The Dictatorial Government
On the 24th May a Dictatorial Government was established, my
first proclamation being issued that day announcing the system of
government then adopted and stating that I had assumed the duties
and responsibilities of head of such government. Several copies of
this proclamation were delivered to Admiral Dewey and through the
favour of his good offices forwarded to the representatives of the
Foreign Powers then residing in Manila, notwithstanding our lack of
intercourse with Manila.
A few days later the Dictatorial Government was removed to the house
formerly occupied by the Spanish Civil Governor of Cavite, because,
owing to the great number of visitors from the provinces and the
rapid increase of work the accommodation in the private house was
wholly inadequate and too cramped. It was while quartered in the first
mentioned house that glad tidings reached me of the arrival at Cavite
of the long-expected arms expedition. The whole cargo, consisting of
1,999 rifles and 200,000 rounds of ammunition, besides other special
munitions of war, was landed at the very same dock of the Arsenal,
and was witnessed by the U.S.S. "_Petrel_."
I immediately despatched a Commission to convey to the Admiral
my thanks for the trouble he had taken in sending to hurry up the
expedition. I also caused my Commissioners to inform the Admiral
that I had fixed the 31st May as the day when the Revolutionary
Forces should make a General attack upon the Spaniards. The Admiral
returned the compliment by sending his Secretary to congratulate
me and my Government upon the activity and enthusiasm displayed in
preparing for the campaign, but he suggested that it was advisable
to postpone the opening of the campaign to a later date in order that
the insurgent troops might be better organized and better drilled. I
replied to the Admiral through his Secretary that there was no cause
for any anxiety for everything would be in perfect readiness by the
31st and, moreover, that the Filipinos were very anxious to free
themselves from the galling Spanish yoke, that they would therefore
fight and my troops would make up for any deficiency in discipline by
a display of fearlessness and determination to defeat the common enemy
which would go far to ensure success, I was, I added, nevertheless
profoundly grateful to the Admiral for his friendly advice.
I promptly gave orders for the distribution of the arms which had
just arrived, sending some to various provinces and reserving the
remainder for the revolutionaries of Kawit, the latter being smuggled
into the district of Alapang during the night of 27th May.