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

plOlCi uS W Tie OlHSIS. he way w
make this surrender is to join US and
proclaim the federation Of the Filipino re-
public with the Spanish republic, recog-
nizing the chieftainship of our honorable
president, Senior Emilio Aguinaldo fra
ternal embrace will take place between
Filipinos, Visayans and Spaniards; there
will be hurrahs for Spain and the Philip
pines united as federal republic
This letter demonstrates how base and
treacherous Aguinaldo had been from the
very beginning. 1t shows that as early
as June 9-before Manila was captured
he was in negotiation with Gen. Angus
tin, the Spanish commander, for the pur-
pose of combining with him against our
forces. He was ready then, as he was
in the case of Gen. Rios, who proved
to some extent more plant, to make COM
mon cause with the Spaniards against
our forces.
He was seeking independence for
his people, not from their OId-time
OppressOr, Spain, but from their de-
liverers, the United States.
But there was one condition he was
careful to interpolate, and that was that
"the craftsmanship of our honorable presi-
dent, Senior Emilio Aguinaldo' should be
recognized. He was all along willing to
negotiate and traffic with Span!ards as he
had been in December, 1897, at Biac ma
Bato. If he could, in some way, be taken
care of, he preferred the Spaniards to the
Americans. On the 9th day of July, 1898,
he appointed Generals Garcia and Ri
carte of his army to negotiate with the
Spanish governor general for the sur
render of Manila to his forces, in utter
disregard of Dewey and his fleet and Of
our forces under Gen. Anderson.
On the 10th of December, the treaty OF
peace was signed at Paris. Ever since
the capture of Manila, Aguinaldo and the
insurgents had maintained their military
lines around the city on the plea of being
prepared to meet the Spaniards in case
they returned. Up to that time they af-
fscted to fear that the United States
would surrender the country to Spain,
and claimed that all their military pre-
parations and investments were intended
to protect themselves against the Span
iards, not against our forces. But as
soon as the report of the treaty Of peace
reached Manila, they threw off the mask
The first open move was their occupation
of noilo, to which I have referred. This
was followed, on the 5th of January, 1899,
by a proclamation from Aguinaldo prac-
tically declaring war against the United
States. In this proclamation he states:
Thus It is that my government is dis
posed to open hostilities If the American
troops attempt to take forcible posses
sion of the Visaya islands. -. Upon
their heads be all the blood which may be
shed"
In the early part of January, 1899, Agui-
naldo, through friend and former COM
panion, organized a large number of clubs
in Manila. with a total membership Of
10000, ostensibly for education and
amusement, but really for hostile pur-
poses against our forces. These clubs had
a military organization and were COM
manded by Filipino officers, appointed by
Aguinaldo's government. At the Same
time a large quantity OF arms
and bolos were secretly introduced,
stored and hidden away for future
hostile use of these clubs. The
purpose of all these arrangements was to
provide for a rising and attack of the
Filipinos within the city upon our forces
at the same time the insurgents attacked
them from the outside.
A general massacre of our forces
and of all white people within the
city was contemplated.
On the 7th of January, Aguinaldo wrote
from Malolos to a friend in Manila,
among other things, as follows:
Il beg you to leave with your family
and to come here to MaIolos, but not be-
cause I wish to brighten you. 1 merely
wish to warn you for your satisfaction,
although it is not yet the day or the
week"
Gen. Otis, in his report, wildly de-
scribes, in the following terse language,
the critical events transpiring and the at
titude assumed by Aguinado and the in
surgents during the month preceding their
attack of Feb. 4:
During thir period rapidly succeeding
significant eveIts were fast approaching a
state of war, and strongly indicated the
fixed determination of the insurgent gov
eminent to drive the United States from
Iuzon as soon as 1t could gather its
armed mer in sufficient numbers. 1t he'd
appropriated the raiiwag, every engine,
and most of it's rolling stock. 1t was
perfecting its intrenchments around Us,
planting it's guns, concentrating its troops,
and bringing up its army supplies, though
still publicly asserting its desire for peace
With the cunning which it had always at
tempted to practice in its amateur d.
plomacy it endeavored to force the Unit
ed States to commit the first physical act
of hostility in the way of musketry fire,
in order to appeal to the sympathies Of
the foreign public for a seemingly OPP
pressed people, which it falsely claimed
to represent In this IT signally failed.
The knitting and attempted shooting of our
picket sentries brought no hostile re-
Spouse except the killing, by the intended
victim, of the assassin who had so dex-
terously used the knife upon him. The
excitement within the city was very
noticeable, and the cruelty of the Amer
icano' was the theme. No one seemed to
be possessed of any fixed determination
but the Tagal. All others were watch
ing for new demonstrations and waiting
for developments. Manila is unparalleled
for diversity of race and babel of tongues;
also for it's grade of enlightenment from
barbaric ignorance to the highest civil
lied stage Rumors innumerable and Of
the most varied character filled the at
mosphere.'
In a special report to the adjutant gen.
eral, Gen. Otis uses this language:
During the latter part of January the
insurgents along their established lines
and within the city exhibited increased
aggressiveness, assuming defiant at
titude, so much so that our troops were
gathered well in hand to meet any de-