Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-10-13

From Pettigrew's speech at Armou
on August z:
Some OF us mistrugted that We
began the war. Some of us believed
1t was necessary, that orders were
sent from Washington to attack
the Filipinos In order to ratify the
Spanish treaty.
Let us see what the record Is as Il
this Infamous charge aaginst the gov
eminent and the gallant volunteers lie
fore Manila.
On May 21st, 1909, the president sen
to the Senate a response to h Ie5olu
ton asking for a report as TO the al
legged negotiations for peace on Fe1ru
airy 5, 1899, after the breaking out o
the Filipino revolution. The reply
contains the following correspondents
by cable:
Adiutant Generals Office, Washing
ton, April SOTO Otis, Manila: Cable
whether General Torres cane to ",
under flag OF truce, February 5, 1899
and stated Aguinaldo declared flghtinl
had begun accidentally and no. au
thorized by him; that Agu'naldC
wished Il stopped, and TO end his IL
ties proposed establishment of neutra
zone between two armies Of Width
agreeable to you, so during peace ne
gotlations there might be no furthe,
danger Of conflict; whether you replied
fighting having begun must go on t.
grim end. -Corbin.
The following is General Otis reply.
Manila. May I, 1900.-To Ag YER
Misunderstanding Torres, either
resident of Manila, who had served a!
member Of insurgent commission, re
ported evening February 5, asking |
something could not be done ID stoI
the fighting as establishment OF neutra
zone. / replied Aguinaldo had com
menced the fighting en1 mus a pl
for cessation; had nothing TO reques
from insurgent government. He aske
permission to send Co'onel Arguelle.
TO Malolos and Arguel'ez was pas-ei
through lines near Caloocan nx
morning. He went direct to Malolos
told General Aguinaldo and Mab'n
that General Otis would permit su pm
sion OF hostilities upon their request
They replied declaration Of war haC
been made, a copy Of which they fur'
nished him. They said they had NJ
objection TO suspension CT hostilit es
but beyond this general remark mad
no response, but directed him to returl
with that message. Arguellez reported
that he conveyed my statement; tina
they had commeDce1 the war fn1 /
must go on since they had chosen tha'
course OF action, but did not attempt t,
induce them to make any pgopositi n
as he feared accusation Of cowa-dice
The insurgent chief authorities made
no proposition and did not intend I
make any, nor did they attempt to d.
so until driven out Of Malolos.
Lieutenant Colonel Slower OF tn
First South Dakota in a letter writteT
to this bureau under date OF May tn
says:
AS to the responsibility for thu
beginning OF hostilities we were
right there and know. You will
find n very concise statement OF IT
in General Otis report as corps
commander of the Eighth corps for
the real 1899. OF course he smooths
over the rough edges Of the way
we were treated. and insulte1, and
abused by the natives, but o find
It mentioned along for a half dozen
or so pages in his correspondence
with the department, and In his
correspondence with General Mil
Ter down in front OF Cebu, In his
instructions to Miller. in fact. here
and there it crops out, a little ev-
e~rvwhere.
The night before the outbreak
7 was on duty as field officer Of the
dav: had n row ut the Santa Mesa
bridge. They tried TO make us fire
on them that night, but we did not.
Two days before the outbreak
about two hundred OF them Incl
ND in skirmish line with thaEr
rifles loaded and cooked, and extra
cartridges under their guns in
their left hands. and came right
straight up to our outpost on the
Pallc-Ballc road, disregarding or
ders to halt and everything else; I
was there and saw IL.