24 PEACEFUL MEASURES CANNOT SETTLE ILOILO DIFFICULTY. "I think the longer we wait before attack the harder it will be to put down the insurrection. "The city is entirely at the mercy of the Baltimore, and with her assistance, advancing under her guns and Captain Bridgman's battery, I have no doubt we can drive the insurgents out of the city, but their army will confront us outside. That situation would be intolerable, even if firing ceases. I would therefore recommend that a force sufficient to beat them badly in the open field should be prepared ready to send down, if required, after the city is taken. Let no one convince you that peaceful measures can settle the difficulty here unless you first settle matters peacefully in Manila and Luzon Island. * * [Stars are in Report.] "The English and German war ships and all other large vessels in the harbor have daily received refugees from the city. Many of the city people with their effects are leaving on small coasting steamers for neighboring islands. "Order appears to be maintained in the city, except for Americans who feel humiliated and want to get at them. "Very respectfully, “M. P. MILLler, "Brigadier-General, U. S. V., Commanding." General Otis's Statement Concerning Amended Proclamation.* "After fully considering the President's proclamation and the temper of the Tagalogs with whom I was daily discussing political problems and the friendly intentions of the United States Government toward them, I concluded that there were certain words and expressions therein, such as 'sovereignty,' 'right of cession,' and those which directed immediate occupation, etc., though most admirably employed and tersely expressive of actual conditions, might be advantageously used by the Tagalo war party to incite widespread * Otis Report, page 66. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ALONE CAN SURRENDER. 25 hostilities among the natives. The ignorant classes had been taught to believe that certain words, as 'sovereignty,' 'protection,' etc., had peculiar meaning disastrous to their welfare and significant of future political domination, like that from which they had recently been freed. It was my opinion, therefore, that I would be justified in so amending the paper, that the beneficent object of the United States Government would be brought clearly within the comprehension of the people, and this conclusion was the more readily reached because of the radical change of the past few days in the constitution of Aguinaldo's government, which could not have been understood at Washington at the time the proclamation was prepared." Letter from President Lopez to General Miller. * "On the thirty-first day of December, the President, R. Lopez, wrote a second letter couched in the following language : "General MILLER: "GENERAL: I heartily concur in your wishes, which is also ours, to arrange matters in a spirit of good friendship, but not having the power to surrender the city and the port of Iloilo, which having been taken by our forces in the name of the Filipino Republic, whose central government resides in Malolos, I regret finding myself in the position of the persisting in not consenting to the landing of your forces without the direct orders of the central government. "I trust that you will see the justice of our claim compacted by the will of the people explicit declared last night at the great meeting called for the purpose. "May God give you —, "The President, "PRESIDENT'S HOUSE IN THE CITY OF JARO, "December 31, 1898." R. LOPEZ. * Senate Document 208, page 53. General Miller's Letter Transmitting the President's Cablegram.* "On January 1, General Miller transmitted to Señor Lopez the instructions of His Excellency, the President of the United States of December 28, relative to the administration of affairs in the Philippine Islands. In transmitting this proclamation General Miller wrote as follows: "HEADQUARTERS FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADE, 66 EIGHTH ARMY CORPS, "ON BOARD TRANSPORT Newport, "Mr. ROQUE LOPEZ, President. "SIR: The within cablegram from the President of the United States to the United States Military Governor in the Philippines, transmitted by the latter to me yesterday, is enclosed herewith † for the information of your committee and of the people of Iloilo and Panay Island. Its more important statements are: "I. That the destruction of the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay and the surrender of the Spanish army of occupation to forces of the United States, followed by the signing of the Treaty of Peace at Paris on the tenth instant, operate to give the future control, disposition, and government of the Philippine Islands to the United States. "II. It authorzies and directs the military commander in the Philippines to extend, with all possible dispatch, the military government heretofore maintained in the city, harbor and bay of Manila to the whole of the Philippine group. "III. It directs that the military government to be established among you shall be exerted for the security of persons and property of the people of the Island and for the conformation [confirmation?] of their private rights and relations. It * Senate Document 208, page 54. Italics as in Report. + See Appendix A, page 68. SOVEREIGNTY ASSERTED. 27 announces to you that the army does not come among you as invaders and conquerors, but as friends to establish and maintain a government which will accord to the people what is the heritage of all free peoples- the full measure of individual rights and liberty. "The forces here under my command have been sent to this point for the purpose of executing the above orders. Although fully conscious of my power to occupy the city at any moment, I have, nevertheless, waited, that you might have ample time to fully deliberate upon the questions presented. As indicated in the President's cablegram under existing conditions, the people of Panay Island owe obedience to the political authority of the United States, and grave responsibilities will be incurred if, after deliberation, it is decided to resist that authority. In obedience to my instructions, and in the belief that the highest interests of the people will be served by immediate occupation by the troops under my command and the establishment of the authority of the United States, I again express the desire that the native troops be withdrawn, thus assuring the entry of the forces under my command without unusual incident or menace to life and property interests in Iloilo. "I am, very respectfully, "M. P. MILler, Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding." General Otis's Summary.* "General Miller thought his action in making publication of the proclamation on January 3 correct, as he had not been instructed to the contrary, and his opinion, he contended, was confirmed by a War Department dispatch which I had directed Colonel Potter to deliver to him and which he had received on January 6. He was satisfied that the use he had made of the proclamation was that contemplated by the War Department authorities, but it was not long before it *Otis Report, page 67. was delivered at Malolos and was the object of venomous attack. "Nothing further of great moment transpired at Iloilo for several successive days, and we return to the narrative of Manila events. General Miller, however, remained eager for battle, and with his command restive under the taunts of the natives and criticisms of foreign citizens, he repeatedly asked for permission to attack the city. Complications of a civil nature were also arising as shown in his communication of January 8, of which the following is a copy: General Miller's Report of January 8.* "HDQRS. FIRST SEPARATE BRIGADE, EIGHTH ARMY Corps, "ON BOARD TRANSPORT NEWPORT, "Iloilo Harbor, P. I., Sunday, January 8, 1899, 2 p.m. "ADJUTANT-GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC AND EIGHTH ARMY CORPS. "SIR: I have the honor to report, for the information of the major-general commanding, that the situation here is not improving since my last report. I have not landed the Fifty-first Iowa on the island opposite to Iloilo, as two boat crews of troops of the Fifty-first Iowa landed on the 5th inst., and were met by over 75 to 100 natives armed with various weapons, rifles, shotguns, and knives, who asked them their business and warned them off with threats of bringing out more troops if they did not go away. The men of the regiment are well, and the colonel does not desire to land under such circumstances of hostility. The insurgents are still at work fortifying; last night they sunk four mud scows at the mouth of the Iloilo River to prevent the passage of our Navy. This did not annoy us, as the Petrel's place for action, if we have one, is undisturbed. The city is so completely under the control of the war vessels of the navy that we are indif * Otis Repor page 67. |