The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-28

however. that his past cannot be accur-
ateiy remembered by any of the inhabit-
ants of Cavite earlier than his fourth year
at winch time he became an inmate of the
family OF noted Jesuit. He was treated
there as a menial. holding the position of
make-a-learn' boy that is, one who
learning the trade of house servant. 1t
was not long before the neighbors noticed
that the bright-looking servant was receiv-
ing more than the usual amount of care
and attention at the hands OF his employer,
and that he was dressed better than many
Oh the sons of wealthy Filipinos who lived
at home
1t is reported that when he was seven
years old Emilio was better educated than
most Spanish boys of his age in Luzon, and
he showed remarkable proficiency as a stu
dent He entered the medical department
OF the Pontifcal University when he was
ABOUT fifteen years old. According to one
account he was making good progress to-
ward his degree as a doctor OF medicine
when he upset his whole university career
by joining the Masonic order Soon after
ward he went 10 Hong-Kong and knocked
around for several years, practically a
political refugee, because of his Masonic
affiliations. Senior Jose Leyba Aguinaldo's
ala, In May, 1888, told J. l.. Stickney, cor
respondent Of the Chicago Record, that his
chief was educated at the law school in
Manila, and that he returned TO his native
province to practice law some time before
the outbreak of the rebellion of 1885, and
MIR. Stickney heard that he even held a
position under the government as collector
OF taxes or in some similar place. After
the rebellion began Aguinado did not take
an ar,,f,,
Rial was executed by the Spaniards, but
soon thereafter he was participating in the
negotiations with the Spanish captain gem
eral for the "pacifcation" of the islands,
and was recognized as one of the leaders
of the insurgents.
The so-called 'pacification" has been de-
scribed in different ways, according to the
bias of the writer describing it. On the one
hand. 1t is claimed that the rebel leaders
foreseeing that, for lack of arms, they
would fail to drive the Spaniards from the
archipelago, decided to make terms with
their oppressors. i'm order to secure the re-
forms they desired without further fight
ing. Accordingly they agreed to surrender
all the arms in the possession of the rebel
forces and to dsband their troops in con-
sideration of the agreement of the captain
general to carry out certain important re-
forms in the government, and. further, to
pay TO Aguinaldo and his colleagues i'm the
insurgent ranks the sum Of $S00,00O Mex
lean, equivalent to about $400, 600 i'm Amer
lean gold. This agreement was made in
January, 1898, and one-half the agreed sum
was paid to the native leaders, who at once
left the islands. Those who believe that
they were actuated by lofty motives of
patriotism say that this money was left in
bank in Hong-Kong until it should be
known whether the Spanards fulfilled their
promises. Then, it is claimed, when it was
seen that none of the reforms was forth
coming, they used this sum for the pur-
chase of arms and ammunition with which
TO attack the Spaniards in Cavite province
HIS RETURN TO MANILA.
Another version of the transaction, how
ever, represents the Filipino chiefs as hav-
ing divided the first payment of s4OO,OO and
as then quarreling over the distribution of
the second sum of 100000 because some of
them thought that Aguinaldo had received
too large share of the first payment 1t is
dertain that when the Maine was blown up
in February, 1885, Aguinaldo was in Singa-
pore. and that he was then all ready to sail
for Europe, intending to live in Paris That
much / know from his secretary. who
would not have given out such an admis-
sion unless ii was true and known to be
true by other people. 1t was only when
the disaster to the Maine raised the possi-
bility of war between the United States
and Spain that Aguinaldo decided to return
TO the Philippines for u renewal of the
revolt.
Aguinaldo did not arrive i'm Hong-Kong
until several days after Admiral Dewey had
sailed for Manila. He had had some kind
of negotiation with the United States con-
sui at Singapore relative to the part he was
&c play when the Americans attacked the
Spaniards in the Philippines and he began
to work" the consul in Hong-Kong in a
similar way. 1t need not be supposed. how
ever, wrote the correspondent of the Rec
ord, that he was at all deceived by any
promises these two men may have made to
him, for he was too well posted i'm the re-
sponsibiities that are intrusted to mere
consular representatives, to imagine that
they could bind the United States; but he
was shrewd enough to see the advantage
that would accrue to him personally If he
should be able to tell the Filipinos that he
had secured the cooperation of the United
States. 1t was evident that he would be
able to pose the biggest man in Luzon if
he could convince his former associates
that he had been the means of bringing the
Americans to help the natives throw off the
yoke of Spain. Aguinaldo is entitled to
great deal of credit for his foresight. for il
was by this move that he became the Fill
pino Dictator
| On the 18th of May he was allowed 10 EN-.
bark in the McCulloch in Hong-Kong aud
was taken to Manila bay, with about forty
| natives who had been living a precarious
existence in the British colony, and who
were glad to go back to their homes in an
American dispatch boat. When Aguinaldo
and his rather motley group of follow rs
landed in Cavite there were not one hun
dred Filipinos in that town, but the nlen
who had come from Hong-kong with him
were sent into the interior to tell the people
that a new savior had come to rescue them
from the Spaniards. Within week the IA
| tives began &c flock into Cavite. coming ty
boat across the bay during the night re-
| cause the Spa niards had possession of the
neck OF land that connected the point upon
| which Cavite was situated with the rest of
| Cavite province.
a GREAT MOGUL.
These men found Aguinaldo installed az
tha .ssreat nooul" of the Filfpino cause He