The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-11
.AGUINALDo AND THE INSURGENTS

AGUINALDO AND THE INSURGENTS.
General Merritt arrived in the Philip
pines on July End, 1898, and dispatch
from Admiral Dewey to the Government
at Washington, said: Merritt arrived
Yesterday Situation is most critical at
Manila. The Spaniards may surrender at
any moment. Merritt's most difficult
problem will be how to deal with the in
surgents, under Aguinaldo who have be-
come aggressive, and even threatening to-
ward our army" Here is revealed the
spirit of the insurgents as early as July
1898, before the protocol was signed, while
we were still engaged in active war with
SPAIN Even then the insurgents were
threatening our army
On August 18th, Manila was captured
and Of this and subsequent events the
Philippine Commission says: when the
city of Manila was taken, August 18th,
the Filipinos took no part in the attack,
but came following in with view to
looting the city and were only prevented
from doing so by our forces preventing
them from entering. Aguinaldo claimed
that he had the right to occupy the city;
he demanded of General Merritt the pal
ace of Malachanan for himself and the
that a part of the money taken from the
Spaniards as spoils of war should be given
up, and above all that he should be given
the arms of the Spanish prisoners. All
these demands were refused.
Generals Merritt, Greene and Anderson,
who were in command at the beginning OF
our occupation, and until the surrender
of Manila stated that there was no ALL
ance with the insurgents, and no promise
to them of independence. On August H.
1898, General Merritt was instructed that
there must be no joint occupation of
Manila with the insurgents. General An
derson under date of February 10, 1900
says that he was present at the interview
between Admiral Dewey and the insurgent
leader, and that in this interview Ad-
mfral Dewey made no promises what
ever He adds: He, (Aguinaldo) asked
me if my government was going to recog-
nize his government. / answered that l
was there simply in a military capacity;
that l could not acknowledge his gov
eminent because | had no authority to
do So"
HERE'S WHERE DESTINY" COMES IN
Would not our adversaries have sent
destroy the Spanish sea power there, or,
dispatching it there, would they have
withdrawn it after the destruction OF
the Spanish fleet; and if the latter,
whittier would they have directed it to
sail? Where could it have gone? What
port in the Orient was opened to it? Do
our adversaries condemn the expedition
under the command o. General Merritt
to strengthen Dewey in the distant ocean
and assist in our triumph over Spain,
with which nation we were at war? Was
it not our highest duty to strike Spain
at every vulnerable point, that the war
might be successfully concluded at the
earliest practicable moment?
And was it not our duty to protect the
lives and property of those who came
within our control by the fortunes OF
war? Could we have come away at any
time between May /, 1898, and the con-
clusion of peace without stain upon
our good name?
Could we have come away without dis
honor at any time after the ratification
of the peace treaty by the Senate Of
the United States?
There has been no time since the de-
struetion of the enemy's fleet when we
could or should have left the Philippine
Archipelago. After the treaty of peace
was ratified no power but Congress could