The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 6, 1899, Page 3

’ THE SAN- FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 189 8 MANY OPINIONS AS TO THE WILL THE TREATY BE RATIFIED? Vote on the Peace Con- vention Occurs in the Senate To-Day. Many Statesmen Declare That Delay in Action Is the Cause of the Insurgent Attack. {INGTON, the resul ken in the ition ¢ the < countr ubted in hc 0 1 Feb. of = of he Philippine the up- ate during the subject the re he emonstration orces result inev has had the te the f<-ling in w s grown out of the contro- \ r the treaty and which was F fever he On this account very difficult for the Senate interest centers vote on the sent all the b memorable con- er occurred in the Senate, found and wid read > outcome. The vote is the balloting will 1at hou > on amendments. ( or l?l one yet , vlacing the Philip- s as Cuba. The n upon the treaty 5.—Whatever of A favorable vote on the part of two- | tt of the members of the Senate is neces y to sec > ratification. Hence, with a full membership of the Se e sixty votes will be nec y to secure are now from the city. Proctor, nd Wetmore, and M T opposed to it. art is expected to ar e, and if this -d, there will to arrange for palrs t in the affirmative wi be paired against one in the On this basis the total vote would be 85 and 56 would to ratif; he friends o confident- When th Manila will hav, ficient num- to insure ard half tely comm : t their co; 40 the chusetts, a on Foreign ion presented I am iing by Dewey and do. Our status that under the session of the the of pain aty is rati- the truce and be »ucillo, the representativ Washington, was ready away, giving up ction of those who treaty and the assur- d from some one aining, and the en- lipinos have from the United States has no i to the attack upon the Amer- doubt L an foree Senator Gorman of Maryland, who is he leader and organizer of the opposi- to the treaty-in Senate, said P the effect the ict at Manila would have upon the treaty: have no effect whatever. urred is the resuit of what been predicted by the opponents of treaty all the time. The opponents aid _that trouble would handled those people with- come if out gloves and undertook to torce our- selves upon them without their consent. This battle can have no effect upon the opponents of the treaty in any way.” Senator Pettig ‘We could have no possible difficulty with the people of the Philippines if we had given to them the honest assurance that we did not propose to overthrow their newly established liberties. Instead, we made a treaty with Spain by which the coun- try was ceded to us and we began at once to occupy it with troops and send re-enforcements, which was sufficient to cause alarm. The dispatch of sev- eral thousand more regulars lately of course created apprehensions on the part of the people of the Philippine Re- bublic. We should do now what we should have done in the first place— | B e to the people of those islands our good intentions and say to them, ‘Es- tabiish your republic and we will not allow other nations to interfere. Give us your bonds to reimburse us for our expense in securing you your liberty; we welcome you to the family of the republics of the world.’ The course of the administration on the contrary has been one of criminal aggression and apparent bad faith. There can be no question in the minds of any one who ¥ read the instructions to the Peace nmissioners that the President’s urpose always was.to make a perma- nent claim to the island of Luzon. To turn upon an ally in this way is cer- tainly the greatest international crime of the century. I believe the treaty should be amended at once 80 as to i | would make an a fa- | We | | | enough. give assurance to these people of our good faith and thus make them our friends even under these trying cir- cumstances. We should even now with- draw our military forces and allow them to establish a military govern- ment of their own.” Senator Pettigrew said in his opin- ion the fighting would not delay a vote on the treaty. The opponents of the treaty, he said, had counted thirty- three votes as opposed to ratification, but had lost one of them, and he could not say whether the latest news would cause any other changes. Senator Elkins, who has been very active in favor of the treaty, expressed the opinion to-night that enough votes would be found to ratify it. This morning he said he did not see where they were to come from, but he has had information since indicating that one or two wavering Senators would find in the conflict which has occurred at Manila an excuse to vote for the treaty. Senator Elkins said that the position of Aguinaldo s perhaps log- ical with the treaty unratified. as Spain gotten out and the United States did not take possession, so Aguinaldo 8 “I am here and will take pos- . The Senator added that the thing to do was to ratify the treaty, so as to definitely fix the status of the Philippine