The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-02-01
Aguina|do, in a Purported inter-
view, Declares His People Will
Not Accept Amnesty.
WAR MAY GO ON FOR YEARS
Realizes the Overwhelming Odd Against
the %Filipinos, but Declares They
Will Keep Up the Eight TIL "
Freedom Is Won.

New York, Jan. 29.-The World pub.
fishes what it claims to be a w%ell-au-
thenticated interview with Aguinaldo,
obtained by an American, a trusted
agent of Carlo Rubino, a prominent
merchant in Manila. 1t was forwarded
here through the mails.
Aguinaldo was found in the Filipino
capital by Serlor 'Rubino's agent, the
identity of whom is kept an inviolate
secret, but it is Known that he is an
American. In years gone by ne was
q high-salaried employee Of Russell &
Co., of Hong Kong, Manila, Yoko-
hama, Canton Shanghai, San Fran
cisco and New York. The firm was
the Oldest American ho..se in the
orient and the richest. 1t went down
in the crash OF 1893.
MY letters to A%gninaldo," says
Senior Rubino's agent, were carefully
scrutinized by him and his aide-de-
camps before l vas taken fully into
his confidence. But as theyawere from
those whom he knew to be his trusted
friends, he received me without re-
straint or hesitation. / remained there
four days and was the recipient of
his full confidence and had from him
the most unreserved expression of his
sentiments and purposes, as well as his
ideas concerning the condition of his
country and the great struggle now
going on there.
Il was astonished at his knowledge
Of the history of the United States and
its great statesmen since the war of
the revolution. The subject OF am
nestN vas gone over very thoroughly.
l asked him if he would accept am
nesty offered by the commissioners
sent out by the United States govern
ment. He said:
Will Not Accept Amnesty. &
mo, I will not accept amnesty. I
would not trust them. 1 have not for
gotten the professions OF friendship
and of support given to me by Dewey
and Otis and all of them, especially
Wildman, My army fought with and
for them to defeat the Spanish and
promises most solemnly given that we
were to have independence We're made.
All these solemn promises have been
repudiated by them all. No. Amnesty
means slavery and obedience to the
will of Mckinley"
d not you believe the condition Of
your people would be improved il they
accepted amnesty now offered?"
NO" he replied; "to accept amnesty
means shame, infamy, slavery, degra-
dation. Personally. it means impris-
oEment for me. What else am 1 to
expect. and what for my poor people
~ oelLuoil' WHAT would their IOre-
Gathers have said of George Washing
ton had he accepted amnesty from
George Ill? He fought from 1776 to
1852 and all offers of amnesty were
very properly treated with scorn.
They were right. You ask me what I
want. I reply, liberty. The right of
the Filipinos to govern themselves
government of their own."
But" said ], there are assurances"
War May Last for Years.
Assurances and PROMISES he in
terposed with great warmth, given
only to be disregarded and repudiated.
/ tell you I will never trust them. Nor
Will my people. Never! Say to them
that the amnesty will not be consid-
cred. Ny. people would no longer re-
spect me were I to do So"
Then it may be war for many
years said. You must know that
the American government is strong;
powerful and rich.'
"Unquestionably,' he replied. "aad It
may be a long and terrible struggle for
liberty. But, until the Filipino nation
snail have q government of its own,
this war will 60 on. I believe that II
there were a change of administration
we would gain our freedom. We will
have a republic patterned mainly aft
er that of the United States.s Their
original system is admirable, but not
as administered now"
aa-+- AsM-afGHHtE.H