nghai
Banking Corporation, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and
China, came to the rescue of the _Banco Espanol-Filipino_ and agreed
to honour the paper issue in order to check the scare. The three
banks thereupon opened their doors and satisfied the note-holders,
ordinary business being, meanwhile, suspended.
Aguinaldo had not only been busy organizing his forces, but had, in
several engagements with the Spaniards, driven them back with loss,
made prisoners, and replenished his own armouries. He then assumed
the _Dictatorship_ and issued the following proclamation:--
_Filipinos_:--
The Great North American nation, example of true liberty, and,
as such, the friend of freedom for our country oppressed and
subjugated by the tyranny and despotism of its rulers, has
come to offer its inhabitants protection as decisive as it is
disinterested, regarding our unfortunate country as _gifted with
sufficient civilization and aptitude for self-government_. In
order to justify this high conception formed of us by the great
American nation, we ought to abstain from all acts which would
destroy that opinion, such as pillage, robbery and every kind of
outrage against persons or property. So as to avoid international
conflicts during the period of our campaign I order as follows:--
_Article_ 1.--The lives and properties of all foreigners shall
be respected, including in this denomination the Chinese and all
Spaniards who have not directly or indirectly contributed to the
bearing of arms against us.
_Article_ 2.--Those of the enemy who shall surrender their arms
shall be, in like manner, respected.
_Article_ 3.--Medical establishments and ambulances shall also be
respected as well as the persons and effects connected therewith,
provided they show no hostility.
_Article_ 4.--Persons disobeying the above three articles shall
be summarily tried and executed if their disobedience should lead
to assassination, incendiarism, robbery or rape.
Given at Cavite, May 24, 1898.
_Emilio Aguinaldo_.
On June 8, at 5 p.m., a Philippine deputation, headed by Dr. Santos,
waited on the American Consul-General in Singapore and delivered to
him a congratulatory address on the American successes in the war
with Spain. In reply to this address, the Consul-General made some
pleasing remarks which were received with voci
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