The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-23
IN PURSUIT OF FILIPINos.
Skirmishes with Bands OF Daily Occur
rence-The Catholics Stirred Up Over
Rumor of Return of the Friars to
Their Parishes.

anil January 17.-ColoneI Kobbe.
with the Forty-eighth infantry, sailed
on board the transport Hancock TODAY
with gunboats escorting. The object of
the force is probably the important is
lands OF Samar and Leyte, which the
insurgents hold. The American block
ade and the levies of the TagaI army
nave caused great suffering among the
people and hundreds of persons are in
an almost starving condition.
The Tagal General Mauricio recently
landed at Negroes from the island Of
Panay and requested a conference with
Colonel Byrne. He proposed that the
insurgents be let alone and permitted
to wear side arms and uniforms in
the towns until the war in Luzon was
ended, when they would surrender.
Colonel Bryan refused to agree to this,
however, and said they would be CON
sidered bandits and shot if they were
found armed. Colonel Bryne ~surpris-
ed the insurgent camp the same night
and scattered the Filipinos, killing thir-
ty of them, including a general.
h presence here of Archbishop
Chapelle, the archbishop and apostolic
delegate to the Philippines, is stirring
the Catholics of all nationalities. The
Filipinos have gained the impression
that Mgr. Chapelle came as the Joint
agent of President Mckinley and the
pope to reinstate the friars in their
former power. One cause of the ex-
citement Is a statement which the Do
mlnlcanS furnished to the Spanish
press, that Mgr. ChapelIe, in visiting
the heads of the order, told them he
favored the retention of the brother
hoods, and that President Mckinley
shared his views, which were that IF
the friars returned to the parishes they
would be considered elements of good
order, and therefore, American agents"
Mgr. Chapelle denies the of
these statements and Catholics of all
sections are p~etitioning him and Ma
jor General Otis against the friars re-
turning to the parishes, repeating the
charges of expressions, extortions and
lmmoralltieS which,, they assert, caus-
ed the revolution of 1896. h Catho-
lies request that they be given priests
not connected with the br~otherhoods.
Delegations from many of the towns
are visiting the provincial governors
for the purpose of making the same
request, n prominent Manila Catho-
lies are cabling the pope on the sub
ject. The people say the friars will be
driven out if they return to their
parishes, and there will be continual
trouble if the administration attempts
to protect them. To quell the excite
ment, Major General Otis consented to
the publication in the local
of a statement which he had made to
a delegation of Filipinos, as follows:
If the church authorities assign
friars to curacieS who are obnoxious to
the people they will not be compelled
to accept them. The individual liberty
guaranteed by. the American constitu-
ton will not be denied the Filipinos.
and the government will not force upon
them any ecclesiastical denomination
contrary to their wishes"
CABLEGRAM FROM OTIS.
Washington, January 1.-THE fol-
lowing cablegram was received today
by the war department from General
Otis:
Manila, January II.
"Schwan's troops, in possession of
BatangaS province, are about to move
eastward into the provinces of Tayabas
and Laguna; Wheaton is moving on
Lenerk and Taal and has the navy's
cooperation; III casualties are slight,
%insurgent loss considerable in men and
property, as they keep UP constant OPP
position. An expedition under KObbe
leaves for the hemp ports tonight.
General Hughes is absent on the
western coast of Panay, policing that
section. \ band of eighty-six Tagalos,
which landed in Negroes in December,
was struck by Byrne in the NegrOs
mountains, who killed nineteen and
captured twenty-eight rifles and am
munitiOn; No casualties on our side.
Our troops in northern Luzon are busy
pursuing robber bands, with good re-
suits"