TWO LETTERS FROM MANILA AND ONE FROM BINONDO, 1899

Exhibit 1227.

[ Extracts from Original Spanish. Contemporary copy, P. I. R., 57 8. ]

MANILA, February 15, 1899,.

Sr. RAYMUNDO MELLIZA.

My DISTINGUISHED FRIEND: In my last letter dated the 7th I reported the favorable result of the commission with which we were charged; I suppose that you have this letter in your possession already, for the departure of the "Uranus" for that port was finally authorized for the day before yesterday at four o'clock p. m. You will have heard that my four companions Avanceña, Hernandez and two others who went aboard that ship on the 4th were held by the American authorities on the next day as hostilities between our army and that of occupation began between 9 and [20 HK] 10 at night that day. Our friend Gella and I are being anxiously searched for and are going from one hiding place to another to avoid falling into the hands of those who call themselves the saviors of the country. The outbreak of hostilities was due to the bad faith of Otis who deceived us by constant conferences while he prepared for a sudden and unexpected blow, which in fact was delivered on the night of Sunday the 4th of the present month. The whole day having passed without any signs of a movement firing began in the advanced posts at Loma and before half an hour had passed, the firing became general along the whole line, including the squadron anchored in the bay, which proves conclusively that this surprise was intentional and had been maturely considered and prepared for. Our people being unprepared, we were routed for the moment and the Americans after vigorous efforts were able to occupy Caloocan, part of Malabon, Mariquina, San Juan del Monte, Taytay and a good deal of Cavite province; but after some days we recovered ourselves and we have now recovered the ground to Malapad-na-bato, San Juan del Monte, Paang-bundoc, Malabon and other places nearer those suburbs. We have some 1,000 Yankee prisoners in our hands and have caused them some hundreds of deaths and over a 1,000 wounded. As we have no means of confronting the powerful American artillery which is most effectively reenforced by their squadron, our Honorable Aguinaldo who personally directs the military operations has decided upon a system of ambuscades and movements of small bodies; a system which is giving most brilliant results and according to the opinion of those who can speak with authority, we shall soon succeed in recovering all of the ground we have lost even if we do not completely rout the enemy.

The state of discouragement among soldiers of the encmy has been greatly increased by the checks to which they have lately been subjected; our brothers down there must not permit themselves to be disheartened but must follow the example of the people here as soon as they have an opportunity. Accompanied by Romero Salas and dressed as a Spanish soldier, I went to see Avanceña and Hernandez at the office of the civil government but the guards did not permit me to communicate with them. As I cannot return and as I hope to obtain some position in which I can be of service to the good cause and take an active part in the military operations being carried on here, I should like you to send me by some safe channel a copy of the decision of the Government there dated November 20th last, contained in the book of acts as my statement of service and letters of recommendation signed by our friend Delgado and certified to by you has been destroyed by my landlord who fears a search. Although any statement about the conduct of the Yankees is superfluous as you already know it, I must tell you that those here have surpassed themselves since robbery assassination arson and indescribable things are the order of the day among them and by such savage conduct they have succeeded in creating in the suburbs a panic which one can only form an idea of by seeing it with one's own eyes. (By the Uranus, carried by Martinez.)



MANILA, February 28th, 1899.

Señor RAYMUNDO MELLIZA:

My DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS: In continuation of my report upon current events contained in my last letter of the 15th,. I must inform you that although our deficiencies here in means of making war forms a great and serious obstacle our cause advances on a favorable wind and soon, very soon, we shall succeed in recovering some more of the ground lost if unforeseen events do not interfere with the glorious operations which are now being carried on all our lines. The system of warfare adopted is, as informed you in my last letter, that of ambuscades carried out by small parties acting in combination, so that they may take advantage of a favor. able opportunity to envelope the enemy and strike him, a system which has given new magnificent results (I speak of the force of Sandatahan as firing at present is only used for protection) as some 700 American prisoners have fallen into our hands and we have caused them considerable losses. It is not easy to do as well down there on account of your want of arms and ammunition but you must support our hostile attitude and employ only those opportunities which occur of causing certain losses to the enemy and at the same time expending few cartridges, to do this it is necessary to act as follows. During the day you must harass the enemy along his whole line by some dozens of shots fired here and there in order to keep him constantly on the alert and deprive him of the opportunity of rest. At night you must use every means to execute such ambuscades as I have described above and ill case of any obstacle which prevents their execution you must fire on him for a short time, with careful aim how· ever, in order to keep the enemy under arms and deprive him of rest. You must remember that the Americans have but little endurance and are demoralized by mere trifles. You by these means deprive them of their siestas and keep them standing in their trenches all the night, this will discourage them at the end of some weeks. The tendency in Washington is in favor of our cause. The annexationists have been beaten by four votes and the opinion of those who can speak with most authority is in favor of conceding the independence of the Philippines under an American protectorate and on this account it seems that Otis thinks of entreating the Malolos Government to suspend hostilities while he waits for orders from his government but I do not think that this proposition will succeed in being accepted since our leaders in Malolos have been taught by his repeated and barefaced efforts to deceive them and now do not put any trust in what he says but only in what he does. The fact that the regiments of Sandatahan have done nothing in the suburbs is due to explicit orders: it was intended to avoid outrages upon defenseless persons. We expect the arrival at any moment of an American commission charged with informing Mckinley of the state of this war and if the country is able to govern itself. As this commission serves as a judge and also has an interest in the matter at issue we can hope for nothing good from it and thoroughly convinced of this our honorable President has no intention of hesitating in the execution of his intention of continuing the war until wo shall succeed in reconquering all of our territory. I must wait until the next mail, if I have the chance. (By the Elcano carried by M. de la Paz).

NOTE.-The news that Melliza is continuing to direct the affairs of that government is confirmed in spite of apparent surrender to the American authorities. March 8.

NOTE.-All of the towns of the North, without exception, those of the eastern coast and part of those of the south of Negros have shown their disapproval of the conduct of Lacson and of Luzuriaga. The report of the uprising of that region is said to be perfectly authentic. March 14.

NOTE.-General Juan Araneta denounced to the American authorities in Bacolod the passage to Iloilo of some Filipino troops with their arms, and on this account a close watch is kept along the beach from Salanga to Siete Pecados. March 17.

NOTE:-Diocno went with his force to Capiz a few days after the bombardment of Iloilo. He has some 50,000 pesos of contributions collected there. March 19th.



BINONDO, March 20th, 1899.

Dr. MARTIN DELGADO.

My DEAR GENERAL AND DISTINGUISHED FRIEND: I am still enjoying liberty here although I spend my time jumping from one place to another and have to change my disguise daily. I have sent three letters to Melliza, without having had the pleasure of receiving a reply to any of them. What happened in Iloilo was a real shock to our cause: other nations and every class of society and probably even Malolos, with perfect reason, call it a crime. Knowing what you are, I do not think that you can have consented to such savage acts. And besides what was agreed upon was that a tenacious and decided resistance should be made to, in order that it might serve as the protest of the people to the whole world, and that buildings should be set on fire as a last resource, only when all other means of defense had been exhausted when all hope hud been lost, and then the public buildings were to be set on fire first. In order to curry this out, orders had been drawn up in the home of Diocno in which the zones had been specified, the control and assignment of the forces had been provided for and the measures to be taken for defense. But what was actually done, the burning of private houses after publicly looting them, the failure to make the slightest resistence, the leaving standing the buildings of the government, the barracks, the Augustinian College and the houses fit to be used for barracks, the way the soldiers used their rifles as a pole to sling their booty on and carry it off, these things were very different, so differ. ent that they have caused universal scorn and censure and besmirched an undertaking as well begun as it was admired and sympathized with. What is, is; but for the love of God, my dear Delgado, do not pose as a criminal in history. I urge you to use the utmost energy, let the lightning strike where it will, because where there is no discipline there can be no order and no force. Put aside concessions and conciliation and let the full vigor of the code of military justice be employed with the first man who exceeds his authority whatever his rank may be and whatever may be the class to which he belongs.

If you are weak you will only be held accountable for the faults of others as you are now held. Everyone considers you responsible as the commander and rightly so and although I have tried to show that Diocno is the man really responsible for what has happened, because I am convinced that he must be the author of such a calamity, but it is useless work; public opinion had made up its mind and only your future conduct and the subsequent results of this war can restore you to the position which you always occupied in the past. Up to a short time ago great irregularities were observed in the military forces in some of the provinces of Luzon and even in Malolos itself, but after the zealous director of the War, Sr. Luna, the faithful source of inspiration of the orders of our Honorable President, had applied with energy the provisions of military law to some dozen or so officers and to some hundred or so soldiers you have a model of an army here and a subject of admiration to those who have had an opportunity to inspect it. * * *

(No Signature.)