The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-30

.
The Nansan's Adventures and
Successes.
Emilio Aguinaldo. who as the organizer
of the independent republic" of Luzon
has led the American forces in the Phil
ippines many a wild chase, and whose
shrewdness in leading his forces has made
him one of the most talked about men of
the many brought into prominence by the
Hispano- American war, is only 80 years
old. AS boy he displayed many of the
traits which in later years marked him
as a leader of men. This desire to carve
his name high up among those who had
attained fame was displayed in the dimin-
utive Tagalo boy
He has had checkered career. At the
age of 4 or 5 years he was house boy in
the home of a Jesuit priest In Cavite. He
read all the books which were available
and the number was very limited-but he
was an apt scholar. Naturally precocious,
consumed by ambition and with an almost
faultless memory, at the age Of he was
the equal of most boys of his class at II,
and at 10 he was mentally the superior
of most of the Tagals and half-breeds of
the district
When he was Is years old Aguinaldo was
enrolled in the medical department of the
Pontifical University of Manila, under
Profs. Nadia and outrage. He was
a bright student, but little is known of
his career. Shortly after leaving college
he committed what was an objectionable
sin, both secular and religious. in the
Philippines by joining the Masonic order.
About the year 1888 he had some trou-
BILE with the authorities and went to Hong
Kong, where there was a far-sized col
ony of Philippine exiles and also Filipinos,
who had crossed the China sea in bust
ness enterprises. Here he obtained his
first knowledge of the world outside of
the narrow Spanish civilization in which
he had been reared. He attended the
drills and parades of the British garri-
sons, frequented the gun shops, purchased
firearms for his own use and in every way
tried to increase his fund of practical
knowledge.
One sketch of his life says that he
crossed over into Kowlorn and served in
the Chinese army but finding that moth
ing could be learned from the corrupt
mandarins who Differed the troops, he
obtained his discharge and Joined the
crew of Chinese warship, which had
some European Instructors He thus OBJ
tanned wide knowledge of warfare, both
military and naval, and read many works
upon strategy, including accounts of the
campaign of Bonaparte, Wellington, Won
Moltke and Grant. This accounts for his
accurate knowledge of the famous battles
and generals of Europe and America.
By no means were Aguinaldo's studies
confined to the science of war. Some
where he picked up a smattering of Latin,
French, English and Chinese He speaks
and writes admirable Spanish as well as
Tagal Viscaya and Igorrote-the then
most important native tongues in Luzon
and the middle island of the archipelago
At the breaking out of the Instruction
in 1896 Aguinaldo appears to have been
holding some political position in a pro-
vincial town. He was very popular in his
own jurisdiction and treated his troops
and the people of his district with great
tact and consideration. He enjoyed the
esteem of his superiors and was on good
terms with the Spanish officials and the
Jesuits, who served as .schoolmasters and
DOCTORS but he not on good terms
with the Francscans archipelago.
With the outbreak of the revolution,
which was intensified by the murder of
DR.. Jose Rizal at Manila, Aguinaldo
leaped into prominence. The position
which he took at the first and the rapid
progress he made show strongly that he
must have been an active worker in the
the result. He was either a colonel or
a general at the very start; and to him
as to a superior the chiefs reported from
other districts.
OF this revolt but little has been pub
lished in the Western world. 1t was the
result of a conspiracy, but the conspir-
acy Itself was the result of an even more
crushing tyranny on the part of the
church and state. In the latter part of
fhe nc hoA hanra 1ofio in fho
revenues, and to make this good an OLD
law was put into operation and extended
whereby any person failing to pay his
taxes would be put to forced labor by the
government. No defense was permitted
by the statute-neither poverty, sickness,
food, nor typhoon. 1t enabled the gov
eminent to put many poor wretches into
the control of contractors and also 10
extort heavier taxes from those already
impoverished by government impost.
So lucrative proved the practice that
the church soon desired to have its share
of the plumber. A law was accordingly
passed whereby the government, upon
application of the church, could donate
to it so many days of forced labor on
the part of non-taxpayers.
When the Spanish war became an as
sured fact Aguinaldo and Consul Wild
man, of Hong Kong, became intimate
friends. Aguinaldo, Agoncillo and the
ether Philippine leaders declare that
Wildman promised independence to the
Islands, and claimed to have authority
from Washington to make this promise.
Wildman, on the other hand, denied the
promise, and said he merely endeavored
to gain the assistance of the revolution
lists against the Spaniards in the cam
paign that was to come.
AT any rate, Immediately after the vic
tory of Admiral Dewey at Manila, Agui
naldo, followed in a short time by his
colleagues, crossed over to Luzon and or
gained the Instruction upon a scale
never before seen in the archfDeiago.
here his ability and personal magnetism
showed to the highest degree. In.nearly
every one of the twentyssix provinces of
Luzon he soon had the fires of insurrec-
ton under fierce Roadway In each is
tilet he picked out leader and for the
capture of each garrison plan of Cam
palgn was outlined.
Il was his strong personal following
mat enabled him to perform many ex-
uaordinary feats and evade capture so
often when his pursuers felt sure shat
ne could not escape.
Funston, the CaptOr.
Gen. Frederick Funston, the captor Of