Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-19
DOCUMENTS OF FILIPINOS
OF PAPERS CAPTuR-
ED FROM THE INSURGENTS.
Response of the President to a Senate
ResOlutfon-Instructi to Ma
tive Commissfoners.

| In further response to the Senate resolu.
| ton of January II, the President sent to
| the Senate yesterday afternoon additional
| documents bearing upon the insurrectfon in
the Philippines. The papers are all i'm
| portant. One of them is O report of Col.
| Armas Blanco of the Philippine army q
| the general commanding the second zone, "
| OF the events of February . 1899. in Tondo
| He says that on hearing the alarm of fire
I he Immediately ordered twenty men
who gathered to hold themselves ready,
so that when the designated hour arrived
! they would be ready TO go TO Meisic, where
| the American barracks are, and set on fire
the houses about them in order to interfere
with their coming out from the barracks.
as was agreed upon in the meeting with d.
Rosend Limon. The result was that on
marching TO the scene of operations we
found the Calzada of Azcarraga was filled
with Americans, and with them were num-
Der OF country people. who cried out,
Brothers. to the strife. For now is the
hour! This is what men were saying to
that crowd, and at the proper time they
sounded the call of our army. Advance
ard fire The sight of that strange scene
| threw us into confusion. for believed
that all that we had prepared from the be-
ginning as well as what saw was pre-
pared by the enemy and his spies"
He then ordered a retreat, and when they
met the Americans the colonel says, the
latter gave his forces two volleys He adds
that his men with their daggers in a hand
to-hand conflict forced the Americans to re-
tire.
Another letter, dated at Tarlac, October
u last, signed by J. NJ. Leyba, commends
an unnamed Filipino officer, of whom the
writer says: He will go to Manila
commissioned by our government to throw
some dynamite bombs and set fire to the
houses or the principal buildings especially
those occupied by foreigners"
Alliance With Spanish Proposed.
Among other documents is an unsigned
letter to General Rios of the Spanish army,
and in command at Iloilo, dated at MaIolos,
October %, 1898, thought to be inspired by
Aguinaldo. In this letter the writer says
that his desire is to yet save from ship
wreck the sovereignty of Spain in these
islands," He then proceeds: Il am in
formed that you are considering surrender
ing the place to US or to the Americans;
after SIX months of vigorous siege and of
total abandonment ! understand how You
can prefer us to the others. The way to
make this surrender is to join US and pro-
claim the federation of the Filipino re-
public with the Spanish republic, recogniz-
ing the craftsmanship of our honorable pres
ident. Senior Emilio Aguinaldo; fraternal
embrace will take place between Filipinos
Nisayans and Snaniards. There will be
hurrahs for Spain and the Fflipinos united
into the common army; you will be pro-
NOTED to lieutenant general. Those who
want to can go back at our expense, and
the flags of Spain and the Filipinos will
float side by side. You will give an ac-
count of this to Madrid and in the mean
time we shall fight the Americans together.
We shall conquer and then We shall wait
and adjust our future relations
The surrender of the heroic column You
command is the greatests outrage which
can be inflicted upon those valiant men
since they have suffered the humiliation
which their unfortunate companions suffer
here; and you, the able and upright and
valiant general, are you going to sign a
treaty with the Americans? God preserve
you from it, sir! Your transfer to our
side does not really involve treason to SPAIN
since the moment sovereignty passes to
the Americans you are free to transfer
your allegiance. This is in accordance with
the principles of national honor, and 1t
would serve as the first base of the new al
lance between Spain and the Filipinos
and then from both come honor and ap-
plause for you as having been the one for
tunate enough to effect it..
Instructions to Filipfnos.
Both the preceding document and the one
Immediately following were on paper used
in the private office of Agunaldo, but
neither of them bore any signature. The
second document in this connection, which
is not dated, is apparently a letter of in
were to accompany the American troops to
Iloilo. They were told not to recognize the
sovereignty of the American government
and upon disembarking the commissioners
We're TO prepare the Filipino forces to at
tack the Spaniards some hours before the
Americans can enter the place" They are
told that in case either the Spaniards or the
Americans want to treat and make prom
ises to believe nothing, and pay attention
to nothing, but press the attack until You
die or conquer both of them" II the attack
should not take place until after the entry
of the Americans the Filpinos were in
structed that they must continue to enter
the city, preparing to occupy it and taking
possession of the ground, but without firing
shot, unless the Americans commence"
In case the Americans should begin the Fill
ipinos were to attack Immediately, and NOT
to give up until killed"
Proposed Attack on Americana
In this connection the Iloiloans were as
sured that the Americans were valorous
only In appearance. and would soon Yield If
met with valor. If the Filipinos should get
possession of 1loilo before the dsembarka-
ton of the Americans then the Filipinos
were to conceal themselves we'll In order
to deceive the Americans, and make them
thlnK that We are more than we are in fact
IN TINS case, the instruction continues "let
them approach, and when they are In due
range of our rifles there should be a general
discharge SO that as many men as possible
of our soldiers being worth four of theirs.
so that In the hour of victory after the COM
bat We should have less losses than theirs"
another document relates to a conference
sought by Gen. Otis with Fflil.uo leaders
relative to the expedition to Iloilo, and says |
that Gen. Otis tried to secure deputatton
OF natives to accompany the expedition in
order to conciiate the insurrectionists there
There is note with this document saving
that Gen. Otis had indicated that 1t was the
purpose Of the United States to annex the
philippines, but that the general admitted
that there were two parties in the Senate.
Aguinaldo's Proclamation.
A proclamation. signed by Aguinaldo, on
the oath of May, 1898. says: Il see the Span
ish government is unable to struggle with |
certain elements which constantly oppose
the progress Of this country, and now since |
the powerful and great North American ma
ton has come showing a disinterested pro-
lection, which will enable US to secure the |
liberty of this country, ] come to assume