The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-24

Washington, April 1S.-In further
response to the senate resolution of
January 18th last, the president today
sent to the enate additional documents
bearing upon the insurrection in the
Philippines. The papers are all i'm
portant. One Of them is a report of
Colonel Armas Blancos, Of the Philip
pine army. to the general commanding
the second Zone" of the events Of Feb
ruary 2. 1899, in Tondo. He says that
on hearing the alarm of fire he immed-
lately ordered twenty men who gather
ed to hold themselves ready, so that
when the designated hour arrived they
would be ready to go to Moisic, where
the American barracks are and set on
fire the houses about there, 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 calZa-
da of AZcarraga was filled with Ameri-
cans, and with them were a number OF
country people who cried out: Broth
ers to the strife, for now is the hour"
~AAAS ID AAAN AAA@b< -o NN~
crowd and at the proper time they
sounded the call of our army, advance
and fire" The sight of that strange
scene threw us into confusion, for we
believed that all that we had prepared
from the beginning as well as
we saw was prepared 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 vol
leyS.
He adds that his men with daggers
in a hand-to-hand conflict forced the
Americans to retire.
Another letter dated at Tarlac, Oc-
tober 23rd, last signed by j. NJ. Leyba,
commands IN unnamed Filipino officer
of whom the writer say that The will
go to Manila commissioned by our
government to throw some dynamite
bombs and set fire to the houses on
the principal buildings, especially those
occupied by foreigners"
Among other documents is an unSign-
ed letter to General Rios, of the Span
ish army, and in command at Iloilo,
dated at Malolos, October rs, 1898, ap-
parently inspired by A~guinaldo. In this
letter the writer says hat his desire is
to yet save from ~Shipwreck the SOW
ereignity of Spain in these islands"
He then proceeds:
Il am Informed that you are consid-
LII SuII ClloC ll6 IIC PAIS ~ oS
or to the Americans; after six months
of vigorous siege and of total abandon
ment l understand how o can prefer
us TO the others. They way to make
this surrender is to join us n pro-
claim the federation of the Filipino re-
public with the Spanish republic recog-
nizing the craftsmanship of our honor
able president Senior Emilio Aguinal-
do; a fraternal embrace will take place
between F~ilipinOS, ViSayans and Span
iards. There will be hurrahs for Spain
and the FilipinOS united as a federal
republic; your troops Will pass into the
common army: you will be promoted to
a 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. o will give an ac-
count of this to Madrid n in the
meantime we shall fight the Americans
together. We shall conquer n then
we shall wait and adjust our future re-
latiOnS. The surrender of the heroic
column o is the greatest
outrage which can be inflicted upon
those valiant men, since they lave Suf-
fered the humiliation which their I'M
fortunate companions suffer here; and
you the able and upright and raliant
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 ulOIlSnI Sovereignty pdSScS
to the Americans you are free to trans
fer our allegiance. This is in accord
ance with the principles of national
honor and it would serve as the first
base of the new alliance between Spain
and the Filipinos and then from both
come and applause for you as
having been the one fortunate enough
to effect it,"
Both the preceding document aud the
one Immediately following were on pa
per used in the private office of Aguin-
aldo. but neither of them bore any sig
nature The second document in this
connection, which is not dated, is ap-
parentIy a letter of instructions TO Fill
ipino commissioners who were told tC
accompany the American troops to
IlOilO. They were told not to recognize
the sovereignty of the American gov
eminent and upon d~isembarking the
commissioners were to prepare the Fill
ipino forces to attack the Spaniards
some hours before the Americans car
enter the place. They are told that III
case either the Spaniards or the Amerl
cans want to treat and make promise
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 FilipinOs were instructed that they
must continue to enter the city pre-
pairing 20 Occupy II and taking posses
sion Of the ground. but without firing
a shot unless the Americans com
mence." In case the Americans should
begin the Filipinos were to ATTACK
Immediately and not to give up unit
killed" In this connection the Iloiloans
were assured that the Americans were
yaIOUous in appearance only and would
SOOn yield if met with valor.
II the Filipinos should get possession
Of IIOiIO before the Decentralization OF
the Americans then the FilipinOS were
10 "cOnCeaI themselves we'll in order t
deceive the Americans and make then
think that we are more than we ar
in fact. In this case the instruction
continues, let them approach AM
when they are in due range OF on
rifles there should be a general dis
charge so that as many men as posi-
BILE will be killed at once. We can cal
cUlate one of our soldiers being WORT
four of theirs, 50 that in the hour Q
victory after the combat we shoul
have less losses han theirs"
Another document relates TO a con
ference sought by General Otis wit