Islands. Senator Hale, one of the Republican opponents of the treaty in the Senate, could not be seen. Senator Martin of Virginia, who is one of the opponents’ of the treaty. said: “The news from Manila will not have any effect on the treaty. No man will change his mind on this account. It cannot affect the status in the Sen- Senator Teller, who has from the first been a stanch supporter of the treaty. said: “Our army is in Manila by right of conquest and under the laws of war. We are justified in maintaining our po- sition there against all who may attack us. I have been uneasy in regard to the situation ever since I saw that Aguinaldo had been authorized by his so-called Congress to declare war upon the United States. There was never any danger of the United States mak- ing an attack upon the Filipinos, but there has been danger from the outset that they, not knowing the conditions here and laboring under excitement, ssault upon our forces. But under the circumstances the Gov. to do any- serious anfla. Un- ernment has been powerle thing to .prevent the pr combination of affairs in M der the laws of nations the Philippine people are citizens of Spain, and. of course, there is nothing to do but fight them until they surrender and bring them to a sense of their position. It is impossible now for our Government to withdraw. If it has not troops enough to subdue the insurgents we must send The occurrence will not pre- vent our doing justice by the Filipinos in the end, but it certainly postpones the establishment of a government there for the present. I think it most unfortunate that the peace treaty was not ratified the first week after it came to the Senate. I don't suppose that the jslanders have read the speeches which have been made in the Senate predict- ing the wicked things this Government would do in case of the ratification of the treaty, but I have no doubt the de- lay has had the effect of causing the opinion among the natives that our Government would be embarrassed by the sentiment of the American people. and that this condition of affairs has tended to complicate matters. I think it very much to be regretted that the attack on the treaty has assumed a olitical aspect.” 4 Senator Frye, a member of the Peace Commission and a supporter of the treat; id: “The condition is what I have been predicting every day since the discussion of the treaty began. The absurd compliments that have been heaped upon Aguinaldo and the delay in ratifying the treaty have had the effect of encouraging him to make an attack before re-enforcements from the United States could arrive at Manila. If the treaty had been prompt- ly ratified it is my opinion that the Philippines would have been as unxet and peaceful to-day as are the United States. I had fully expected that the rejection of the treaty would be fol- lowed by an attack upon our forces in ! Manila, and it has come only a few days in advance of the time I eg(pectcd. As for our status in the Philippines, we are in Manila and Manila Bay by vir- tue of the prc ocol and under well es- tablished principle of intérnational law. We have a perfect right to defend Manila and ourselves if attacked. I said last night in Philadelphia that I expected just such news as we have | received, and it has come even in ad- vance of the time I counted upon.” Senator Rawlins, whose vote has been counted as unfavorable to the treat;, but who has been regarded as doubiful, said: “Our status in the Philippines, as I understand it, is this: The inhabitants of the island still owe allegiance to the Spanish kingdom, but our troops are in temporary military occupancy of Manila under the terms of the protocol. If they have attacked the United States forces they have done so in violation of the protocol, or armis- tice between Spain and the United States, for which, if it were worth while, we might hold Spain responsi- ble in some way which I do not under- take to suggest. The attack indicates that the natives are not friendly to the United States and that if we undertake to retain control there we shall, for a time, have the same difficulties which Spain has encountered. If we owe the natives any obligations at the present time, they do not seem to appreciate our method of discharging it. The af- fair emphasizes the importance of our being rid of the responsibility thrown upon us as soon as we can possibly dis- pose of it.” Senator Lindsay, who will vote for COLONEL WILLIAM —— C. SMITH of the First Ten- nessee Regiment, Who Died of Apoplexy During the Battle. the treaty, says: “To my knowledge it would have been better if there had been an earlier disposition of the treaty by the Senate, for I think a collision would have ben prevented by ratifying the treaty. We have never acknowl- edged the independence of the Filipino Government and forces are lawfully at Manila. Of course, we will defend ourselves from attack no matter when e it cor-es. It is difficult to say