Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-28

Junta de Autoridades had obtained vague
rumors of the fact which they were unable
to either confirm or dsprove. Echaluce,
one of the secretaries, a man whose high
linguistic attachments made him more ia
miiar with the Tagals than any other
member of the junta, said that he did not
believe there was native regiment
which could be trusted as a whole.
Alvarez Soils, who had special charge of
the southern peoples of the archipelago,
declared that the people there had recov-
cred from the defeat administered to them
by Gen. Aroas and We're liable TO start a
new insurrection in case that in LuZon
made any progress. Similar advice came
from Bishop Alcocer in Cebu and from
Secretary Olivaras in Panay. 1t was there
fore determined to try chicanery and brib-
cry rather than to resort to arms. Ennis
SarieS were sent to the inSurgent leaders
and proposition was made that If the
revolutionarieS would lay down their arms
and return to their homes and the lead
ers leave the country the government would
pay all the expenses of the proceeding, the
wages of all the troops, would agree to
prosecute one involved in the uprising
and would put through all the reforms
which Rial had demanded.
The propositions of the Manila govern
ment were received by the revolutionary
generals and discussed at great length.
Some were in favor of accepting them;
others, of a more fiery temper, advocated
rejecting them and driving the Spaniards
into the sea.
Money Paid to Agufnaldo.
third group, headed by Aguinaldo,
urged their acceptance upon the condition
that the Spanish government should give
some more tangible guarantee than mere
oral promise or a vague and indefinite
agreement IL writing.
The dissenSions among the generals were
reported to the Manila authorities, who
brought all their influence to bear upon
tla AoIt do
diplomatic group. They employed bribery,
cajolery and every other form of persua-
sion, and at last prevailed.
The peace party won the day, and the
agreement was entered into between the
government and the rebels. The insurgents
bhaved very manfuily and kept their agree
ment to the letter. They disbanded and
laid down what few arms they had. The
leaders left the country and went to Hong
Kong and a few to Singapore.
The Manila authorities violated their word
In almost every respect. Instead of paying
the amount of money agreed upon-over
S1,00o,00O, which they raised partly from the
budget and partly from special taXeS-they
gave small fraction to Aguinaldo in Hong
Kong and put the rest in their own pockets.
The amount claimed to have been paid by
the Spanish politicians was over S1,opo,o oO
anG- the amount actually paid was in the
neighborhood of 100000. In regard to the
reforms the Spanish government did moth
ing.
Things went from bad to worse. and late
in the autumn of 1897 Aguinaldo and his
colleagues had determined to resort to
arms again.
The action, of the United States in Janu-
airy, 1888, produced much excitement
and discussion in Hong Kong as in New
York. London or Madrid. 1t was a cloud
very large and very dark upon the horizon
and it portended disaster and retribution to
Spain.
Aguinaldo and the Americana.
Aguinaldo told his colleagues and follow
ers that the opportunity had come. He
made contracts with adventures to deliver
arms in the Philippines, and he displayed
activity in visiting American naval Off
GERS, consular representatives, merchants,
sea captains and private citizens
As war became an assured fact Aguinaldo
and Consul Wildman of Hong Kong, grew
more and more intimate Aguinaldo
Agoncillo and the other Philippine leaders
declare that Widman promised ndepend-
ence to the islanders and claimed to have
authority from Washington to make this
promise
Wildman. on the other hand, denies the
promise, and states that he merely endeav-
ored to gain the assistance of the revolu-
tiOniStS against the SpaniardS in the cam
paign that was then to come. At any rate.
| Immediately after the victory of Admiral
Dewey at Manila Aguinaldo. followed in d
short time by his colleagues, crossed over
to Luzon and organized the tnsurrection
upon the biggest scale ever seen in the
archipelago.
Early in June he organized a quasi gov
eminent, selecting the officers from his own
military staff. his relatives and intimate
friends. On June %, 1898, this body met
and confirmed him as generalissimo of the
Philippines and president of the revolu-
tionary government.
Twelve days afterward-on July 5-he is
sued his now celebrated proclamation. In
this he appointed Baldomero Aguinaldo, his
cousin, secretary of war and public works
Leandro Ibarra, secretary of the interior;
and Mariana Trias, secretary of the treas
ury.
The story of his falling out with the
Americans is a matter of recent history.