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.
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.