila no Longer
Few Months-The Insurgents Pre-.
pairing for vigorous Fighting in the
Next Campaign-Receiving Arms and
Ammuniuon-T Their Army by NO
Means Df~sin:egrascd.
Manila, August e4.-General Bates
has returned from Sulu. having sue
c~essfully accomplished his mission
there. After five weeks OF negotiations
with much tact, an agreement was
signed which in substance was as fol-
lows:
American sovereignty over h Moros
shall be recognized n there shall be
no persecution against religion; the
United States shall occupy and control
such parts Of the archipelago as pub
lie interests may demand; any person
can purchase land with the s~ultan's
shall be prohibited; piracy shall be
suppressed; the American courts shall
have jurisdiction excep between the
Noros; the Americans shall protect the
Moros against foreign imposition and
the sultan's subsidy from Spain shall
be continued.
The sultan and several chiefs signed
the agreement.
Manila, July %, via San Francisco,
August 24.-In Manila talk of the end
ing of the war deals no longer with
weeks hnf with mnnfhG and pvpn
years. Among the mass Of people here,
military men and foreign residents,
there is but n opinion. The whole eff
fort of the insurgents for three months
was to hold off the Americans until
their ally, the rains, came. In this they
have been as successful as they could
have hoped. Unless affairs take some
unforeseen turn, the Philippines will re-
sumo the war this fall with fresh spirit
and a r~eplenished stock of arms and
ammunition. One ship load of arms, ii
is learned on good authority, has reach
them within this week. OF money, the
leaders of the insurrection have no
lack. They control the resources of a
large and exceedingly rich country and
even though no crops were harvested
for several years, they could still OBJ
tain enough cash and supplies by i'm
pressing to their use the treasures or
the church, the S~torehouSeS of farmers
and manufactures, and n Of pri-
vate individuals-a system of levy
which they have long enforced to con-
siderable success. All the ships COM
opened to trade, pay heavy tribute to
the insurgents.
Much of the profits of this informal
sort Of government are supposed to
go into the pockets of the leaders, ex-
cept Aguinaldo, who is generally ac-
! quilted of enriching himself by the
present war, but when the public treas
ury becomes empty the politicians who
are exploiting Aguinaldo may, il they
] see a possibility of success, consider
the wal a good private investment.
Reports brought through the lines
to Spaniards and Philippines in this
city are that the spirits Of the insur-
| gents are improving.
Americans, like the Spaniards, nus
defer to nature and rest on their arms
most Of the time while the country is
a mudwallow. The generals are tell.
ing their followers that American in
action during the past month is due
to encouragement and Generalization
The Philippine soldiers, according tt
these informants, are tolerably content
ed. Although the paymaster seldom
appears, they are living as comforta
bly, as they have been accustomed to
being clothed and receiving ration!
which an American soldier could no
live on, chiefly rice with only occasion
ally a little fish or meat. They ar,
fairly we'll housed, having taken pos
session Of the dwellings and publ
and church buildings in the towns IL
!, which they are quartered, and they adj
to their living by footing.
Past experience with the secret ser
vices justifies a suspicion that man.
Of h employees, most OF whom are ma
tives or Spaniards, are deeply inter
ested in holding their places by seem
ing to earn their pay while the refugee
and those who come through the line
have been disposed to give report
which they think will please the al
thorities. Almost since the beginnin
Of the war they have pictured tn
Philippine army as on its last legs an
its collapse but a question OF days.
General Otis caused the country I
be placarded with an offer OF $50 TO
each insurgent rifle voluntarily surren
dered. If the Philippine soldiers wer
deserving by companies, tired Of tn
war n converted to American rule
bring their guns into the America
lines and receive the reward. The er
tire harvest from this offer, howeve
has been less than 100 guns. There VIZ
a time when A~guinaldo's biggest arm
hung in the balance, when it's destrue
ton appeared inevitable =. That we
when Macarthur had reached San Eel
nando and Lawto was marching upo
San Isadore with the Philippines sea
tering before him.. Lawton had mad
himself a terror to the insurgents bs
cause no obstacles stopped him unit
: he was ordered back to Maloios.