The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 52, 1841-1898: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 52, 1841-1898: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Primo de Rivera says that, from that time forth, the negotiation
was purely on the basis of a payment to the rebel chiefs to surrender
their arms, order the insurgents in the other provinces to do the same,
and emigrate to foreign parts. The only documents bearing signatures on
both sides, either of those published at Washington or elsewhere, refer
exclusively to these particular points of money, surrender of arms,
and program of emigration, though Paterno inserted in a preliminary
of the final contract on these subjects a clause as to reposing
confidence in the Spanish government to "satisfy the desire of the
Filipino people." [160] Primo de Rivera recommended the transaction to
his government for one reason, expressly because it would "discredit
[desprestigiando] the chiefs selling out and emigrating." [161]
The first proposition of the insurgents was for 3,000,000 pesos; Primo
de Rivera acceded, under authority from Madrid, to 1,700,000 pesos;
and the total sum named in the contract signed on December 14, 1897, is
800,000 pesos. When Aguinaldo and his twenty-seven companions reached
Hongkong, they received 400,000 pesos and never any more. Though
really looking at it as a bribe, the Spanish government had consented
to the money payment ostensibly on the ground of indemnity to widows,
orphans, and those who had suffered property losses by the war, and
to provide support for the insurgent chiefs abroad. That it was the
idea of at least some of the insurgent leaders that the money was
to be divided between them is shown by a protest signed by eight
of those who remained behind to secure the surrender of more arms
than the paltry number of two hundred and twenty-five turned over at
Biak-na-bató, appealing to Primo de Rivera for "their share." [162]
The latter says he turned over to these men and Paterno the 200,000
pesos of the second payment (the actual disposition of which is
unknown [163]); and that he turned over the remaining 200,000 pesos
to Governor-General Augustín in April, 1898, when it was evident that
peace had not been assured, after all. As to the remaining 900,000
pesos which Primo de Rivera had authority to pay, but which did not
appear in the final contract, Primo de Rivera says (pp. 133, 134)
that Paterno omitted them from the document because they were to be
used to "indemnify those not in arms," and that he did not "think it
prudent to inquire further about them at the time." [164]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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