Part 16

At first, the rebels were successful; but when a large army, between 15,000 and 20,000 fresh Spanish conscripts from the Peninsula, was sent against them, they were forced to retire; and, accordingly, they entrenched themselves in the mountains near the capital. Here they built a considerable fortress, and though the greater part of the troops were without arms of any kind, they were, nevertheless, made subject to the most rigid discipline. Many of them, indeed, were engaged in the attempt to make their own fire-arms, and it can readily be surmised how crude and indifferent such weapons were. Those that could not secure guns, however, armed themselves with some other weapon; and thus in the rebel army were to be seen all sorts and styles of instruments for offensive warfare, from the deadly native bolo to the large steel mowing scythe of European make. Only 1200 of the 7000 men that composed this camp possessed rifles; yet, even thus poorly equipped, for more than eighteen months they kept up a desultory but harassing war against 15,000 well-armed Spanish troops.

Most interesting is the manifesto of the rebel leaders. Part of this document read as follows:

We make no distinction of race. We appeal to all honorable men--to all who desire national dignity. All suffer alike, Filipinos and Asiatics, Americans and Europeans. We call upon all to help a down-trodden and tormented race--to restore a country destroyed, to raise a land degraded. We welcome all--excepting not even a Spaniard; for with us are some noble Spaniards, lovers of justice, and free from prejudice, who support our demands for individuality and national honor.

The Tagal Republic Proclaimed.

The Tagal Republic was proclaimed in October, 1896, and Andreas Bonifacio was chosen President. When Bonifacio died, a few months later, Aguinaldo was elected President and commander-in-chief.

When General Primo de Rivera arrived from Spain to quell the rising insurrection, he attempted to end the insurrection by making various concessions, having been unable to do so by force. The rebel leaders were accordingly approached, and these, relying upon the fair promises of the Spaniards, made a treaty known as the Pact of Biacnabato, so named after the village where it was signed, December 14th, 1897. In this pact the following reforms are promised:

The banishment, or at least, the disbanding, of the religious orders; Philippine representation in the Cortes; the same administration of justice for the natives as for the Spaniards; unity of laws between the Philippines and Spain; the natives to share the chief offices of the Philippine civil administration; rearrangement of the property of the friars and of the taxes in favor of the natives; recognition of the individual rights of the natives, with liberty of public meeting and of the press, and a general amnesty.

In return for these concessions, Aguinaldo and the other leaders promised that if Rivera fulfilled these promised reforms, they would leave the country for three years; and that they would stir up no insurrection against the Spanish Government during this period. The rebels then laid down their arms and surrendered their forts and ammunition, and, according to other provisions of the treaty, Aguinaldo received 400,000 pesetas, which were deposited in the Hong-Kong and Shanghai Bank at Hong-Kong; not for his own personal use, but as a fund, the interest of which, if the Spaniards carried out their part of the agreement, was to be devoted to the education of native youth in England.

In case the agreement was not carried out by the Spaniards, the money was to be used for arms and to renew the rebellion.

Treachery of the Spaniards.

And how did the Spaniards fulfil their part of the pact? Rivera at no time proclaimed a general amnesty; he denied the existence of the pact, and shot several leaders, who, relying on his promises, had returned to Manila. The rebellion was therefore renewed.

Only lately, Aguinaldo has again been approached by the Spanish leaders, who promised to carry out the reforms stated in the pact if he would combine with them against the Americans. The Captain-General, indeed, went so far as to create a Legislative Council, to which he appointed some of the leading men in the Tagal Republic. Aguinaldo treated his overtures with scorn; for he well knew that these fair promises would, like those made before, be broken at the first opportunity.

The most powerful political organization in the islands is the Katipunan Society, already referred to, which has a membership of 50,000. Each member of this body made a weekly contribution to the revolutionary fund. Among the Katipunans are a great many Freemasons, who are most bitter in their opposition to the friars. And not without reason; for at one time more than 3,000 Masons were imprisoned by the friars, and fettered with irons.

