The Irish standard., 1900-10-06
The Natives Armed as Allies bv
the United States.
THE PRESIDENTS IMPERIAL EDICT
First Battle with Insurgents as
Described by Otis.

| The following article on "OW DUTY
to the People of the Philippines" has
been contributed to the Chicago Rec
ord by Hon. Moorticld Storey of Bos-
ton, ex-prcsident of the American Bar
| Associations:
More than six months before the
war with Spain was declared, on Nov.
., 1897, MIR. Wildmnn. our consul ut
Hohgkong, Informed Secretary Day
that "Agoncillo, foreign agent and
nigh commissioners, etc. of the new
republic of the Philippines,
offers in behalf of his government al.
lance offensive and defensive with
the United States, when the United
States declares war on Spain" Here
was the offer of alliance. Was IT ac-
cepted? a month before Dewey's vic
tory he tclegraphed Secretary Long.
information has just reached me that
ther are 5000 armed rebels in camp
near Manila, who are willing to as
sist u.s. BY Dewcy's invitation
Aguinaldo came from Singapore to
Hongkong "tO arrange with commo-
dore for general cooperation insur-
gents Manila" to quote the words OF
Consnl-Gcncral Pratt's telegram. In
II United States warsllp he went to
Manila and there he was furnished
with arms, all by Dewcy's direction.
Thus supported he rallied his com.
patriots and invested Manila. The
manifesto of the FilipinOs sent to Lu-
zon before the American squadron
showed with what expectations they
acted: "Compatriots, Divine provl-
dcllcc Is about to place independence
within our reach. There where
you see the American flag flying rs.
scmblc in numbers; they are our de-
livcrcrs." AguinaldO's proclamation
on Mny "a confirmed their condolences:
"Filtpnos, the great nation, North
America, cradle Of liberty and friendly
on that account to the liberty of our
people, has come to mani
fest II protection which Is
dlstintcrested toward us, considering
us with sufficient civilization to gov
ern by ourselves this our unhappy
land" June 19 he established IL die
tatorial government, proclaiming that
"the final object of all my efforts and
strength is nothing else but your ill.,
dependence" June % the DICTATOR
ship was replaced by the revolution
ary government, whose declared OBJ
ject was ''to struggle for independ-
ence of the Philippines until all na-
tions shall expressly recognize it, and
to prepare the country so that true
republic may be established"
After all this, the offer of alliance
made at the outset and accepted in
acts If not in words by Dewey was
formally accepted when Gen. Ander-
son, the commander of our army, ad-
dressed Gen. Aguinaldo, and, nssur-
ing him that our government had zen.
tire sympathy and most friendly SEN
timcnts for the native people of the
Philippine islands," proceeded: "F0r
these reasons 1 desire to have the
most amicable relations with you and
to have you and your people cooper
ate with us in military operations
against the Spanish forces" 1t is
under these circumstances, with full
knowledge Of all these facts, that Ad-
miral Dewey used Aguinaldo land the
natives to assist me in my operations
against the Spaniards." All these
facts were known to our government.
Let no one omit to read the docu-
ments. They are gathered in Senator
Hoar's speech Of April II, 1900. His
own conclusion may be quoted from
his letter to the Boston newspapers Of
Jan. II, 1900, when he says that the
documents show:
"That the people of the Philippine
islands, before we fired upon their
troops, had delivered their own land
from Spain, with the single exception
of the town of Manila, and that they
hemmed in the Spanish troops on land
by a line extending from water to wa
ter.
"That we could not have captured
the Spanish garrison, which was done
by an arrangement beforehand, upon
a mere show of resistance, but for the
fact that they were SO hemmed in by
! Agninaldo's forces, and could not re-