"_General Secretary._"

--P.I.R., 52. 5.

[402] "Martin Delgado y Bermejo, lieutenant general and general in
chief of the republican army of the Visayan Islands.

"_General Headquarters of Santa Barbara_,

"April 20, 1899.

"The existence of a state of war, and the trying circumstances through
which the country is now passing have brought about a complete
change in the order of nearly all the pueblos; and I have noticed
with profound regret that sacking, robbery, sequestrations, and
other crimes highly dishonourable to our noble cause, are of daily
occurrence. With a view to preventing such conduct in the future,
and in order to guarantee to the inhabitants of the military district
under my command the most complete tranquillity, I hereby decree:

"1. That any person or persons who commit acts of brigandage,
sequestration, incendiarism, rape, or other disturbances of a public
nature calculated to excite the public, or which infringe individual
or property rights, shall be severely punished in accordance with
military law.

"2. That all offenders who present themselves to the Local or Military
Authorities within the 30 days immediately following this date, and
who turn over their arms and join our forces and help to fight other
outlaws and to defend the nation, will be pardoned for the crimes
they have committed.

"3. That when the period of 30 days above mentioned has passed, any
person taken in the act of committing robbery, or who attempts to rob
with an organized band of outlaws, or who steals, rapes, or performs
acts of incendiarism, or any other criminal act, will be summarily
condemned to death by a military tribunal.

"The Local Juntas of the various towns in conjunction with citizens
of standing and the military authorities will organize a vigilance
service to maintain public order and the authority of the law.

"_M. Delgado_."

--P.I.R., Books B 4.

[403] "February 13, 1899.

(In the margin: A stamp which says:) "Philippine Republic--Headquarters
of operations of the provinces of Southern Luzon.

"It is with great regret that I have learned that robberies, assaults,
kidnapping, and other crimes which are committed only by barbarous
and savage tribes, are taking place in our towns, without taking
into consideration that the purpose of the insurrection which has
given origin to our social regeneration is true justice, for the
reestablishment of which the lives and property are being sacrificed