ment was carried far beyond the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga. Armed mobs had risen in Pangasinan, Zambales, Ylocos, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac. Many villages were entirely reduced to ashes by them; crops of young rice too unripe to be useful to anybody were wantonly destroyed. Pillage and devastation were resorted to everywhere to coerce the peaceful inhabitants to join in the movement. On the other hand, the nerves of the priests were so highly strung that they suspected every native, and by persistently launching false accusations against their parishioners, they literally made rebels."

In July, 1897, the General appointed Pedro Paterno to negotiate terms with the rebels. The final result of these negotiations was the Treaty of Biac-na-Bato, signed December 24, 1897, which nominally terminated the rebellion.

7. Treaty of Biac-na-Bato.

The Treaty of Biac-na-Bato has been criticised as dishonorable to the insurgent leaders who signed it. It has been said that Aguinaldo was practically "bought off" when he agreed to it. The following, which are the only accounts of the treaty to be found in United States official documents, put a somewhat different light upon the matter.

A. General Green's Account.*

"In August, 1896, an insurrection broke out in Cavite under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo, and soon spread to other provinces on both sides of Manila. It continued with varying successes on both sides, and the trial and execution of numerous insurgents, until December, 1897, when the Governor-General, Primo de Rivera, entered into written agreement with Aguinaldo, the substance of the document, which is in possession of Senor Felipe Agoncillo, who accompanies me to Washington, being attached hereto, and marked A.† In brief, it required that Aguinaldo and the other insurgent leaders should leave the country, the Government agreeing to pay them eight hundred thousand dollars in silver and promising to introduce numerous reforms, including representation in the Spanish Cortez, freedom of the press, general amnesty for all insurgents, and the expulsion or secularization of the monastic orders.

"Aguinaldo and his associates went to Hong Kong and Singapore. A portion of the money, four hundred thousand dollars, was deposited in banks at Hong Kong, and a lawsuit soon arose between Aguinaldo and one of his subordinate

* Senate Document 62, 55th Cong., 3d Sess., page 421.

↑ Omitted in this pamphlet.

chiefs named Artacho, which is interesting on account of the very honorable position taken by Aguinaldo. Artacho sued for a division of the money among the insurgents according to rank. Aguinaldo claimed that the money was a trust fund, and was to remain on deposit until it was seen whether the Spaniards would carry out their promised reforms, and if they failed to do so, it was to be used to defray the expenses of a new insurrection. The suit was settled out of court by paying Artacho $5,000.

"No steps have been taken to introduce the reforms, more. than two thousand insurgents, who had been deported to Fernando Po and other places, are still in confinement, and Aguinaldo is now using the money to carry on the operations of the present insurrection."

B. Account of the Schurman Commission.*

"This celebrated treaty was signed December 14, 1897. At that time nearly all the Filipino forces from Cavite, Bulacan, and elsewhere, were concentrated at Biac-na-Bato. There were a great many soldiers there, but they were badly armed. They had only about eight hundred small arms consisting of rifles, shotguns, and also a few cannon of antiquated models. Very exaggerated notions of this force were current among the Spanish troops. The idea circulated that it would require one hundred thousand men to take the position. So the Governor-General, Primo de Rivera, concluded that it would be better to resort to the use of money. It was agreed by Governor-General Primo de Rivera that certain concessions should be made by the Spaniards, among which were representations in the Cortez of Spain, the sending away of the friars which was the principal question - the right of association, and a free press.

"Primo de Rivera stated that he had authority from Madrid to give two million dollars, Mexican, if necessary, in

*

Report of the Philippine Commission, Vol. I., page 170.

SPAIN'S PROMISES BROKEN.

33

order to bring about a cessation of hostilities; the amount agreed upon, however, as acceptable to the Filipinos, was one million two hundred thousand dollars. This money was to be paid when Aguinaldo and his cabinet and his leading officers arrived in Hong Kong. No definite time was fixed during which these men were to remain away from the Philippines, and if the promises made by Spain were not fulfilled they had the right to return.

The

"It appears that Paterno, who served as mediator, only offered Aguinaldo four hundred thousand dollars. Two hundred thousand dollars was paid to Aguinaldo when he arrived in Hong Kong. The balance of the money was to be paid when the Filipinos had delivered up their arms. whole arrangement was not acceptable to the people. They were angry because a matter of business had been made of the revolution, and they had no confidence in the Spaniards. "As a matter of fact these promises were never carried

out. The civil guard began to whip and to shoot and abuse the people as before; and it is stated that in the province of Manila more than two, hundred men were executed."

C. Consul Wildman's Account.†

"There has been a systematic attempt to blacken the name of Aguinaldo and his cabinet, on account of the questionable terms of their surrender to Spanish forces a year ago this month. It has been said that they sold their country for gold, but this has been conclusively disproved, not only by their own statements but by the speech of the late GovernorGeneral Rivera in the Spanish Senate, June 11th, 1898. He said that Aguinaldo undertook to submit if the Spanish Government would give a certain sum to the widows and orphans

According to other authorities, $400,000.

† Senate Document 62, 55th Cong., 3d Sess., page 337. Mr. Wildman was U. S. Consul at Hong Kong.

of the insurgents. He then admits that only a tenth part of this sum was ever given to Aguinaldo, and that the other promises made he did not find it expedient to keep.

"I was in Hong Kong September, 1897, when Aguinaldo and his leaders arrived under contract with the Spanish Government. They waited until the first of November for the payment of the promised money and the fulfilment of the promised reforms. Only $400,000 Mexican was ever placed to their credit in the banks."

D. Consul Williams's Statement.*

"To-day I have executed a power of attorney whereby General Aguinaldo releases to his attorneys in fact $400,000, now in bank in Hong Kong, so that money therefrom can pay for 3,000 stand of arm bought there and expected here to-morrow."

E. Mr. Foreman's Account.†

The following is Mr. Foreman's account of the treaty before the Peace Commission at Paris. As will be seen, Mr. Foreman draws an analogy between the broken promises of Spain to the Cubans and to the Filipinos.

"They [the Spaniards] said, 'The Cubans have laid down their arms, and everything is quiet; why should we do any thing more; we have accomplished what we wanted.' He [Martinez Campos] said, 'I have given my word of honor; my personal honor is affected.' But they said, 'Oh, you have fallen out of power, and you will never come in again. It is a very good trick. You have got each one to lay down his arms and go to his house, and now let the reforms go; never

* Senate Document 62, 55th Cong., 3d Sess., page 328. Mr. Williams was U. S. Consul at Manila.

+ Ibid., page 462.