Dr. José Rizal and His Wife, Josephine.

The rebels were greatly encouraged by the presence in their ranks of many women, who not only incited them to battle, but often also took part themselves. Among these was Josephine Rizal, the wife of the unfortunate and lamented Dr. Rizal,--one of the leaders in this revolt.

Rizal was a native of high scientific acquirements, and had considerable fame as a physician. He was also the president of the Manila University, and was deemed a leader in social and educational circles. But above all he was a patriot, and desired beyond all else the freedom of his country. He soon became the most ardent, as well as the most prominent, among the revolutionists, who looked upon him with awe. However, he was suspected, and he was exiled to Perin, on the island of Dapitan. There he performed a most difficult and successful operation on a patient,--an Irishman,--whose daughter fell violently in love with him. Rizal was similarly affected, and the lovers were soon engaged.

Not long after, Rizal was taken back to Manila for trial. He was condemned to death. On the morning of his execution, December 6th, 1896, his fiancée came to visit him. It was an affecting meeting--that last hour they were together. A sadder trysting-place surely could not be imagined than that damp cell, over which the glimmering light of dawn cast a sepulchral gloom.

And there, in that dreadful hour, on the brink of the grave, the unhappy pair were united.

They remained together, kneeling, till the executioners came to lead the bridegroom away.

Rizal's speech, at the place of execution, was powerful, dignified, eloquent. He spoke without a tremor, and said that he forgave his enemies, even as he himself hoped for forgiveness. He then predicted that the Spanish power would fall within the next ten years. He also asserted pride in his martyrdom, and said he was only sorry he did not have another life to offer for his country.

Execution of Rizal. The Philippine Joan of Arc.

At a signal from their commanding officer, the soldiers, that were drawn up back of the hero, fired a volley. Rizal fell forward on his face, pierced by seven Spanish bullets. The hero-martyr of the Philippines was dead.

His widow instantly set out for the rebel camp at Imus, where she was hailed as a modern Joan of Arc. She was made commander of a body of insurgents, armed with rifles, and she showed her ability by winning victory after victory over the Spanish troops. Her camp was at Naic--near Cavité. Since then, Mrs. Rizal has paid a visit to the United States, where she has been endeavoring to work up an agitation in behalf of her country.

Rizal's Farewell Poem.

A few hours before his death, Dr. Rizal wrote a farewell poem, entitled "Mi Ultimo Pensamiento," the following translation of which was first given in the New York Herald:

Translation.

MY LAST THOUGHT.

Farewell, adored fatherland! Our Eden lost, farewell! Farewell, O sun's lov'd region, pearl of the Eastern sea! Gladly I die for thy dear sake: Yea, thou knowest well Were my sad life more radiant far than mortal tongue could tell Yet would I give it gladly, joyously for thee.

On bloodstained fields of battle, fast locked in madd'ning strife, Thy sons have dying blest thee, untouched by doubt or fear. No matter wreaths of laurel; no matter where our life Ebbs out, on scaffold, or in combat, or under torturer's knife. We welcome Death, if for our hearths, or for our country dear.

I die while dawn's rich iris-hues are staining yet the sky, Heralds of the freer day still hidden from our view Behind the night's dark mantle. And should the morning nigh Need crimson, shed my heart's blood quickly, freely, let it dye The new-born light with th' glory of its ensanguined hue.

My dreams when yet were ling'ring my childhood's careless years. My dreams, my hopes, when vigor pulsed in my youthful heart, Were that one day, gem of the East, thine eyes, undimmed with tears, Might darkly glow, that I might see unwrinkled, free from fears, Thy lofty brow wherefrom for aye all blushes should depart.

Hail unto thee, dreams of my life! My dying soul doth cry All hail to thee! And ye I hail, my aspirations deep And ardent! Oh, how sweet it is to fall beneath thy sky, To die that thou mayst live, and, for thy welfare high, In thine enchanted bosom eternally to sleep!

