Many and notable have been the struggles of the Filipinos to escape the yoke of the Spanish tyrant. But in all cases European intelligence and Spanish treachery proved too strong for the simple natives, and thus, after every revolt, the chains of servitude were riveted only more firmly.

As early as 1622 there was a revolt on Bojol island, which was speedily quelled. The same year saw a great insurrection in Leyte, which was put down only after great difficulty. The leaders were all executed: some were garroted, others shot with arrows, and many burnt at the stake.

Despite these extreme punishments, a rising took place in Surigao, in the eastern part of Mindanao, in 1629, which lasted for three years. At last, weary of the tyranny of the church, the natives rose en masse and killed the priests. Expedition after expedition was sent from Manila; and after much loss on the Spanish side, and a vigorous resistance on the part of the rebels themselves, the rebellion was brought to an end. But the peace that followed was destined to be of short duration. In 1649 the Governor-General put into effect the odious press-law, which caused a general protest and a formidable revolt. A native, Sumoroy by name, killed a priest that had grievously wronged him, and led the insurrection. The Spanish soldiers, unable to apprehend him, discovered his mother, and literally tore her to pieces. Sumoroy, goaded into a very frenzy of vengeance, pursued his enemies with merciless hate, and many fell a victim to his cruelty. He was finally betrayed by his own people and beheaded. His head was stuck on a pole and paraded through the province. Other chiefs then surrendered, on the condition of receiving a full pardon; but the Spaniards forgot their fair promises, and promptly hanged them as soon as they had them in hand. This rebellion also extended to other provinces, but was quelled by the proclamation of a general amnesty. All those that took part in it, however, were, finally, executed or imprisoned.

In 1660 there was another rising in Pampanga, where the natives were forced to cut down timber without payment. In Pangasinan province Andres Malong, a native, was declared King. He advanced toward the capital with a large army, gathering reinforcements on the way, till he had with him about 40,000 men. These were met by a small but well-armed Spanish force, and were routed. Most of the chiefs were captured and hanged.

In 1744 a Jesuit parish priest, Morales, by his despotic manner and arrogance, embittered the natives of his flock. One of these, whose brother’s body was left uninterred because his family could not furnish enough money to satisfy the unjust demands of the avaricious priest, led a party of natives against him. Morales was captured and executed, and his own body left in the sun. Dagohoy then raised the standard of revolt, and was joined by many thousands of his countrymen. He and his people thus maintained their independence for thirty-five years, when they finally submitted and were pardoned. On account of the strength and the multitude of the offenders in this insurrection the Spaniards were afraid to visit upon them the customary punishment; they feared to provoke another rebellion.

In 1823 a creole, Andres Novales, conspired to seize the capital and to control the Government. He and his fellow-conspirators, however, were seized and executed.

In 1827 there was a small rebellion in CebÚ, which was quelled by the friars. Another insurrection took place in Negros in 1844, when the Governor of the province was killed, because he made the natives work for his own private purpose.

In 1872 the friars were again the cause of a great revolt. Dr Joseph Burgos, a prominent native, led a party that urged the exclusion of the friars from parochial incumbencies. This had been promised at the council of Trent. The night of a suburban feast was the time agreed upon by the natives for the attack. The native soldiers of the garrison were also in the plot; and thus the arsenal was taken almost without a struggle, while the Europeans were now made the object of the attack. The latter rallied, however, and drove out the invaders. The arsenal was re-taken and many rebels were killed and taken prisoners. Burgos himself, with three other native priests, was apprehended and executed on the old sea-wall by the Luneta, that spot so richly sanctified by the blood of patriot-heroes.

Many others of the native clergy were banished. And ever since this revolt the native priests have been under suspicion, and native youths are no longer allowed to study for the priesthood. In this instance the insurgents had planned a revolutionary government, which, if successfully carried out, would have reflected great honor upon the leaders.

In August, 1896, the present rebellion was begun. The causes of this uprising were similar to those that caused the preceding insurrections; the arrogance and the exactions of the friars, the oppressive taxes, the licenses and numerous fees, and other extortions practised by the Government officials were again the source of much discontent among the people. The natives, furthermore, were compelled to submit to usurious loans whenever they wished to raise money to carry on the various kinds of domestic enterprise. If a native was unable to satisfy the claims against him, his property was immediately confiscated by the Government. This power of confiscation was used most effectively against the well-to-do-natives, who thus were fleeced by the officials on the slightest pretext.

Smarting under these grievances, the natives formed a secret Revolutionary League, called the Katipunan, which soon numbered not less than 50,000 men. CavitÉ was the rebel stronghold, and from the day of its inception till the present time the rebellion has steadily grown; the barbarity and inhumanity of the Spaniards, now proverbial, have caused similar retaliations on the part of the rebels. And while this is not surprising, it is, nevertheless, surely to be deplored.

If the civilized and religious Spaniard tortured his prisoners,—by burning, smothering, disemboweling, and otherwise mutilating,—what was to be expected of the half-civilized ignorant native. He, however, displayed far more mercy and greater magnanimity than his European enemy. The Spaniards, indeed, revived all the horrors of the inquisition,—the thumbscrew, the stake, and the rack. Is it a wonder that the Filipinos, rankling with the memory of a recent outrage and an ancient wrong, sometimes inflicted the same punishments on the unfortunate Spaniards that fell into their hands?

