The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-10-23
7IcK9BURG, VA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER p, 1900.

7tIubkllhk pAiilp'5' pD' """t"' ."
traitors " trying to turn the existing
conditions T. their own personal nd.
vantage
The same criticism was made by our
Consul at Manila. who said
Certain rebel leaders were given a
cash bribe to consent to public deport'
alton q China. "
think we must accept Aguinaldo ss
he appears in the light Of this remark
able transaction, and when his state
ments are opposed to statements Of Of
fcers Of our army and navy. we shonld
hesitate to adopt his version, uoless it
ls strongly corroborated by other and
independent facts
| do not wish 10 do this man any in
Justice. Perhaps his receipt OF the
money was consistent with some concep-
,ion, patriotism and honesty. Suppose
We assume that il was SO; the as
sumption will not diminish little the
,treng.h Of the argument which shall
hereafter make. Proceeding upon this
asst last view. come now TO the in.
1uiry ss to the substance Of the insur'
reotion OF 1896. What was its scope,
width, breadth and purposel 1t was
imply au up.ising Of the people TO re-
iress certain grievances within the
spanish Government 1t is in no
,enoe an uprising for Independence
n for the establishment Of a separate
sovereignty ;it had no such eed In view
,s shown by its declared bill ofrights"
md verified By the treaty There Is
difference bet Reen war Of revolution,
which generally aims to overthrow an
existing government, and an insurrec'
ion, which Acknowledges sovereignty,
but strives to redress certain grievances.
Che English barons were willing that
John should be King. but they stood
word in hand insisting that there
.hould be granted TO them certain
lights Of liberty and property.
The purpose Of this insurecsion OF
1896 was to fight for certain reforms
within the government, and when the NJ
Using was ended while there was some
friction still, the complete and absolute
,overeignty of Spain over the islands
was unquestloned and unquestionable
The native Filipinos were angry that
4 matter Of business had teen made OF
an insurreotion and they had no conf
ience in the spaniards. who, It seems,
after getting rid Of Aguinaldo and pos
sessing themselves Of the arms used by
che insurgents, failed to grant the
promised reforms Besides this, the
other instalments Of the money stipu.
lated had not been paid. which. says
Aguinaldo. 'caused me and my com
panions much unhappiness.
The reforms were never carried out.
The Spanish civil guard began
20 whip and to shoot and
abuse the people as before, and
sporadic uprisings occurred In sew
eral provinces Of Luzon. but they had
nothing Of the conference or strength OF
the original movement being attempts
to avenge particular wrongs rather than
efforts 30 secure general reform. The
struggling and numerically lnsignifi-
cant insurgent forces lacked arms, am
munition and leaders and Spain dis
banded her volunteer Filipino militis
and prepared to seld her regular troops
home.
The condition then, if Filipinoi
wished to rise up against the Spanish
Government, was this; Aguinaldo hAc
given up all their arms, and their lead
ers were out of the country II wal
between the United States and Spair
had not been imminent, no seconc
rebellion would have broken out; anC
II. on the other hand. in the absence o.
any prospect Of war, a rebellion haC
besn inauQurated, it would have beer
speedily put down by Spain, because
abe would have had no other work OF
her hands.
But It was apparent to everyone
after the destruction Of the Maine
that a conflict between the United
States and Spain was inevitable, ant
open preparations were made in thi
country and heralded all over the world
and long before the actusl declaration
of war our Ambassadors, Oonsuls, ant
our Navy, in the East, were prepared
10 act. especially at Hong Kong, where
during February and March, measures
were laid for the approaching war, ant
where the prospects Of hostilities wer'
openly discussed.
Our Consul. General at Singapore, Mr.
E Spencer Pratt, having discovered
that Aguinaldo was in that plac
ing, hiding from the process o
Artacho sought TO avail him
self Of Aguinaldo's services, just as h
would those of any other individua
who had been so closely connected
with the Spaniards In the Philippines
and who knew the character, manner
habits and resources Of the natives
and it may even be conceded thatPrat
sought out Aguinaldo and opened
conference with him. But 1t is olea
and uuequivooal that Pratt Imade n
promises to Aguinsldo; his purpos
was to get Aguinaldo 20 20 to Dewey
and he telegrapned to the Depsrtmen
of State, uuder date Of July 2Ssh, 1898
that he
"Declined TO discuss with Agninald
the question of the future policy of tn
United States with regard TO the Phil
ippines; that l held out no hopes {
1Cu