Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-09

L
CLINES TO ANSWER HTM-MA-
Mia IS QUIET AND PEACEFUL
AND BUSINESS HAS BEEN RE-
SUMED-N ARE RE-
SPECTFUL AND CHEERFUL.
Washington, February 8.-The War
Department to-day received the follow
ing dispatch:
Manila. February S.-Situation rapid
ly improving. Reconnaissance yester-
day to south several miles to Lagunade
Bay, to southeast eight miles driving
struggling insurgent troops in various
directions, encountering no decided OPP
position. Army disintegrated and ma
tives returning to villages displaying
white flag. Near Caloocan, six miles
north, enemy made stand behind en-
trenchments Charged by Kansas
troops led by Col. Funston. Close en-
counter. resulting in rout of enemy with
heavy loss. Loss to Kansas: Lieut.. Al
ford, killed; six men wounded.
On the 4th Aguinaldo issued lying
proclamation charging Americans Win
initiative and declared war; Sunday Is
sued another calling all to resist for-
eign invasion; his influence throughout
this section destroyed; now applies Tor
a cessation of hostilities and confer
ence: have declined to answer. lnSur-
gent expectation of rising in city on
night of 4th unrealized. Provost mar
shall general with admirable DISPOSE
tion of troops defeated every att0nap''
| Ca IDIOT. h,s;neoa resumed; natives
-Yoate,n and cheerful fighting quail
tiles of American troops revelation
| to all inhabitants.
(Signed.) Oll0'
The statenMnt that Asuinaldo's IN
Huence had been destroyed and that the
| Filipino leader was seeking for cessa-
| ton of hostilities and for conference
| was most acceptable and was interpret
| ed as an admission that he had realized
his terrible mistake. 1t is entirely i'm
probable that he will be able to restore
ANYTHING like the status quo or to OBJ
| tain anything like the same terms as
were possible last week No one here
now knows just what Gen. Otis intends
| to impose in the way of terms. Secre-
| tary Alger this afternoon repeated his
statement of yesterday that he had
given the General no instructions since
the battle. and saw no reason for giving
any He realized, he said, that Gen.
Otis, being on the ground and having
proved his fitness, was in better posi-
ton to deal with the situation than any
one in Washington. Should the Gen
eral ask permission, therefore, to do
anything, he would be granted permits
sion Immediately.
Should he ask for instructions on
any point" said Secretary Alger, che
will be told to exercise his own discre-
ton
In this view of the case it will be
seen that no one here can tell at pres
ent how. Gen. Otis will act toward Agu-
inaldo's application. But the opinion
is expressed by men here who know
Gen. Otis experience with the Indians
that he will make the laying down of
arms the condition of dealing with the
insurgents at ALL and if that condition
is met of course it will mean a speedy
termination of the rebellion.
There is no reason to believe that the
President has changed his policy re-
speeding the treatment of the Filipinos
because of the battle, and It is believed
that if they are content to profit by
the severe lesson administered to them
he will be willing to receive them as
erring children and treat them with
as great a degree Of liberality as their
state and a due regard for the interests
of the United States and of civilization
will permit
1t is thought at the War Department
that the large number of wounded
Filipinos in the hands of the American
forces, while they will prove somewhat
burdensOme and will make a heavy
draft in the resources of the medical
department, Will prove a good thing
in the end. The wounded F'ilipinos
cared for in the American hospitals
and fed with American rations, it is
believed, will make very effective mis-
sionaries when they return to their
own people The idea of wounded
prisoners being carefully nursed and
cared for, it is said, will be a wholly
new experience to the insurgents.
The situation is likened to that ex-
listing in Cuba before the assault on
Santiago. The Spanish prisoners cap
tured at San Juan and Caney said very
frankly after the battle that they would
not have resisted with one-half the de-
termination they did had they not been
repeatedly assured by the Spanish au-
thorities that the Americans never took
prisoners except to scalp and torture
them, and that il was far better TO die
fighting in the trenches than to fall