The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-03
SKETCH OF ACUINALDO.

plDCOt tue naive pitupHiiiltAlnb W nuNh -
extent that he is as dark in complexion
5 as the darkest kind OF Africo- Caucasian
half-breeds. He was born in the province
OF CaYite about twenty years ago
J His mother was a Filipino and his father
: was, probably. a Spaniard. Some gossipi
assert that he was Spanish army officer
while others declare that he was learned
} professional man It is generally under
stood in Manila however. that his past
} can not be accurately remembered by any
OF the inhabitants OF Cavite earlier than
his fourth year. at which time he became
an inmate OF the family OF noted Jesuit.
He was treated there as mental. holding
the position OF 'make-a-learn" boy-that
Is, one who is learning the trade of house
servant. 1t was not long before the neigh
boris noticed that the bright-looklng SER
want was receiving more than the usual
amount of care and attention at the hands
of his employer. and that he dressed bet
ter than many Of the sons of wealthy Fill
ipinos who lived at home.
II is reported that when he was years
| old Emilio was better educated than most
| Spanish boys OF his age in Luzon, and he
showed remarkable proficiency as student
| he entered the medical department OF the
Pontifical university when he was about
| 10 years old. According to one account he
| was making good progress toward his de-
| gree as a doctor of medicine when he upset
! his whole university career by joining the
| Masonic order. Soon afterward he went
to Kong Kong and Knocked around for
several years, practically political refu-
gee. because of his Masonic affiliations
Senior Jose Leyba, Aguinaldo's aid in
May, 1885, told me, however, that he re-
turned to his native province to practice
law sometime before the outbreak of the
rebellion of 1896. / understood that he
even held a position under the government
as collector of taxes, or in some similar
place After the rebellion began Aguin-
aldo did not take any prominent part in IL
until DR.. Jose Rial was executed by the
Spaniards, but soon thereafter he was par
ticipating in the negotiations with the
Spanish captain general for the 'pacifca- !
ton" of the islands, and was recognized
as one of the leaders of the insurgents
~
The so-called "pacihcation" has been
described in different ways, according to I
the bias of the writer describing it, On
the one hand, it is claimed that the rebel
leaders, foresee!ng that, for lack OF arms,
they would fail to drive the Spaniards
from the archipelago. decided to make
terms with their oppressors in order to
secure the reforms they desired without
further lighting Accordingly, they agreed
10 surrender all the arms in the possession
OF the rebel forces and TO disband their
troops in consideration OF the agreement
of the captain general to carry out certain
important reforms in the government, and,
further, to pay to Aguinaldo and his col
leagues in the insurgent ranks the sum
OF 100000, Mexican, equivalent to about
100000 in American gold. This agreement
was made in January, 1898, and one-half OF
the agreed sum was paid to the leaders,
who at once left the islands. Those who
believe that they were actuated by lofty
motives of patriotism say that this money
was left in bank in Hong Kong until 1t
should be known whether the Spaniards
fulfilled their promises. Then, it is
claimed when 1t was seen that none of the
reforms was forthcoming, they used this
sum for the purchase of arms and ammu-
milton with which to attack the Spaniards
in Cavlte province.
Another version OF the transaction, how
ever represents the Filipino chiefs as hav-
ing divided the first payment of s40o, 600 ;
and as then quarreling over the distribu- ,
ton of the second sum of 100000 because ,
some Of them thought that Aguinaldo had
received too large share of the first pay
ment 1t is certain that when the Maize :
was blown up in February, 1898, Aguinaldo r
was IN Singapore, and that he was then
all ready to sail for Europe, intending to l
i've in Paris. That much l know from his r
secretary. who would not have given out q
such an admission unless 1t was true and
KNOWN to be true by other people II was C
only when the disaster TO the Maine raised s
of ~, ia.
states and Spain that Aguinaldo decided S
% return TO the Philippines for a renewal a
ot the revolt. .
49, d
Aguinaldo did not arrive in Hong-Kong /
until several days after Admiral Dewey S
1ad sailed for Manila. He had had some !,
Kind of a negotiation with the United i
States consul at Singapore relative to the Il
part he was to play when the Americans Z
ittacked the spaniards in the Philippines, =
ma he began TO work the consul at -
1ong-kong in a similar way II need not :.
Ne supposed, however, that he was at all u
deceived by any promises these two men >,
nay have made to him. for he was too -
veil posted in the responsibilities that are J.,
ntrusted to mere consular representatives :.
o imagine that they could bind the United :,
tate but he was shrewd enough 10 sea ",
NJ duNdHtise tnal WOull accrue to him -,
ersonally IL he should be able to tell the =,
ilipinos that he had secured the cooper AZ
ton of the United States. II was evident =.
nat he would be able 10 pose as the big :,
est man In Luzon If he could convince =.
is former associates that he had been y.
he means Of bringing the Americans to ~
clip the natives throw off the yoke of ~
pain. Aguinaldo is entitled 10 great -, -,
cal OF credit for his foresight for 1t was ~
J this move that he became the Filipino % ~
ctator. w
On the 7th of May he was allowed to ~
nbark on the McCulloch in Hong-Kong "a
I'd was taken to Manila bay, with about M
rty natives who had been living pre- 20 20
'rlous existence In the British colony. IN
Id who We're glad to go back to their ~,
,mes on an American dispatch boat. cr
hen Aguinaldo and his rather motley -,
CUP OF followers landed In Cavite there On
ere not 100 Filiplnos in that town, but ~,
e men who had come from Hong Kong ~,
I'm him were sent into the interior to IN
II the people that new savior had come al
rescue them from the Spanlards. With NO
a week the natives began to flock into 70,
lvite, coming by boat across the bay dur
the night, because the Spaniards had nj