The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-07-21
AUTONOMY OPPOSED
AguinaldO Makes a Signif-
icant Speech.
URGESREBELSTOF FIGHT ON
Rebel Leader Has Hopes Of Ultimately
Securing independence. Address Was
Delivered At Annual Celebration.

A copy Of The Independence has
reached Manila containing the speech
which Aguinaldo made during the re-
cent celebration at Tarlac of the ami
versary Of the proclamation of Filipino
independence. In substance it is as
follows:
"Filipina, beloved daughter Of the
ardent 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.
cit is true, she sought to crush thy
aspiration for independence as a low
ing mother opposes separation forever
from the daughter of her bosom. This
but proves the excess of love and af-
lection Spain feels for thee. Filipino,
delicate flower of the east, scarcely
eight months weaned from the breast
of thy mother, thou hast dared to
brave a great and powerful nation
such as the United States after barely
organizing and disciplining thy little
army. Yet we reply we will be slaves
to none, nor allow ourselves to be de-
ceiYed by soft words. Let us continue
to defend our fatherland until indie
pendence is assured, for this Is JUS
tice. We shall see at last that the
great American nation will acknowI-
edge the right, which is on
our side. That doctrine of the
great Monroe, that America is for
Americans, is not forgotten. Just al
we affirm that the Philippines are foI
the Filipinos. Some states of the
American union have arisen in our fa-
vor.
ESPECIALLY is the democratic party
convinced that both yictors and van.
quished will lose precious lives. Thus
many of the people and many states
men censure President Mckinley as
inhuman for having ordered his mill
tary representatives at Manila to seeb
means to bring about hostilities with
the Filipinos. These facts prove tina
they wish to try us. to see if we are
able to live up to the second color O.
our banner, which signifies courage
heroism and martyrdom.
Therefore we should not rest il
this struggle with the Americans. Il
spite of their expressed desire to dom
mate all the Philippines, we'll con
WINGED are they that we fight with jus
tice and right on our side and tha
autonomy is all a show of deceit
only serving to save certain accumH
lated wealth. We have never conceal
ed our aspirations, that we aspire bO
to independence.
eve might we'll accept this autonO
my America offers, but what can W
do with it if our ambition is indie
pendence and if we are to accept it t.
later overthrow by force of arms tn
sovereignty of America? AS I believ
it is the intention of the autonomist
to make use of treachery and deceit
we cannot accept such procedure
We do not wish to be traitors after
ward. We wish to show our characte
of frankness and sincerity and nothin
more. Let us avoid the example c
those natives, who having at one tim
been colonists, accepted autonomy t
enable them to make their work surei
once everything was prepared. Histc
~ has given us an example Of this j
recent events.
'Let us persist in our idea which
the only legitimate and noble aspirf
ton of people which is DESTROYS 6
all cost to preserve its national homo
spotless and as pure as crystal. Thus
then, there will not be single Fill
pino autonomist. Those who are &c
are in the eyes of the people but tim
servers, fearful of losing their riches
threatened by risks of war.
"Filipinos, let MS be consistent, Il
us strengthen the bonds of our union.
Aguinaldo concluded with calm
for three cheers for independence.