The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-09-21

directed to their peace and prosperity, their
advancement and well-being, not for our ag-
grandizement nor for pride of might, not for
trade ira OF commerce, not for exploitation, but
protection of the vast majority of the popu-
lation who welcome our sovereignty against
the designing minority whose first demand
after the surrender of Manila by the SDan-
ish army was to enter the city that they
might loot it and destroy those not in sym
pathy with their selfish and treacherous de-
signs.
Civil Service to Rule.
Nobody who will avail himself of the facts
will longer hold that there was any alliance
between our soldiers and the insurgents or
that any promise of independence was made
to them. Long before their leader had
reached Manila they had resolved, if the
commander of the American navy would
give them arms with which to fight the
Spanish army, they would later turn upon
US. which they did murderously and without
the shadow of cause or justification
There may be those without the means of
full information who believe that we were
in alliance with the Insurgents and that we
assured them that they should have indie
pendence. To such let me repeat the facts
On the Goth of May 1898, Admiral Dewey
was Instructed by me to make no alliance
with any party or faction in the Philippines
that would incur liability to maintain. their
date of June 6, 1898:
Have acted according to spirit of depart
mentS instructions from the beginning and
| have entered into no alliance with tho in
surgents or with any faction. This squadron
can reduce the defenses of Manila at any
moment. but it is considered useless until
the arrival of sufficient United States forces
to retain possession"
Denies Any Com pact.
In the report of the first, Philippine com
mission, submitted on Nov. 2, $780, Admiral
Dewey, one of its members, said:
No alliance of any kind was entered into
with Aguinaldo nor was any promise OF in
dependence made to him at any time.
General Merritt arrived in the Philippines
on July %, 1898, and a dispatch from Adj
miral Dewey to the government at Wash
ington said:
Merritt arrived yesterday. Situation is
most critical at Manila. The Spanish may
surrender at any moment. Merritt's most
difficult problem will be how to deal with
the insurgents under Aguinaldo, who have
become aggressive and even threatening to-
ward our army"
Here is revealed the spirit of the insur-
gents as early as July, 1898, before the pro-
tocol was signed, while we were still en-
gagged in active war with Spain. Even then
the insurgents were threatening our army.
Filipinos Took NO Part.
On Aug. 10 Manila was captured, and of
this and subsequent events the Philippine
commission says:
when the City of Manila was taken, Aug.
ID, the Flllpinos took no part In the attack,
but came following in with a view to loot
ing the city and were on.y prevented from
doing so by our forces preventing them from
entering. Aguinaldo claimed that he had
the right to occupy the city. He demanded
of General Merritt the palace of Malacanan
for himself and the cession of all the
churches of Manila, also that part of the
money taken from the Spaniards as spoils
of war should be given up, and, above all.
that he should be given the arms of the
Spanish prisoners. All these demands were
refused
No Promises Made.
Generals Merritt, Greene and Anderson,
who were In command at the beginning of
our occupation and until the surrender of
Manila, state that there was no alliance
with the insurgents and no promise to them
of independence. On Aug. II, 1898. General
Merritt was instructed that, there must be
no joint occupation of Manila with the in.
surgents. General Anderson, under date Of