The New Student's Reference Work/Aguinaldo, Emilio

AGUINALDO

Aguinaldo (ä-gē-näl′do), Emilio, late leader of the Filipino insurgents, of mixed European and Mestizo or native half-breed descent, was born in 1872 near Cavité, Luzon Island, one of the Philippine group. He was educated by a Jesuit priest, and at Manila he took a course in medicine. In 1896 he was mayor of Cavité, and later became leader in the anti-Spanish revolt. The insurgents becoming discouraged, Aguinaldo and other chief leaders accepted terms offered by Spain, which involved, however, their expatriation to Hong Kong. Here, when the Spanish-American war broke out, Admiral Dewey found him, and agreeing with him that he would once more take up arms against Spain in the Philippines, he, with his comrades, was given passage thither on the dispatch boat McCullock, and landing in Luzon they renewed the insurrection, beseiged Manila, and captured some 5,000 Spanish, including the wife and children of the Spanish captain-general. This achievement, added to Aguinaldo’s ambition, appears to have incited him and his compatriots to wrest the islands from both Spanish and American rule; for in June, 1898, the insurgents set up a provisional government with Aguinaldo as president, and when peace between the United States and Spain was proclaimed, Aguinaldo refused to recognize the treaty and assumed active hostilities against the United States. After attacking the American lines on February 4–5, 1899, he declared war by proclamation against the United States, and for over two years maintained desultory fighting against its forces in various parts of the Tagal provinces. Aguinaldo and his immediate following were entrapped on March 23, 1901, at Palanan, and Aguinaldo was made a prisoner by General Fred. Funston and brought to Manila. Here the insurgent president took the oath of allegiance to the United States, and issued a manifesto to the Filipinos acknowledging and accepting the sovereignty of the United States.