The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-20
FILIPlNOS ARRAIGNED
WHOLE PEOPLE TURNED TRAIT.
ORS, SAYS CHAFFEE.
THE GENERAL is DISGUSTED.
THE ISLANDS HoNEYCoMBEDw WITH
TREACHERY.

Natives Possess Wonderful Powers
of Secrecy and DissimulatiOn-Ex-
Insurgents Become Loyal Pacificos
and Municipal officers Under
Americans, Yet Aid the Insurrec-
tors and Carry ON Wholesale MUIR
der-This Sort of Thing Existed
Everywhere, Says Gen. Chaffee,
Even in ManiIa-A Case in Point.
Washington. Dec. 19 9.--"History af-
fords no parallel of a whole people
thus practically turning war traitors,
and in the genius of no other people
was ever found such masterful pow
ers of secrecy and dissimulation, but
it is needless to say that no powerful
state was ever erected or ever can be
erected upon such immoral and unen-
lightened foundations" ;"
This statement is made by Gen.
Chaffee, military governor of the Phil
ippines, in a review of one of num-
ber of court-martial cases in the ISL
ands, the records of which have been
received at the War Department.
The case which brought forth this
comment from Gen. Chaffee was one
wherein seven natives were tried joint
ly on a charge of murder. The accused
were soldiers in the insurgent army,
and after defeat by the American army
ir the field, abandoned even the show
of open opposition of the half uniform
ed guerilla bands, and took up their
residence in Taytay, in Morong prov
ince, Luzon, a place protected by an
American garrison. Then, following the
proclaimed policy Of the insurgent
chiefs, they proceeded to organize Sc
cretly a bolo band. After the native
population within the lines of the army
of occupation had been authorized to
establish civil government, the band
came forward under the leadership of
a resident padre, directed and secured
their election as municipal officers of
Taytay and entered upon their duties
under American authority. Then en-
sued remarkable attempt to serve
two masters. In all lawful matters they
served with due appearance of loyalty
the American government, while at the
same time they labored secretly and
diligently in the interests Of the insur-
rection. This dual form of government.
says Gen. Chaffee, existed everywhere,
in strongly garrisoned cities like Ma
Mia; as well as the smallest places. The
n.unicipal officers of Taytay next en-
tered upon a series of murders and
continued their work until the grow
ing number of mysterious disappear
ances from the community led to the
discovery of the perpetrators by the
American authorities.
Character of Natives.
"One undeniable truth" says Gen.
Chaffee, Stands out in this case as in
hundreds of like cases of murder, that
the average native of these islands has
not more than the merest rudimentary
conception of his individual rights and
duties as man, and no one knows
this so we'll as the willy chiefs who use
him for their nefarious purposes"
Six of the seven natives were sem
fenced to be hung, but Gen. Chaffee
commuted the sentence in the cases of
three of them to Imprisonment at hard
labor for life.
The seventh native, Leonardo Posoy,
regularly ordained priest, asked for
and was granted a separate trial.
AT his trial, Posoy, who was held
TO be the chief agent in the Taytay
murders, took advantage of the loop
hole which appeared to be afforded by
his position as priest, by contending
that while the participators in the
wholesale murders in Taytay would
confess the same at confessional. he
was restrained by his office to keep
silence.
Gen. Chaffee pronounced this de-
Tense of no value, saying that "the
confessional does not lay upon any
man, priest or layman, the obligation
of suppressing knowledge of crimes
being committed by third parties. the
consummation of which could have
been prevented without violating the
secrecy of the confessional. In this
particular case, it is stated, the knowi-
edge of the crimes was brought d.
rectly to the priests notice, and was
not gained through the confessional.
His sentence was commuted to i'm
prisonment for twenty years.