The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-26
OUR CONSULS AND THE TAGALs

OUR CONSULS AND THE TAGALs
What official notice has been taker
of the Filipino claim to independence,
asks a correspondent, land what en-
Engagement was ever given to the
Tagals to set up government of theil
own?''
AS The Herald has already stated
Aguinaldo and his staff were in
with SPAIN Consul General Pratt. by
and with the advice and consent of the
secretary of state. hunted up the in
surgcnt leaders and made them a
proposition to return to Luzon and CO.
operate with the American navy in the
vicinity of Manila. Aguinaldo agreed
Dewey was notified. Tell Aguinaldo
to come as soon as possible" he re-
Piled. This was in the latter part of
April, 1898. A few days later Aguinaldo
reached Cavite, landed with Dewey
permission, and issued a proclamation
to his people in the course of which
he called attention to the disposition of
the United States government ito help
us obtain our liberty wherefore, he
added, II again assume control of our
hosts in their endeavors to obtain the
grand object we all have in view, estab-
fishing dictatorship and issuing de-
crees on my own responsibility with the
advice and approval of iilustrious fell
low countrymen, until such a time as
all the islands own our sway, when
a properly constituted popular assem-
bly, can be formed and elect a presi-
dent. with a cabinet, into whose hands
shall surrender supreme authority"
This document was sent to the presi-
dent by Admiral Dewey who said in
his June report to the secretary OF the
navy:
Aguinaldo, insurgent leader. with thir-
teen of mis- staff. arrived May 70. by per-
mission. | have given him 10 understand
that | consider insurgents as friends, be-
ing opposed to a common enemy; he has
now gone to attend a meeting of insur-
gent leaders for the purpose of forming
civil government and. in my opinion,
these people are far superior in their in
telligence and more capable of self-gov-
eminent than the Cubans are. and l am
familiar with both races.
Consul General Wildman, stationed
at Hongkong. wrote to Aguinaldo at
the time he was organizing his govern
ment in Luzon and said: There are
greater prizes in the world than being
the mere chief of revolution l look
to you to bear me out in all my prom
Uses, and l give you my assurance that
you can always call upon me to act as
m
SANDER your name. Do not forget that
the United States undertook this war
for the sole purpose of relieving the
Cubans from the cruelties under which
they were suffering and not for the love
of conquest or the hope of gain They
are actuated by precisely the same feel
ings towards the Filipinos.'
Some doubt having been expressed at
Washington as to the propriety of
countenancing the government set up
by the insurgents. Admiral Dewey
called attention to the solemn pledges
made to the Cubans and. in his report
to the secretary of the navy dated
Aug. %, 1898. said:
In a telegram sent to the department
on June % / expressed the opinion that
these people are far superior in their
and more capable of self
than the natives of Cuba, and
| am familiar with both races" Further
has confirmed me in this
opinion.
EX-Minister John Barrett, an ardent
friend of the admins
tration, acting in a semi-oficial capa-
city for the president on account of his
long years of residence in the Orient,
contributed an article to the Review of
Reviews in the course of which he
said:
The government which was organized
by Aguinaldo at Cavite and continued
first at Bakor and later at Malolos devel-
Oped into a much more elaborate AFFAIR
than its most ardent supporters had
originally expected. BY the middle of
October 1898. he had assembled at Maio-
los congress of 100 men who would COM
pare in behavior. manner. dress and edu-
ration with the average men of the better
classes of other Asiatic nations. possibly
the japanese. These men. whose
sessions l repeatedly attended, conducted
themselves with great deco-um. and
showed a knowledge of debate and par
iamentary law that would not compare |
with the japanese parlia- |
nent.
The secretary of state carried on a |
with Consul General |
Pratt regarding the Tagal government |
md ii was not until peace had been !
declared with Spain that President |
inaugurated his policy of |
gnoring the Tagal government al |
hough recognizing that of the Sulus,
legritos and Visayas. This policy, |
.arried out by Merritt and Otis. |
lroused the resentment of the insurg-
.nts who had been told to consider |
themselves as allies of the American !
lrmy and promised independence at the |
lose of the war with Spain.