Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1900 — PARDON FOR REBELS. [ARTICLE]

PARDON FOR REBELS.

FILIPINO WAR TO BE PROCLAIMED ENDED. Anintwty to Be Offered All Insurgents Who Lay Down Their Arms —Disbanded “Insurrectos” Now Plundering Natives in Provincial Towns. A Washington correspondent declares he lias learned from official sources that the President intends to issue within the next thirty days his Philippine proclamation extending amnesty to the insurgents, and denouncing as outlaws aud bandits all who do not avail themselves of its terms. This determination was reached after several conferences with the Secretary of War and other members of the cabinet. The proclamation has not yet been drafted, but the general terms of its provisions have been fully discussed, and it Is announced that it -will contain a declaration of the end of the insurrection of the islands. This will be followed by a grant of amnesty to all insurgents who lay down their arms within a specified time. The time has not yet been decided upon, but the President believes sixty days sufficient, and this meets the approval of the Secretary of War. The proclamation will declare that, owing to the termination of the insurrection, all persons who do not avail themselves of its terms within the time given will be treated as outlaws and bandits. For some time the President has had under consideration an announcement of the termination of the rebellion, but has been waiting for a complete disintegration of all the Filipino forces. ' - , Reports from Gen. Otis do not show that any orgnnized rebellion exists in the northern part of Luzon, and recent reports.indicate that the only opposition found now is in the island south of Manila. Gen. Schwan has been sent to conquer the enemy in this section, and has been meeting with surprising success. He has pursued the insurgents without abatement, and has inflicted severe defeats in every engagement, and the American forces in Cavite and Batangas provinces have reduced the Filipino organizations to mere roving bands of only a few hundred men. The campaign under Gen. Schwan is to be pushed with renewed vigor, and it is the intention of the President to issue his proclamation on the Completion of the Schwan expedition. War Department officials are of the belief that Gen. Schwan will succeed in pacifying Cavite and Batangas provinces within a few weeks, and that Gen. Otis will be able to report the complete pacification of the islands within less than thirty days. The War Department has received several cables from Gen. Otis confirming the belief that the insurgents have, scattered throughout the country and are plundering the natives of the different towns.