what effect the trouble at Manila may have upon the | Senate's action with the treaty. Senators on both question of ratification may be ren- dered more determined by the occur- rence. In law, until the treaty shall have been ratified, the Filipinos are respect to Spaniards, and particularly in - the present circumstances, are our enemies."” Senator Harris; who has been gen- erally regarded as on the doubtful list in the vote on the treaty, said: “I an- nounced several days ago that I ex- pected to vote for the treaty, and I only regret that the votes could not have been secured before the battle Manila occurred, as I think such action would have had a tendency to pacify the natives and keep them quiet. The Filipinos are a people of peculiar tem- perament and they would have been impressed by prompt action on the part of the Senate. Of course, there is nothing to do now in Manila but to stand our ground and take the best!| care of our forces there that is pos- sible.” Senator Cullom, a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, and a supporter of the treaty said: “The fighting at Manila is a very serious affair and I am sorry- that it occurred, but I am gratified that our army was able to more than hold its own. There is only one thing to do and that is to stand our ground, and if more troops are needed, the Govern- | ment ought to send them promptly Until the treaty is ratified we are technically at war with Spain, and our army was sent to the Philippines as one means of conquering Spain. Prob- ably the attack was made by Aguin- aldo and his followers in the hope of influencing the Senate of the United States to defeat the treaty. It ought to be regarded by every patriotic American as a reason why the' treaty should be ratified without a day’s de- lay. In my judgment the insurgents have been induced to make this attack for the purpose of influencing public opinion in the United States in favor of the withdrawal of our army from the islands. But it seems to me that it must have an exactly opposite effect. I have not now, and have not had, much patience with the course pursued by the opposition to the treaty, be- cause I belleve it would bring forth just what has occurred. The fight ought to have the effect of securing the rati- fication of the treaty, and I hope it will.” Senator Morgan, a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations and a supporter of the treaty from its intro- duction into the Senate, said: “I have known for several days that it was the opinion of the best informed men ‘Washington that Aguinaldo’s agent, Agoncillo, had cabled to his principal informing him that a vote would be | taken on the treaty on Monday, at the | same time advising him to precipitate hostilities previous to the time set for the ballot. I have not been at liberty to mention this fact to my colleagues in the Senate because it came to me in’ a way that made it a seqret confidence, The attack upon our forces is, there- fore, no disappointment to me. the United States | des of the | at | in | “A strong impulse has undoubtedly been given to this movement by the rnest insistence of some leading men ind leading newspapers that the treaty vith Spain was a violation of the con- | stitution of the United o.ates. From | the' first intrusion into the subject, when he demanded for Aguinaldo that the alleged Philippine Government should be admitted to participate in making the treaty, down to his memo- rial to the Senate on January 30, Agon- cillo has insisted that the Government he represents, or pretends to represent, | is sovereign and independent, and that the United States has no jurisdiction | over it without the consent of the Fil- | ipinos. This is the only issue he has presented as the . representative of Aguinaldo. His demand has been for a recognition of independence or nothing and that we should give this recogni- tion or fight. On the part of Aguinaldo, who is doubtless supported by. other foreign influences, this outbreak against |our army in Manila is a crime due en- | tirely to personal ambition. He must believe, although I do not agree with him, that he has secured and will se- | cure material support for his course in the United States. This misconception of his has involved us in unnecessary bloodshed and in a war which, if it is not checkel at once, will spread into | Cuba and Porto Rico. It is, therefore, in my opinion, the duty, as I hope it wili be the indignant demand, that the United States Government should bring all of its power to bear at once to con- vince these people that they owe obedi- | ence to the law of nations and to show | them that their ingratitude to this country, from which they have received nothing but kindness and forbearance, is a crime that must be answered for.” 'REBEL FORCE PROBABLY SHORT OF AMMUNITION NEW YORK, Feb. 5.—The Washing- ton correspondent of the Herald tele- graphs: ‘“General Aguinaldo has a regular army of 35000 men near Manila, but this force can be readily increased to a larger number by conscription of Filipinos of military age.” This statement was made to me this afternoon by Sixto Lopez, secretary to the Philippine Junta in this city. “As a matter of fact,” he continued, “I do not believe a battle has occurred between Aguinaldo’s forces and the American troops. If there has been a combat it is due to the action of Otis in attempting to occupy the positions held by the Filipinos. The Filipinos have the highest regard for the Ameri- cans and the nation, and they certainly have not attacked the American troops.” “How many troops occupy Iloilo?" “I do not know, as they are not a part | of the regularly constituted forces.” “Have the Filipinos an ample supply of arms and ammunition?” “I cannot answer that question, be- cause I don’t know. But I have heard of no shipments to the islands since the occupation of Manila. The Abbey’s icarzo. which was seized by the direc- | 7o) ‘| Joseph Wheeler. ] tion of Dewey, was ordered before hos- tilities ceased. As to the report that the British Governor of Hongkong sup- pressed a fllibustering expedition ine tended for the support of General Aguinaldo, that is untrue, and was put out by enemies of the Filipinos to in- Jure them.” It is Senor Lopez's understanding that Aguinaldo is at Malatos, where he has been for some weeks. When I asked him if he were employed making preparations for an attack upon the American forces he declared he did not 80 understand it—that he was engaged in maintaining peace and order throughout Luzon, in forming a gov- ernment and in ge*ting all the machin- ery of that government into operation. Major General F. V. Greene, in his memorandum to the Peace Commission, stated that on August 6 Aguinaldo estl- mated his force at 30,000 men, organ- ized into a regular army. “What was in evidence around Ma- nila,” he continued, “varied from 10,000 to 15,000. They were composed of young men—boys, some as young as 15 years. Their arms have been obtained from various sources, and they are partly Mausers, partly Remingtons. They have used their ammunition freely and the supply now is rather short. They have no artillery, no cavalry. If they attacked the American army they will certainly be driven back to the hills and reduced to a petty guerrilla war- fare; and while these guerrilla bands might give some trouble so long as their ammunition lasted, yet with our navy guarding the coasts and an army pursuing them on land, it would not be long before they were reduced to sub- Jjection.” “FIGHTING JOE” WHEELER WOULD GO TO MANILA NEW YOK, Feb. 5.—A Washington speclal to the Herald says: News of the attack on Manila has again aroused the military ardor of Major General He would accept an assignment at once to the Philippines. He believes, however, more can be ac- complished through the medium of diplomacy than by fighting. Speaking on the subjéet he said to-night: “What is cluiefly needed in dealing with the Filipinos is policy and diplo- macy. I found not the slightest. diffi- culty in getting along with the Cubans after I got to know them. When they came to me I received them politely and took pains to explain anything to them which they did not seem to un- derstand. By doing this I found it easv to convince them and win them over to our side.” “In the event you ar: sent to the Philippines, General, in what capacity. will you go?"” “I don't even know I will be sent there. I am ready to go to-morrow. It is the height of my ambition to serve in the army where my services may be needed. T am now eighth rank- ing major general of the army, but General Otis {s my senior. In the event I am ordered to the East it is impossi- ble, therefore, for me to say what I may have to do."” It is said among the friends of Gen- eral wheeler that it was uponh intima- tion from high authority that he might be required in the army this spring that he refused to either resign his commission in the army or his seat in the House, as in the former event he would have to be reappointed and would lose his senlority over some twelve other officers. SPAIN REFUSED TO PAY AGUINALDO TO MAKE RELEASES MADRID, Feb. 5.—It is amnounced that arrangements for the repatriation of the Spanish troops in the Philippine Islands are being made at New .York and San Francisco. The American Government, it is added, bears the ex- pense of the repatriation, which is to be carried out by the Spanish Trans- Atlantic Steamship Company. ‘The Spanish Government, through the French Embassy at Washington, has sent a communication to the Govern- ment of the United States, saying that in view. of the non-success of the Americans to obtain the release of the Spanish prisoners, the Spanish Govern- ment itself has taken steps to obtain their release. But as.this will necessi- tate a certain expense, the Government of Spain recalls the fact that the stipu- lations of the treaty of Paris oblige the Americans to obtain the liberation of the Spaniards. General Rios, commanding the Span- ish troops in the Philippines, cables that Aguinaldo offers to release the Spanish prisoners on the payment of $500,000 and the handing over to him of the cannon, rifles and 3,000,000 cart- ridges belonging to the Spaniards. The Government here replied that it could not accept this proposition, as it would be equivalent to indirect protection of the insurgents, which would be a breach of the Spanish engagements with the United States. Aguinaldo, it appears, still retains the ctvil prisoners and the monks. The Spanish Government has no news of the conflict at Manila, and it is added that the Government of Sapin will “act in the most correct manner and scrupulously respect the treaty of Paris.” GENERAL RIOS REPORTS “DEFEAT” OF AMERICANS MADRID, Feb. b.—Intense excite- ment was caused here by the receipt this evening of the following official dispatch from General Rios, the*Span- ish commander in the Philippines: The insurgents have violently attacked and captured almost the whole of the ex- terior American line. The Americans of- fered a vigorous defense at the exterior barriers, using their artillery as well as the squadron. x The warships destroyed and.burned Caloocan, Paco-and several towns in the neighborhood. Both sides suffered ma- teriaily. Very sharp firing' continues. The Spanish troops have been confined to quarters, but a sergeant has been wound- ed by a stray bullet. RIOS. The popular sympathies here are on the side of Aguinaldo, but thinking peo- ple are anxious regarding the conse- quences of the fighting. ATTACK. FILIPINOS NO MATCH FOR AMERICAN TROOPS Opinions of Correspondents of The Call and Military Meq Who Have Been on the Ground During the Present Occupation. HE following expressions of opinion on the situation in the Phil. ippine Islands are from men thoroughly conversant with conditions as they exist in the latest cf the United States ossessions. Thebattle yesterday and the results that riust inevitably follow will be discussed everywhere, hence the value of the opinions herewith expressed. Gen- eral Shafter speaks for the army, being the ranking officer on this coast. Fred Healy and Sol Sheridan, the correspondents of 2he Call at Manila, are fresh from the scenes, as are tlso Drs. O’Brien and Rathers of the First California Regiment, United States Volunteers. THE BATTLE WAS LONG IMPENDING. Paulist priest who went to Manila as chaplain on General Merritt's staff, and who through the course of the war was intimate with the gen- eral condition of both the American and Spanish troops, in a discussion last evening of his impression of the present outbreak of the insurgents, sald: “The storm, long gathering, has burst at last ‘about Manila. Events have multiplied since ‘“the three tail- ors of Tooley street”—our three Con- sular officials in the Orient—thinking themselves the entire American peo- ple made a solemn covenant with Aguinaldo, of which the present sad imbroglio is the result. “As to our part of the difficulty, the course of the Americans since then has been marked by the greatest wis- dom and forbearance, giving neither to the world at large nor to the people r«'h?‘ may become our wards or fellow eitizens any cause for criticism or com- ention. ““Among the Filipinos there are two classes—the common people, naturally peaceful, industrious and religious, and the ambitious and revolutionary ele- ment, which, under Mabini and party, propose to set aside all authority not their own. The latter, under the organization of the Katupnan, a sort of Ori- ental Free Masonry, has been the most vicious antagonist of the Catholic church in these islands. This secret order is widespread and powerful; nearly every poor native has to join or suffer the consequences. “The boy who drives you about the city in the carramatta, or the young man who serves you in the household, is a member. Suddenly he receives a summons and leaves between two days, or he will be kidnaped and carried away for contumacy. The majority of the natives do not know what inde- pendence means, and wouldn’t know what to do with it if they had it. It is to protect these péor wretches from the autocratic tyranny of Aguinaldo that their true independence will be given to them by the United States. “As to the American soldlers, there was but one mind—they were ready for the issue. In the long, dreary days of monotony, when life was ‘but to sit and hear each other groan,’ one thought was uppermost and that they would like just one chance to punish the insolence of the insurgents who held up of- ficers and men on the outposts. The opportunity is thelrs, and, as some of them said, ‘Fighting is what we came out for,’ and they will go in with a relish. “The denouement is somewhat of a shock to the gullible officials who have attributed all trouble to the friars. Here is the imprisoner of the priests in his true light,.and it is not the first nor will it be the last time that the enemy of my country and the enemy of my church will be found to be the one and the same.” THE Rev. Francis B. Doherty, the SHAFTER SAYS MANILA IS SAFE. General Shafter is visiting Cap- tain W. H. McKittrick at “The Meadows.” When informed by The Call correspondent of Aguinaldo’s attack on Manila the hero of Santiago at once became interested. He was dis- posed to discredit the report until in- formed that the intelligence-had been confirmed. It was the first intimation he had received of the engagement. “It may be true,” said the distin- guished commander. ‘I cannot help doubting reports. If it should prove to be true I do not think Aguinaldo and his poorly drilled and equipped troops can accomplish much against our forces. They cannot take Manila. ‘While the Filipinos would not gain anything by such an attack it would cause the United States considerable trouble. I don’t think we can gain any foothold in the islands more than the city of-Manila with what forces we have there. I have absolute confidence in General Otis to cope with any force Aguinaldo may bring against him.”- General Shafter will be given a reception by the people of Bakersfield nex Saturday evening at the Scribner Opera-house. He is preparing to make a tr{ to San Antonio, and will return here Thursday. BAKERSF!ELD, Feb. 5.—Major SHERIDAN'S VIEWS OF THE OUTBREAK. Manila feared has come to pass. It is ‘the beginning of the end of Aguinaldo’'s government—but the end has not yet been achieved. Before the Chieftain of the Gold Stick and the Golden Collar is finally over- thrown—if indeed, the blessed luck of the American army does not bring him to us as a captive and lead to a speedy determination of his career in an ocu- lar demorfstration of the fallacy of the Tagallo superstition that he is proof against bullets by his divinity—before, I repeat, Aguinaldo is overthrown there must be fifty years of guerrilla warfare, such war as the Anglo-Sax- ons on this continent waged against the American Indians, with the disadvan- tage that it must be carried on in fever-infested swamps and tropical jungles. It is a mistake to despise the Filipino as a fighter. He will not, it is true, stand volley fire as white men will, He will not deliver battle, nor win nor retire when beaten in good order, He has no drill, no discipline, and he does not know how to shoot. He files the sights off his gun to preserve the symmetry of the rifle barrel, having an eye for artistic cnsemble. But he is a fighter, for all that. He is a Malay, a knife fighter, a plotter of ambuscades. The Tagallos will deliver a general assault upon Manila, as they have done, and when close pressed by the splendidly disciplined Amer- icans will retire into the jungle, will vanish, will disappear, to gather again be- hind clumps of bamboo, in paddy fields, under thick spreading mango trees, shooting from cover at the soldiers sent against them—shooting from the rear, from the flank, from the front, and knifing any straggler whom weariness or va- grant inclination may lead to fall out of the ranks. This is what the Americans must face in the conquest of the Philippines, for it will be nothing short of that now. Aguinaldo has made the game in one desperate throw. The Americans must play it out to the end. When it is over will be time enough to settle the future of the islands. The pitiful part of it all is that this condition is directly traceable to our own vacillation—first at Manila and then at Washington. We have attempted to deal with Asiatics as though they were our equals, have been considerate of them. The inevitable has followed. The Asiatics have mistaken consideration for fear. The Asfatic always does. If General Otis had seized the Manil a railway from Calvocan to Dagufan, if Merritt had not permitted Aguinaldo to leave Bakoor for Malolas to set up a Government, the present condition would never have come to pass. Going back of that, if Manila had been taken, as it should have been, without regard to Spanish honor and without firing a shot, the insurrectors would never have oc- cupied, as they now do, the strong Spanish works built to defend the city, hemming in the Americans closer than the Spaniards were hemmed in. We are paying dearly for that provision of the protocol which left us in possession, technically, only of the bay of Manila and the country immediately around there, and left the rest of tne Philippine group in possession of the devil—which meant rebel or Spaniard, as occasion served. But we could have done much more than we did if we had really held the country about the bay. -hat would have meant holding Cavite, Viejo and San Rogue and Bakoor and Paranague, and Tambo, and Santa Ana, and Paco, and San Pedro Macate, and Santa Mesa and Malabon and Calvocan. > Aguinaldo, then, was at Bakoor. It was Aguinaldo we should bave heid HAT most: thoughtful men who have studied the situation at