If on my grave, midst the thick grass, thou shouldst see spring one day A simple, humble flow'ret, Life victor over Death, Sweet symbol of my loving soul, ah, kiss the dew away. Approach to it thy gentle lips, that in my cold tomb I may Feel on my brow thy tender sigh, the soft warmth of thy breath.

Let o'er my grave the placid moon shed its soft tranquil light; Let cool dawn's fleeting splendor shine on my resting place; Let the deep murmur of the wind caress it in the night; And if above my lonely cross it stay its restless flight, 'T will breathe a prayer of peace and chant a canticle of grace.

Oh, let the rain rise pure to heav'n beneath the sun's hot rays And carry to the throne of God my loving, last request. Let friendly souls weep for my end, and in the after days, On evenings clear, when o'er my tomb some gentle being prays, Pray also thou, O Fatherland, for my eternal rest.

Pray for all those who died alone, betrayed, in wretchedness. For those who suffered for thy sake torments and misery, For our poor, loving mothers' hearts, who weep in bitterness, For widows, tortured captives, orphans in deep distress, And pray for thy dear self that thou may'st finally be free.

And when dark night enshrouds in gloom the silent cemetery, When but the lonely dead are left watching by the sea, Disturb not their repose, nor dispel the mystery, Perchance then shalt thou hear cithern or psaltery Well tuned, 'tis I, O my dear country, 'tis I singing to thee.

And when the memory of my grave has faded from the mind, When my tomb bears nor cross nor stone to mark where I lie dead, Plough o'er the spot, turn up the earth, and scatter to the wind My ashes ere they return to naught; let them go unconfined To form thy rolling meadows and thy flower-covered glade.

No matter then, if all forget, still, still shall I be near, Still shall I breathe thy od'rous air, still wander in thy ways. And dwell in space, a thrilling note loud sounding in thine ear; I shall be perfume, light and shade, sound, color, refrain clear, Telling forever of my faith and singing thy dear praise.

Farewell, adored country! I leave my all with thee, Beloved Filipinas, whose soil my feet have trod, I leave with thee my life's love deep. I go where all are free, I go where are no tortures, where th' oppressor's power shall be Destroyed, where faith kills not, where He who reigns is God.

Farewell, my parents, brothers, friends of my infancy, Dear fragments of my heart, once to my bosom pressed Round our lost hearth. Give thanks to God in glad tranquillity That after day's long, weary hours I sleep eternally. Farewell lov'd beings, stranger sweet; to die is but to rest.

Aguinaldo Confers with Admiral Dewey.

It was in December, 1897, that hostilities in the Philippines, between the Spaniards and the rebels, ceased. Just before the recent Hispano-American war began, Aguinaldo was in Singapore, where, it is said, he entered into secret political relations with Admiral Dewey, who was then at Hong-Kong. The Spaniards having broken the conditions of the pact, Aguinaldo, of course, was at perfect liberty to renew his attempts against his old enemy.

As a result of these negotiations with the Admiral, the rebel leader offered to co-operate with the Americans in their occupation of Manila, by assailing the capital with his forces on land; he also guaranteed to maintain order and discipline among the native troops, to conduct the war in a humane manner, and to prevent the natives from committing outrages on defenseless non-combatants. He also declared his ability to establish a responsible government on liberal principles.

Aguinaldo as Dictator: His Proclamations.

Upon his return to the Philippines, May 24th, Aguinaldo issued three proclamations. The first explained that he had returned as dictator because the Spaniards had not carried out their promised reforms. He had previously surrendered, he said, his arms and disbanded his army, believing that the Spaniards were sincere in their protestations and promises of reform, being led to such belief not by any consistency in the past, but by the several guarantees they had given as pledges of their good faith. The reforms, however, ended where they began, on paper, and the Government seemed helpless in the hands of the friars, who, fearful of the light of truth and knowledge, placed every obstacle in the way of progress. As the great and powerful Republic, the United States, had offered protection, and were desirous that the natives might gain their longed-for liberty and their country's independence, he had come back to resume his command of the army, and he now purposed to establish a dictatorship, with an Advisory Council, until the islands were completely pacified and won. A republican constitution could then be established and a legislature elected. To this he would hand over the command of the army.

