The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-09-07

leaders of Aguinaldo who remained in
Luzon to see that 1T was carried out, so
as to provide that the whole of The last
two payments should be paid to the lead
ers and needy insurgents in Luzon in
stead of to Aguinaldo and his chiefs in
China.
There appears to have been twenty-five
of his chief leaders who accompanied
Aguinaldo to China. On the oath of Feb
ruary, 1898, Aguinaldo and these leaders
held a meeting at Hongkong, and there
resolved that the compromise agreement
of Dec 49, 1897, terminating the insur-
rection, was null and void, for The rea-
son that the leaders in Luzon wanted to
divide the second payment of 100000
among themselves, and for the further
reason that the third and last payment of
$500 900 was not likely to be made, and
because only 100000 of the 100000 had
been paid. The meeting also provided that
Aguinaldo should have full control Of the
disbursement of the 100000 paid. The
resolves of this meeting were in the form
of an agreement signed by Aguinaldo and
twenty-five of his chiefs.
At the time Dewey started for Manila,
Aguinaldo was at Singapore, in the So
called Straits Settlements. On the 4th of
May he returned to Hongkong and on
that day held a meeting with a commit
tee of fifteen of his principal followers
who appointed him president. At this
meeting, Aguinaldo described the con-
ferences he had had with our consul at
Singapore about accompanying Dewey to
Manila. and he asked the committee to
decide whether it would be proper for him
to go to the Philippine islands with all
his leaders in case Dewey gave permits
sion. Aguinaldo insisted taht it vas dan
gerous for him to return without writ
ten agreement with Dewey, because he
cared Dewey might force him to sign a
compromising agreement, and because he
feared he might lose the 100000 he had
obtained and which was on deposit in
two banks in China. He wanted four
committees to go in his place His prin-
cipal leaders argued against his scruples,
urged him to go, and among other things
said:
"There will be no better occasion
than the present for the expedition
airy fore ~ to land on those islands
and to arm themselves at the ex-
pense of the Americans and assure
the attainment of our legitimate
aspirations against those very peO-
pie. The Filipino people, unprO-
yided with arms: will be the victims
of the demands and exactiOns of the
United States, but provided with
arms, will be able to oppose them
selves to them and struggle for
their Independence. Once the
president in the Philippines, with
his prestige, he will be able to
arouse those masses to combat the
demands of the United States"
Here we can see how base treachery of
! the grossest and most malignant kind was
, pla nned against our forces in Manila from
the very beginning. They looked to US to
permit them to return, to furnish them
transportation, and to furnish them arms
and equipments for a war, not against the
Spaniards, but against us, their deliver
ers, who made 1t at all possible for these
self-expatriated traitors to return. Agui-
naldo, and nearly all of his principal
chiefs are Chinese Mestizos-a mixture of
Tagal and Chinese-and this may perhaps
account for their mercenary compromise
with Rivera, and their premeditated de-
sign to deceive and betray the United
States. The result of the discussion and
the meeting was that the committee
unanimously resolved that Aguinaldo
with the other leaders should return to
the islands. The debate and resolution
was drawn up in the form of written
instrument and signed by Aguinaldo and
the fifteen leaders present.
FILIPINO TREACHERY.
After such meeting and such dis
| cussion, Aguinaldo and his leaders, APP
piled to Dewey for permission and trans
| portation to return. Dewey was not
! present at this meeting and had no
knowledge of the scheme and purpose
/ there planned. He was an honest old
| Tar, who came to Manila to make war
on Spain, the enemy Of his country. He
had not come to set up Tagal military
despotism in hostility to the United
States. He did not know and could not
I guess or dream that one of the chief
purposes of these schemers was to pro-
cure his aid TO arm themselves against.
his forces and his government. Could
he have seen and read the document /
have referred to-the palpable proof OF
their neutrality-suspicious. Aguinaldo nor
any of his leaders in China would ever
have been permitted to come to Manila
Just before Dewey started for Manila,
the Filipino leaders in Hongkong had is
sued proclamation and sent it over to
the islands for circulation. This proc
lamation contains the following admoni-
ton to their people: