Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-15

eminent, I. will myself take command of
his zone WHICH he formally did. and was
seen Sc IN action, earNsan Fernando by some
of our soldiers. Luna was never thoroughly
! trusted by Agui naldo He wants pitched
battle with the Americans, Aguinaldo is
reported to have said. while my policy is
to draw them into the mountains, harass
them and exhaust them
Gen. Luna.
Gen. Luna was notable specimen of the
Mestizo class. Of good birth. morally and
Intellectually, he might have been the
leader of his people had not the treachery
that is characteristic of his race dealt him
a death-blow. He was a brother of the Gel
ebrated Juan Luna, an artist of European
1enoWn. whose pictures have hung in the
French Salon. Another brother was a yio-
lnst of more than ordinary fame. By pro-
1esslon Gen. Luna, like the eminent Rial
was chemist. He was educated in Madrid
and Paris, and while abroad published a
book Impressions"
He returned to Manila in 1894 and gained
the confidence of Governor General Blanco.
When the instruction broke out he openly
denounced the movement, but nevertheless
was arrested as conSpirator Through
the intercession of Banco his sentence of
death was committed to twelve years i'm
prisonment and he was sent to Spain.
Eventually he was pardOned. and returned
to Hong Kong. When hostilities broke out
between Spain and the United States Luna
returned to Cavite. 1t was then that Aguin-
aldo offered him the command of the army;
but Luna for time refused, although later
ne accepted the post of minister Of war In
the MaloloS cabinet, with the rank of gen.
eral of division. Luna reorganized the in
surgent army upon European methods.
which he had carefully studied abroad. and
the discipline and military tactics shown
by the insurgents. so often to our surprise.
were due to his skilled hand. In battle he
displayed a reckless valor and ability that
soon made him a hated rival to Aguinaldo.
who found himself obliged to raise Luna to
the rank of commander-in-chief Of the
army. AT Kabanatunan, on June I, one of
Aguinaldo's sergeants provoked quarrel
with Luna and ran him through with
bayonet. Had Luna lived 1t Is probable
that the cause of the Filipinos would have
been staked in one decisive battle, and the
Filipino war would have ended with some
credit to their valor. Luna is the only gen.
eral Of the Filipino army worthy of the
title.
AguinnIdO.
Aguinaldo, although the fgurehead Of
the Instruction. is not of the same class or
caste as Luna. Aguinaldo Is an unscrupu-
lous politician, who, by cunning craft, has
been able to hold the Tagalog race united
under his influence, misled with chimeras
and dreams of an independence the portent
of which they are as ignorant of as chill
dren. Aguinaldo is the link between the
Mestfzo element and the masses. The pup
pet of Palermo, he possesses certain orac
ular influence over his people. for to him
they look for guidance, blind to the fact
that the words that emanate from him are
the result of Paterno.s lessons. Palermo Is
the boss" Aguinaldo the mask. He has the
cold, keen eye of leader and the quiet,
self-contained modesty of his humblest fol-
lower. Aguinaldo was born at Cavtte Viejo
thirty years aga, His father, Don Carlos,
was truck farmer of! the native class. but
rose to some Importance among his follow
ers and was thrice elected mayor of Cayite.
Aguinaldo's education was of the most linn
TIED Kind. For q year or two he attended
the school of Santo Tomas In Manila, but
the death of his father called him to Ca
vite, where he took up the work Of the
farm. Here he soon made himself promi-
nent and troublesome by his connection
with the Katipunan League, organized by
Rial against the, friars. The governor gem
eral, to win his tsympathies. appointed him
captain municipal of 5Cavite in 1895.
Andres Bonifacio.
Aguinaldo's mentor and tutor in the art
of revolutions was Andres Bonifacio a
schoolmaster of Cavite, and the original
conspirator in the revolution against the
Spanish, which resulted in the Biac-na-bato
treaty arranged by Palermo and General
Primo de Rivera. the governor General of
naldo to Join the revolution OF S6t ac-
quainting him Of the intention of the Span
iards to secretly murder all the members Of
the katipunan. Thereupon Aguinaldo.
grasping the opportunity of leadership, had
Bonifacio secretly killed. and placed him
self at the head of the movement against
the Spanish, organized the natives. piifered
the converts and priests houses. enlisted
and began the revolt against the friars and
the state. The natives focked to his stand
ard. and he soon found himself the COM
mander-in-chief of the majority of the IA