In a second proclamation, Aguinaldo forbade all attempts at negotiations for peace, between the rebels and the Spaniards since all previous negotiations had proved but a deceptive lure to lead the insurgents to their destruction. All Spaniards, therefore, coming to parley without a flag of truce and the customary credentials, would be shot as spies. On the other hand, any native that undertook such a mission would be regarded as a traitor, and hanged, with a placard attached to his body, inscribed with the words: "Traitor to his country."

The third proclamation shows the rebel leader's humane intentions, and is remarkable when we reflect that it was written by one of "the cruel and bloodthirsty savages" that the Spanish soldiery had sworn to exterminate. I give this entire:

The great North American nation, a lover of true liberty, and therefore desirous of liberating our country from the tyranny and despotism to which it has been subjected by its rulers, has shown us decided disinterested protection, considering us sufficiently able and civilized to govern this unhappy shore.

In order to retain this high opinion of the never too-highly-praised and great nation of North America, we should abominate such acts as pillage and robbery of every description and acts of violence against persons and property.

To avoid international complications during the campaign, I order:--

First, lives and property of all foreigners are to be respected, including Chinese and those Spaniards who neither directly nor indirectly have taken up arms against us.

Secondly, the lives and property of our enemies who lay down their arms are to be equally respected.

Thirdly, in the same way, all hospitals and all ambulances, together with the persons and effects therein, as well as their staffs, are to be respected unless they show themselves hostile.

Fourthly, those who disobey what is set forth in the three former articles, will be tried by summary court-martial and shot, if by such disobedience there has been caused assassination, fires, robbery or violence.

Triumphant Progress of the Rebels.

Dewey's victory wonderfully increased the morale of the rebel army; while the Spaniards daily lost hope. In two weeks after landing, Aguinaldo had assembled a force of 3000 men with arms, and fought many skirmishes. He had also captured two strong batteries, and taken the whole province of Cavité. He had made sixteen hundred Spanish prisoners, and supplied his men with over 4000 rifles and with several field-guns captured from the enemy.

On May 30th the Spaniards attacked the rebels, intrenched in a strong position at Zapote. The engagement was a very severe one and lasted ten hours, the Spaniards being forced to retire with a loss of 500 killed and wounded.

The rebels, now numbering about 5000, full of enthusiasm, and well-armed, then attacked the Fourth, Sixth, and Eleventh Cazadores, and several companies of the Sixty-eighth and Seventy-fourth regiments. The natives in the last regiment deserted, after first killing their own officers. The Spaniards were beaten back with severe losses, and the rebels, with important reinforcements, then routed the enemy, taking many prisoners. Not long after, the capital of the province of Batangas was taken by the insurgents, and the Governor attempted to commit suicide. The Governor of the province of Malabra was also taken prisoner, and town after town, province after province, yielded to the victorious rebels, who daily grew stronger and gradually closed in on the capital. Outside, in the bay, was anchored Dewey's victorious American squadron, calmly awaiting reinforcements from home. With these he would aid Aguinaldo to prosecute the war on land.

The Spaniards Fortify Manila.

Meanwhile, the Spaniards displayed great energy in improving the defences of Manila. The moat was deepened, and all the shrubbery wherein an enemy might lurk and find cover was destroyed. For, as a last resource, the Spaniards intended to shut themselves in their grim old fortress, as if they thought to find security there, although a few ten-inch shells from the fleet would lay the whole city in ruins. Everywhere facing the bay trenches were dug, and modern 9 pounder Krupp field-pieces were mounted, and mountain batteries brought from the interior.

But, notwithstanding these elaborate preparations, the Spaniards were lacking in good modern ordnance and in accurate marksmanship.

