Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-13
Makes a Speech at the
Tarlac Celebration.
WILL NEVER BE SLAVES
He Says the United States Must Rec
Ognize the Independence of the
Filipinos--They Depend on Aid
From Many Americans.

Manila. uly ~, 1850 p. ma copy of
the Independence has reached Manila
containing the speech which Aguinaldo
made during the recent celebration at
Tarlac of the anniversary of the proc
lamation of the Filipino independence.
In substance it is as follows:
"Filipino-beloved daughter of the ar
dent sun of the tropics. commended by
Providence to the care of noble Spain, be
not ungrateful to her salute who warmed
you with the breath of her own culture
and civilization. 1t is true she sought to
crush the aspiration for independence as
a. loving mother opposes separation for
j ever from the daughter of her bosom.
This butp roves the excess of love and
affection Spain feels for the Filipino. Del
icate flower of the east, scarcely eight
months weaned from the breast Of thy
mother, thou hast dared to drive a great
! and powerful nation, such as is the Unit
ed States, after barely organizing and
dis%ciplining thy little army. Yet we reply
we will be slaves to none. nor allow our
selves to be deceived by soft words.
LET us continue to defend our father
land until independence is assured. for
this is justice. We shall see at last that
the great American nation will acknowl-
edge the right which is on our side. That
doctrine Of the great Monroe, that Amer
lea is for Americans, is not forgotten. just
as we affirm that the Philippines are for
the FilipinOs. Some states of the Amer
lean union have arisen in our favor.
Especially is the democratic party con-
WINGED that both victOrs and vanquished
will lose precious lives. Thus many OF
the people any many statesmen censure
F, President Mckinley as inhuman for nav
ing ordered his military representatives
at Manila to seek means to bring about
| hostilities with the Filipinos. q
These facts prove that they wished to
try us to see if we were able to live up to
the second color of our banner, which
signifies courage. heroism and martyr
dom. Therefore, we hou not repent
this struggle with the Americans. In
spite of this expressed desire to dominate
all the Philippines, well convinced are
they that we fight with justice and right
on our side and that autonomy is all a
show Of deceit, only serving to save a,cer-
tain accumulated wealth. We have never
concealed our aspirations that we aspire
to Independence: that we will struggle
on to obtain it, perhaps from those who
are now our enemies and tomorrow Will
be our allies. as they were for the over
throw Of the power of Spain.
I'VE might we'll accept this autonomy
America offers. out what can we do with
it if our ambition is independence, and if
we are to accept it only to later over
throw by force of arms the sovereignty of
America? AS / believe it is the intention
of the autonomists to make use of treach-
cry and deceit we ann accept such a
procedure. We do not wish to be traitors
afterWard. eW wish to show our charac-
ter of rankness and sincerity and moth
ing more. Let us avoid the example of
those natives who. having at one time
been colonists, accepted autonomy to en-
able them to make their work surer once
everything was prepared. History has
given us an example of this in recent
events. cit us persist in our idea, which
is only the legitimate and noble aspira-
ton of a people which is DESTROYS at all
cost to preserve it's national honor spot
less and as pure as crystal. Thus, then
there will not be a single Filipino autono.
mist. Those who are so, are, in the eyes
Of the people. but time-servers, fearful o
losing their riches, threatened by risks o.
war. Filipinos. let us be constant. LIE
us strengthen the bonds of our union"
Aguinaldo concluded with calling fol
cheers for independence, the union of tn,
Filipinos and for the liberating army.