Additional Notes on “The Rains of July” Notes

My fraternity brod Ato Ramos sent me his comment on my “The Rains of July” notes on July 4,2009.

“MC, baka gusto mong balikan at komentohan ung July 4, 1898 at buong Hulyo sa buhay politika ni Aginaldo at ng unang republika. tingnan mo ung chapter X ng kanyang True Version of the Phil Revolution.”

But then, he could not cut and paste in the comment section the text he uncovered, so he emailed it all to me. Here it is.

Aguinaldo, Emilio. (23 September 1899). True Version of the Philippine Revolution.
Tarlak: Philippines.

“X. THE PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

“The Dictatorial Government decided that the proclamation of Independence should take place on the 12th June, the ceremony in connection therewith to be held in the town of Kawit. With this object in view I sent a Commission to inform the Admiral of the arrangement and invite him to be present on the occasion of the formal proclamation of Independence, a ceremony which was solemnly and impressively conducted. The Admiral sent his Secretary to excuse him from taking part in the proceedings, stating the day fixed for the ceremony was mail day.

“About the end of that month (June) the Spanish gunboat Leyte escaped from the Macabebe river and reached Manila Bay, where she was seized by General Torres’ troops. She had on board part of the troops and volunteers which were under the command of the Filipino Colonel Sr. Eugenio Blanco, but on being sighted by an American gunboat she voluntarily surrendered. Admiral Dewey delivered to me all the prisoners and arms on board the vessel, which latter; however, he took possession of; but after the fall of Manila he demanded that I should give back the prisoners to him.

“On the 4th July the first United States military expedition arrived, under command of General Anderson, and it was quartered in Cavite Arsenal. This distinguished General called on me in the Filipino Government House at Cavite, an honour and courtesy which I promptly returned, as was right and proper, seeing that we were friends, of equal rank, and allies. In the course of official intercourse General Anderson solemnly and completely endorsed the promises made by Admiral Dewey to me, asserting on his word of honour that America had not come to the Philippines to wage war against the natives nor to conquer and retain territory, but only to liberate the people from the oppression of the Spanish Government. A few days before the arrival of this military expedition, and others that followed under command of General Merritt, Admiral Dewey sent his Secretary to my Government to ask me to grant permission for the stationing of American troops in Tambo and Maytubig, Paranaque and Pasay. In view of the important promises of Admiral Dewey, above mentioned, the Dictatorial Government consented to the movement of troops as proposed.

“During that month (July) Admiral Dewey accompanied by General Anderson visited Cavite, and after the usual exchange of courtesies he said-” You have had ocular demonstration and confirmation of all I have told you and promised you. How pretty your flag is! It has a triangle, and is something like the Cubans’. Will you give me one as a memento when I go back home?”

“I replied that I was fully satisfied with his word of honour and of the needlessness of having our agreement in documentary form. As to the flag he wanted, he could have one whenever he wished.

“The Admiral continued: Documents are useless when there is no sense of honour on one side, as was the case in respect of the compact with the Spaniards, who failed to act up to what had been written and signed. Have faith in my word, and I assure you that the United States will recognize the independence of the country. But I recommend you to keep a good deal of what we have said and agreed secret at present. I further request you to have patience if any of our soldiers insult any Filipinos, for being Volunteers they are as yet undisciplined.

“I replied that I would bear in mind all his advice regarding cautiousness, and that with respect to the misconduct of the soldiers orders had already been issued enjoining forbearance, and I passed the same remarks to the Admiral about unpleasantness possibly arising through lack of discipline of our own forces.” (30-32)

Reflections: The bold texts above are mine. From this account, it only shows how naive or stupid Aguinaldo was then. As first President of the Republic shouldn’t he have known better the real purpose of the United States of America in entering the Spanish- American War in the Philippines?

Additional note: Source Imperial San Francisco by Gray Brechin (1999)

On Spanish-American War

…Whipped on by a hysterical press led by William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers in San Francisco and New York, Congress unanimously voted $50 millions for war preparations. Though no proof could be found that Spain was guilty of the act, President William McKinley on April 25 ratified the congressional declaration of war.

…Within five days , Admiral George Dewey fired the opening salvo at the antipode of Havana. Early on the morning of May 1, his Asiatic Squadron slid quietly past the old port at Corregidor and into Manila Bay. There, Dewey later recalled, he issued the famous command “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.”

… News of the victory galvanized the United States with patriotic fervor. It also gave the nation its first overseas colony – a group of islands that few Americans could locate on the map….Within three months, the war was virtually over and the United States an acknowledged imperial power with a new forward garrison on China’s doorstep. Unknown to most, the Navy Department had planned the seizure of the Philippines two years before Gridley was ready to fire.

Reflections: Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time passing, Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time ago, Where have all the graveyards gone? Covered with flowers every one,When will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?. Di na tayo natuto!