Another great source of Spanish weakness was their native allies. However, these professed great loyalty to the Spaniards, asserting that they wished to fight to preserve the Catholic religion. These natives had responded to a proclamation of the Captain-General, in which he called them brothers, and appealed to them to help defend their faith from the Yankee pigs who would desecrate "the holy Catholic church."

A few days after this proclamation, Spanish faith in these professions of loyalty was rudely shaken; for some priests were barbarously murdered by the natives. The following day, several companies of these sworn allies, armed with Mauser rifles, attacked Bacora, a small town between Cavité and Manila, and, after a few hours, captured the place and drove the garrison back to the capital. In this engagement several hundred Spaniards were killed. The natives of a regiment distinguished for its loyalty, massacred their officers and joined the insurgents. It is said that the latter lost more than 2000 men; but thousands were ready to take their places, eager for an opportunity to join against the common oppressor.

It was to quell a threatened mutiny of these troops in Manila, that the friars handed over $1,000,000 of their immense hoard to the Captain-General, that he might satisfy long-standing arrears of pay. At the same time, the insurgents received some field-guns, 5000 magazine rifles, and 200,000 rounds of ammunition from Admiral Dewey; and Aguinaldo and his forces continued their victorious advance step by step, the Spaniards daily growing more discouraged.

In the latter part of June a body of United States troops landed and took possession of Cavité; and in July Aguinaldo proclaimed himself President of the Revolutionary Republic.

Sketch of Aguinaldo.

General Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy is a little more than thirty years of age. He was born in Imus, a village near Cavité. His father was a planter, and the son was sent first to the College of St. Jean de Lateran, then to the University of St. Tomas in Manila. The youth's education cost his father much privation, for the cost of pursuing a course of study at these institutions is not less than 1200 francs a year, and the elder Aguinaldo had great difficulty to make both ends meet.

At St. Jean de Lateran the student is drilled in Spanish and Latin and the classics; and when he is able to translate the masterpieces of Rome with facility, he is ready for the University of St. Tomas. This, like the College, is under the Dominicans. In the University, the principal studies are physics, metaphysics, theology, jurisprudence, law, and medicine.

Aguinaldo was adjudged a very dull student, and gave no promise of distinction. In fact, the Dominicans finally sent him home in sheer despair. Aguinaldo then entered the Normal school of the Jesuits. Here he made some progress; but at this time his father died, when the youth was forced to return home to take care of his patrimony, which was threatened by the lawsuits instituted by the order of the Recollectos--an organization composed of the greatest land-proprietors of the colony. It was in 1893 that Dr. Rizal created the Philippine League, the object of which was to unite politically the various parts of the Archipelago.

Rizal was banished, but shortly afterward the order of the Katipunan was formed, which soon had more than 250,000 members. The object of this society was co-operation for the protection of the colonists.

The Government then fearing an alliance of this society with the Freemasons and the various secret orders hostile to Spanish rule, began to take active measures against it. Aguinaldo was suspected of being one of the leaders. A Spanish officer, with a squad of native soldiers, came to arrest him. Aguinaldo, when confronted by the officer, promptly shot him, then eloquently appealed to his companions to leave the service of their foreign oppressors and strike a blow for liberty.

The soldiers received his words with acclaim, and instantly chose him as their leader. He then sought the fastnesses of the forest, where he was soon joined by thousands of his countrymen--all flaming to join the standard of revolt.

Aguinaldo is short of stature, with a well-knit figure. He has the Japanese cast of face, and wears a black pompadour, which heightens that impression. His countenance is imperturbable; it is notable for its serious expression. During the rebellion he was in hourly fear of assassination. For, a reward of $25,000 had been offered by the Spaniards for his head; and this prize had brought into his camp a host of mercenaries, that were only seeking a convenient opportunity to gain the coveted reward.

Aguinaldo's headquarters were in the former home of a rich native in Cavité. With him were his staff and his mother and several of his relatives. These he kept with him to secure them from Spanish vengeance.