The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-04-25
FILIPINO DOCUMENTS.
WERE CAPTURED FROM THE INSUR.
GENTS BY THE AMERICANS.
NO. 24

Conspiracy 10 Attack Before Actual
Hostiiilies Began..-.0Vertures to
Spain.
Washington, April 1S.-In further
response to the Senate resolution of
January II last, the President today
sent to the Senate additional docu-
ments bearing upon the insurrection
in the Philippines. Tie papers are
all important. One of them is re-
port from Colonel Armas Blanco of
the Philippine army to the General
Commanding the Second zone," Of
the events Of February 2, 1899, in
Tonodo. He says that on hearing
the alarm Of fire he Immediately or
der twenty men who had gathered to
hold themselves ready, "that when
the designated hour arrived they
would be ready to go to Meisic,
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 DR.. Rosend
Limon. The result was that on
marching to the scene OF operations
we found the calzada of Acarraga
was filed with Americans and with
them were a number Of country peo-
pie who cried out, Brothers, to the
strife, for now is the hour This is
what men were saying to that crowd.
At the proper time they sounded the
call of our army advance and
fire. The sight Of them threw US
into confusion, for We believed that
all that we had prepared from the
beginning, as well as what 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
volleys. He adds that his men, with
their daggers, in a hand-to-han
conflict forced the Ameri cans to re-
tire.
Another letter dated at Tarlac,
October % last, signed by j. NJ.
Leyd commended an unnamed Fill
pino officer who the writer says, "he
will go to Manila commissioned by
our government to throw some dyna-
mite bombs and set.fre to the houses
or the principal buildings, and es-
pecially those occupied by the for
eigners."
Among the documents is an un-
signed letter to General Rios Of the
Spanish army dated Mslolas, who
was in command at I!oilo, October
25, 1898, apparently inspired by
| Aguinaldo. In this letter the writer
says that lis desire is to "yet save
from shipwreck the sovereignty OF
Spain in these island" He then pro-
ceeds: II am informed that you are
considering surrendering the place
to US or to the Americans; after Sly
months of vigorous siege and of to-
tai abandonment I understand how
you can prefer US to the others. The
wa7 to make this surrender is to join
Us and proclaim the federation OF the
Filipino republic with the Spanish
republic recognizing the cbieftianshir
Of our honored President, Senol
Emilio Aguinaldo; fraternai EN-
brace will take place between f'ilipl
nos. Vlsayans andSpaniards. There
will be hurrahs for Spain and the
Filip;nos united as a federation re
public; your troops will pass into the
common army: you will be promoted
to a Lieutenant General. Those who
want to can 60 back at our expense
and the flags Of Spain and the Fill
pipos vii! float side by side. lcl
will give an account cf this!o Madri<
and in the meantime we shall fgb
the Americans together. We shall
conquer and then we shall wait ant
adjust our future relations. The sur
render of the heroic column yol
command is the greatest outrag
which can be inflicted upon those va
liept men who have suffered the hu
initiation which their urfortunat
companions suffer here; and you, tn
able and upright and va'ient General
are you going to sign treaty Will