The American Commission
With such prudent as well as well founded reflections, I succeeded
in calming my companions shortly before the official news arrived
reporting that the Washington Government, acting on Admiral Dewey's
suggestion, had intimated its intention to despatch a Civil Commission
to Manila which would treat with the Filipinos with a view to arriving
at a definite understanding respecting the government of the Islands.
Joy and satisfaction now filled the breasts of all the Revolutionists,
and I thereupon set about the appointment of a Commission to meet the
American Commissioners. At the same time I gave strict orders that
the most friendly relations should be maintained with the Americans,
enjoining toleration and overlooking of the abuses and atrocities
of the soldiery because the effect on the Commissioners would not be
good it they found us at loggerheads with their nation's forces.
But the abases of the Americans were now becoming intolerable. In the
market-place at Arroceros they killed a woman and a little boy under
the pretext that they were surprising a gambling den, thus causing the
greatest indignation of a great concourse of people in that vicinity.
My Adjutants, too, who hold passes permitting them to enter Manila
with their uniform and sidearms, were molested by being repeatedly
stopped by every patrol they met, it, being perfectly evident that,
the intention was to irritate them by exposing them to public ridicule.
While this sort of thing was going on as against our people the
American Commanders and officers who visited our camp were treated
with the utmost courtesy and consideration.
In Lacoste Street an American guard shot and killed a boy seven years
of age for taking a banana from a Chinaman.
The searching of houses was carried on just as it was during the
Spanish regime, while the American soldiers at the outposts often
invaded our lines, thus irritating our sentries. It would make this
book a very large volume if I continued to state seriatim the abuses
and atrocities committed by the American soldiery in those days of
general anxiety.
It seemed as if the abuses were authorised or at least winked at
in official quarters for the purpose of provoking an outbreak of
hostilities. Excitement ran high among all classes of people, but the
Filipino Government, which had assumed responsibility for the acts
of the people, by the constant issue of prudent orders succeeded
in calming the excited populace and maintained peace, advising all
sufferers to be patient and prudent pending the arrival of the Civil
Commission.