The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-20
FILIPINOs ACCUSED of BEING A
NATION OF TRAITORS
IN WAR
TRY TO SERVE TWO MASTERS
american Commander Cites In
stances of Abandonment of Bel
Igerency Followed by Most
fragrant Double Dealing.
4 DEcE1TFuL CLERIC IN PRISON

-
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 power OF secrecy
and dissimulation; but 1t is needless to
say that no powerful state was ever
erected, or ever cen be erected, on such
immoral and unenlightened foundations"
- This statement is made by Gen. Chaffee,
military governor of the PHILIPPINES, in
review of one of a number Of court-mar-
tial cases in the islands, the records OF
WI ich have been received at the war de-
p; ftment.
fhe case which brought forth this COM
lent from Gen. Chaffee was one where
in seven natives were tried jointly ON a
charge of murder. - -
The accused were soldiers in the insur-
gent army, and after defeat by the Amer
lean army in the field abandoned even the
show of open opposition, such as the
half-uniformed guerrilla bands make, and
took up their residence at Taytay, IN Lu-
zon, place protected by an American
garrison. Then, following the proclaim
ed policy of the inSurgent chiefs, they
proceeded to organize secretly bolo band.
Traitor Play Began EARLY.
= When authorization had been given to
establish a civil government, the band
came forward under the leadership of
resident padre and were elected to munie-
ipal offices at Taytay. Then ensued q
remarkable attempt to serve two masters.
In all lawful matters they served with
due appearance of loyalty to the Ameri-
can government, while at the same time
they labored secretly and diligently. IN
the interests of the insurrectfon. Th1s
dual form of government, says Gen.,
= -Chaffee, existed everywhere, in strongly,
garrisoned cities like Manila as well as
ioi
GERS of Taytay next entered upon series
of murders and continued their deadly
work until the growing number Of mys-
terious disappearance led to the dis
covery of the perpetrators by the Amerl-
can authorities. o.. a.;.-., -. :
zone 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 a man; and no one knows this
SO we'll as the willy chiefs who use him
for their nefarious purposes"
Alleged Clerical Trickster. %'t
Six of : the. seven natives were
sentenced to be hanged, but Gen.
Chaffee commuted the sentence OF
three of them to imprisonment at hard
labor for life. The seventh native, Leo
noIdo de Posoy, a regularly ordained
priest, asked for and obtained separate
trial When Taytay was given per-
manent garrison of American troops, de
Posoy was found there in the regular
pursuit of his calling as curate Of the
puebla Through his advantage Of edu-
cation, his spiritual relations with the
people, and his active interest In their
secillar affairs he was easily. the most
influential man in the community. ~.
He cultivated the good will of the
American officers, and promised to aid
them in keeping the peace. But when the
elections to American civil government
Offices were held, he put forward and
caused tn he elected as president one Cal
edonio Jayier, whom Gen. Chaffee de-
scribes as an ..jffiterate and bigoted
man whom de Posoy we'll knew was
an officer of the insurgents and whom ne
commended to the people as the best man
for the office because he was bold"
pleaded His Office as Defense.
At his trial de Posoy, who was held to
be chief agent in the Taytay murders,
took advantage of the loophole wh1ch ap-
neared to be afforded by his position as
1rinst nv contending that, while the par
ficipators in the wholesale murders in
Taytay would confess the same at con-
fessional he was compelled by his sacred
office to keep silence.
Gen. Chaffee pronounces this defense OF
no value, saying that 1.-The confessional
does not lay upon any man, priest OF
aavnan. the obligation of suppressing
knowledge of crimes being committed by
third parties, the consummation OF
which could have been prevented without
e. violating the secrecy of the confessional" ="
':,. In this particular case, it is stated,
t. the knowledge of the crime was brought
> directly to the priests notice, and was
not gained through the confessional.
Chaffee confirmed the sentence of death
tmposed by the court-martial which tried
de Posoy, but commuted the sentence to
twenty years Imprisonment at hard Ia
bor "out of his respect for his calling
and of the great religious Organization
of which he is a most unworthy MEM
ber''
Said Gen. Chaffee in concluding his re-
view: "'No person living in these islands
can be permitted to plead his office, how
ever sacred or exalted, as protection
for crimes committed"