The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-23

Manila May 20.-General Gregorio
del Pillar, commander of the insurgent
forces In front of General Lawton's
division; Lieutenant Colonel Alberto
Barretto, judge advocate; Major Zeal
cita, of Aguinaldo's staff, and Senor
GraciognZaga, a former member of the
Philippine cabinet, the commissioners
appointed to cooperate with Seniors
Florentino Torres, Pablo Campo and
Teodore Yanco, of Manila, for the pur-
pose of negotiating terms Of peace with
the American commissioners, reached
Manila by special train from Malolos at
8:15 O'Clock this morning.
The party was met by Lieutenant
Colonel Barry adjutant general and
conducted from the train to the launch
Captain and taken to the palace at
Galaoanan, and after breakfast were
tamiente.
The party was closeted with General
Otis for more than an hour; but the
interview was decidedly unsatisfactory,
the commission having nothing definite
to propose and being unempowered to
negotiate terms.
The commissioners brought COM
munication direct from Aguinaldo, ask
ing for an armistice pending the de-
cision of the Philippine congress as to
what policy should be adopted. AS be-
fore, General Otis refused to entertain
the proposition
The commissioners, after leaving the
city hall, accepted anAinvitation to
visit the Oregon and the other vessels
of the American fleet in the bay, and
they were also granted permission to
see their families before returning.
UP THE RIO GRANDE.
Colonel Kobbe's expedition up the
Rio Grande met with no resistance ex-
cept. at the outskirts of San Luis,
where several hundred Philippines
were entrenehed on the banks of the
stream. The rebels retreated beyond
Candaba and the gunboats steamed
ahead, all the way training their Cat
ling guns upon the banks and drop
ping shells wherever uniforms appear
ed ON the shore. The gunboats dis
persed the insurgents before San Luis
HARASSED BY SHARPSHOOTERS.
After they had passed sharpshooters
from trees across the river, hundred
yards distant, harassed the Seventeenth
infantry, which was marching by fours
along the narrow wooded road, from
which the troops were unable to see
the enemy. The members of one bat
TALON lay on their faces in the road
for a quarter of an hour, trying to 10
cate the rif1emen and return their fire.
Two Americans were wounded.
The road wound close to the stream
and was thickly settled. 1t was pic
turesque march. Many groups of hum
dredS of natives were clustered under
the trees on top of the oposite bank,
displaying white shirts, towels, sheets
or anything white, ON poles. Some
shouted welcomes to the American SOL
diers, but most of them maintained
sullen silence.
THEY NEED NOT BE AFRAID.
An old man, in carriage, met the
troops two miles outside of town. He
said: "I have lived in England and I
have told the people that the Ameri-
cans are like the English and that they
need not be afraid"
A HEARTY WELCOME.
Captain Grant, in command of the
gunboats, landed before the troops ar
rived and met with a Porto Rican'
welcome. The natives who had assem-
bled on the shore crowded about the
Americans with fullsome expressions of
frindship, apparntly half afraid that
thy would be massacred.
Captain Grant quickly distributed the
men from the gunboat Laguna de Bay
to guard the town, and the natives sent
a messenger to tell the people who had
taken refuge in the swamps to return.
Hundreds of the natives, thereupon, re-
turned timidly, man with an impro-
vised flag of truce flying from bam-
boo pole preceding each party.
A Capuchin priest, one of the few
whom the Philippines had not impris-
Oned, was found at Candaba. He said
it was useless to try to convince the
natives that the Americans had not
come to Cypress them. as they believed
their leaders, who had strongly i'm
pressed this belief upon them and who
have told stories of massacres, rapes
and Philippine victories
The walls of the town were placard-
ed with reports of slaughter of Ameri-
cans by the hundred.
AS soon as Major Kobbe reached San
Luis the natives raided the insurgents
rice stores. ALI day stream of half
naked people emerged from the store