The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-04-29

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Follow-one Story Has 1t That General
Luna Has Already Surrendered-Gene
Corbin Declares That All Volunteers who
Have Remained in the Philippines Should
Receive a Medal of Honor.
Manila, April 29.-Colonel Manuel
Arzueleses and Lieutenant Jose Bernal
of General Luna's army, came into
General MacArthur's lines under a flag
of truce yesterday. The Filipino Of
ficers walked down the railroad track
to the Kansas regiments outpost, and
the Kansas captain in command there
escorted them to General Wheaton's
headquarters, where they we're pro-
vided with horses and sent to the head
quarters of General Macarthur. The
latter invited the Filipinos 10 sit down
at lunch with him, and conversed with
them for some time. He refused, how
ever, to speak authoritatively on the
subject of their errand, referring all
inquiries to General Otis.
The Filipinos were then escorted by
Major Mallory, of General MacAr-
thurs staff to Manila. General Otis
aide, Lieutenant Sladen, was awaiting
their arrival at the depot with a car
riage, in which they we're driven to the
palace entrance and escorted directly
to the Office of General Otis. Jacob G.
Schurman, president of the Philippine
commission, and Hon. Charles Denby,
a member of the commission, soon
Joined the party there.
The Filipino officers told General
Otis that they were representatives Of
General Luna, who had been requested
by AgulnRldo to ask General Otis for
a cessation of hostilities in order to
allow time for the summoning of the
Filipino congress, which body would
decide whether the people wanted
peace. General Otis replied that he
did not recognize the existence Of
Filipino government The Filipinos
left the palace at 8 o'clock with the
understanding that the conference
would be resumed today.
Aguinaldo is evidently selecting the
army as a cloak for his congress, hop
ing by subterfuge to overcome General
Otis consistent policy of ignoring the
Filipino government The Filipinos'
argument is that It is impossible to
arrange an armistice without the sane
tion of the congress. General Otis
punctured this assumption by remark
ing that If Aguinaldo could make war
without congress he could stop 1t with
out reference to that body.
While the insurgents arc undoubt-
edly tired of war, the leaders are torn
with dissensions.
There is a suspicion that it was
hoped by means of a conference to
ascertain what terms they could ex-
pect. If they saw that anything is to
be gained by continuing the war an
armistice would afford them an ap
portunity for recuperating their de-
moralized forces.
It is an interesting commentary upon
Aguinaldo's scheme that only so of the
300 members Of the Filipino congress
have taken the oath of allegiance
which their constitution requires.
A Filipino proclamation replying to
the proclamation of the American
commissioners has appeared 1t is
signed by Madini, for the president,
and is dated at Caniasdro, April Is. 1t
is in the usual grandiose style, and de-
clares that President Mckinley issued
the proclamation in order to force the
American congress to ratify the ces-
sion of the islands under the treaty
of Paris. This contract of cession
was made with the Spaniards after
Spanish domination had been ended
by the valor of our troops" the proc
lamation asserts. The proclamation
complains that the Filipinos were not
represented at Paris during the nego-
tiations of the treaty and that they
are without assurances of the fulfill
ment of American promises. II dilates
upon the alleged Anglo-Saxon hatred
of blacks, and asserts a desire to en-
slave them. Deploring a lack of for
eign aid in prosecuting the war, the
proclamation concludes:
1--WE stand alone, but we will fight
to the death. Coming generations
will pray over our graves, shedding
tears of gratitude for their freedom"