For the rebels well knew that a policy of extermination had been declared against them. Was it not at a banquet in Manila that the Spanish officers made a compact to kill the savages like wild beasts in their lairs, and to show quarter to none! We yet shudder when we think of the black hole of Manila, in which one hundred prisoners were thrust one night, of whom sixty were found dead the next morning—because the one door that admitted air into the dungeon had been shut. We remember with horror, too, the executions of the rebels in Manila.

The day of an execution was made a day of jubilee, when the Élite of the city came out to grace the general rejoicing. It was eagerly looked forward to, and, in honor of the great event, all the prominent houses were decked in flags and bunting—the whole city, in fact, assumed a holiday aspect.

The execution usually took place in the cool of the morning, when the Luneta would be thronged with thousands of people, who came to witness this grand vindication of the honor of Spain. Nor was the fair sex lacking in these demonstrations of loyalty. Here come the victims, stolid and indifferent; behind them march the soldiers, with measured tread.

The condemned are then made to stand upon the old sea-wall, and, facing the sea, await their doom. The suspense becomes intense; a hush falls over the expectant multitude, and a succession of sharp commands falls upon the morning air. An answering click and a scattered volley of shots, and the grim figures standing mutely on the sea-wall fall headlong to the ground, many stark and stiff, others writhing in agony. Hardly have the echoes of the shots died away, when a jubilant cheer bursts from the assembled multitude. Men toss their hats into the air; and ladies, beautiful and fashionably dressed, are waving their handkerchiefs and clapping their hands in an ecstasy of enthusiasm. The band bursts into triumphal music, and there is great rejoicing. But ten thousand natives go back to their homes with murder in their hearts.

And yet, notwithstanding this severe provocation, the rebels rarely attacked non-combatants, and seldom injured private property—an example of their self-restraint and their remarkable forbearance. This, too, is seen in their refraining from molesting the only railroad in the colony, whose traffic was, of course, an advantage to the Spaniards. This railroad is owned by an English company, and this fact alone saved it from destruction.

It is also said that when the insurgents had made their plans to attack Manila, a list of all the foreigners and non-combatants was carefully prepared by their leaders. This, as may be supposed, was done so that these might be guarded from the pillage and slaughter that was sure to follow a successful assault of the thousands of infuriated natives, thirsting for the blood of their Spanish oppressors. It would also be no exaggeration to say, that the great majority of all the foreigners in the islands—Germans, English, Dutch, and Americans—were secretly in sympathy with the cause of the insurgents. And this is no cause for wonder, when one thinks of the many and various impositions that the Spanish Government and its unscrupulous officials have at every shadow of an opportunity practised upon them. The rebellion began in the province of CavitÉ, and was made formidable by the thousands of refugees driven away from their rude bamboo huts and tiny rice-fields by the Spaniards, come to pacify the province.

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:

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

The house is described as broad, low, and roomy. In front is a paved court; on each side a trusted number of stalwart insurgents constantly kept guard. The uniform of these soldiers was a cheap native homespun; their arms were of the crudest description; but they made up in loyalty what they lacked in training.

The General himself usually wore a spotless suit of white linen, a white shirt, with a well-polished front, a high collar and a black necktie. He wore red velvet slippers, embroidered in gold. In his office was a modern desk,—piled high with documents,—a large mirror, two large, strong, iron boxes,—which served as a safe for the moneys of the insurgent government,—and a grand piano of Spanish make. Against a hat-rack leaned the rebel standard, and on the wall hung a map of the province. This the General used to scan eagerly, tracing the movements and the disposition of his troops.

Aguinaldo was usually surrounded by various members of his staff, none of whom, however, was as impressive as himself. I believe Aguinaldo to be sincere and patriotic. He is courageous, and has surely proved himself an able general.

He has unbounded influence with his countrymen, and while, as stated, $25,000 was offered for his head, no one betrayed him or attempted to make an assault upon his life.

He is bravery personified, and inasmuch as the Filipinos admire this above all other attributes, Aguinaldo is always at the head. He is a born leader, and has just enough tact to adopt expediencies and make compromises, yet not seem to do so.

And in so doing he, nevertheless, rarely appears to infringe upon his own original plans.

In everything he takes the initiative; in no event does he consult any one. He brooks no opposition; he has had no rivals in reality: there have been one or two would-be-ones, but they could not withstand him. He is perhaps not always scrupulous as to the attainment of his ends, yet his proclamations are wise and moderate, his conduct all one would desire in even a European dictator. Moreover, few have shown themselves so modest and so merciful.

There is a tremendous magnetism about the man, and whenever he addresses his troops, he holds them with a grip that would be spellbound but for the rapt attention and for the devotion that is vociferously manifested.

The natives, too, seem to be unable, as well as unwilling, to get away from his power; and, to all appearances, he is to the islanders the man of the hour.

Of course I do not agree with him in everything he does, but, knowing his sincerity, and believing that he makes his spectacular display merely to impress the natives, and so hold their allegiance, I therefore admire him and hope that the Americans will co-operate with him to give us a stable Philippine Government.

At all events, the man’s strong personality, and his large following, cannot, I believe, well be ignored by the American Government.