New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-16
"AGryNALDO'S CASE"

The plausible writer who, in Ihe No' ~
American Reviov-" noses as the authorized
personal representative of Agulnaldo' anu a.
such presents "Aguinaldos Case Against 'nV
| United States" should have learned ID I"i 49,
from which city he writes, 10 obey inc wei.
known diplomatic injunction against excess "
zeal Had he done he would not nave let Ms
eagerncss to split hairs over the dllIelenVe ~
tween "control' and sovereignty Deuas MIN
into the perverslon Of well established iac'S'
nor. IN his consuming desire TO make Americans
learn wisdom from the Tagals' wouiu he n"'e
contradictod himself so directly within the com
pass of the one brief essay
This writer revamps. for example, the stare
falsebood that Admiral Dewey went 10 MahHa
with Aguinaldo and his fellow insurgents ~
The accented allies" of the United States, TINS
country having conferred into an alliance with
Thorn at Hong Kong and Singapore. and addS
that the Tagal understanding with Admlrai
Dewey was perfect. and "all went well uhtii
the arrival Of General Merritt" II is SUFFICIENT
in answer 10 recall n few dates Admiral Dewey
reached Manila on May and destroyed the
Snonish feet Acuinaldo proclaimed himself
President Of the Philippines on June j.. ana
,iree veeks LATER announced the organization of
the Philippine Republic on July II Aguinaldo
made appeal 10 the European Powers for rec
ignition Of his republic. and II was not unul
July - that General Merritt arrived ar "a
wife In those eighty-five days between the ar
rival of Admiral Dewey and that Of General
Merritt. what occurred? It is easier TO tell what
did not occur Admiral Dewey did not recog-
nzc the sovereignty Of Agulnaldo or or MS re-
public. nor treat him or it as an ally nor dld
he attempt to capture Manila, nor permit Agui-
naldo 10 do So lie simply kept matters IN statu
quo until ne arrival Of General Merritt ana MS
army WY? Simply because his naval force
was not sufficient TO hold and control the city II
he should capture it, and because the Tagal IN
surgentS confesscdly intent on loot were
neither 70 be trusted TO do so nor entitled TO OK
orcise such authority. That was Admiral
Dewcy's attitude toward Aguinaldo And yet
this writer tells us that Joy aboundcd in every
heart. and all went well" In what respect
pray. was Admiral Deweys attitude more ayr
able 10 the Tagals than General Mcrrius:
Again. We are told by Aguinaldos personal
representative that the people Of the Philippines
placed themselves al your 'our> feet" and
wished YOU Ghe United States to govern
Them" Yet Aguinaldo himself in his proclama-
tons Of June. 1895 long before the arrival OF
must bc absolutely Independent. And when, long
afterward agents of the United States offered 10
Agunaldo's representatives for the Philippine
reople. the largest possible measure of self gov
eminent under the control and protection Of the
United States that offer was rejected and de-
mand for absolute md immediate independence
was made. OF q truth the Taeas showed I'M
common agility in getting up from the feet OF
The United States and in transforming their
wish for our government 10 fat rejection of it.
Time would he wasted in a detailed exposure
Of all the fallacics and misrepresentation in
this curious bit of inflated rodomontadc 1t is
sufficient to give these few examples and to
commend the whole for perusal, 10 those who
wish to get the dearest possible conception OF
the stiffness, mpracticablity and unfitness for
independent sovereignty Of Agulnaldo and his
fellow mutinoers