to public action, in small lots of a value within the reach of all, and payable within four years, the same as the present State lands.

"5. Abolition of the government authorities' power to banish citizens, as well as all unjust measures against Filipinos; legal equality of all persons, whether peninsular or insular, under the civil as well as under the penal code.

"The war must be prolonged to give the greatest signs of vitality possible, so that Spain may be compelled to grant our demands; otherwise she will consider us an effete race and curtail rather than extend our rights. "MALABAR."

(Signed)

Rivera was anxious to close the war, and he called into his service a lawyer in Manila, Señor Pedro A. Paterno. Paterno played with both parties. He found the rebels in small numbers fairly well intrenched north of Manila, but in great straits for ammunition, and even food. The Spanish army was little better off. He represented to the rebels that Rivera was expecting Spain to send him twenty thousand more troops, with full supplies of cannon, ammunition, and supplies of all kinds, and that for a money consideration he was certain the war could be ended. To Governor Rivera he represented that Aguinaldo's force numbered nearly one hundred thousand men, well furnished with ammunition and supplies, and fortified beyond hope of successful attack. At last, on condition of many reforms being granted, and on the agreement of Rivera to pay $800,000 (Mexican) in installments, the insurgent leaders agreed to give up the war, and leave the islands. The treaty was negotiated by Señor Paterno, and is known as the Treaty of Biac-na-Bato, from the cave in the hills near Angat, Bulacan, where it was signed. Emilio Aguinaldo signed for the insurrectos, and Paterno for the governor, from whom he carried authority. Governor Rivera acceded

CHAPTER IX.

THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION.

AN extended account of the successive campaigns leading to control of the Philippines by the United States is not within the scope of this work. That may be safely left to other writers. Only with that portion of American occupation which partisan and ignorant writers have so mischievously misrepresented to the prejudice of public sympathy with the work our nation is doing here, shall I concern myself. With the record of some men in the American army in the Philippines I could find many flaws. Possibly flaws which even furious critics in America have never heard of could be pointed out. But with the record of the American army as an organization, and with its achievements on behalf of this downtrodden and helpless people I must speak with enthusiastic praise. When "the youngest critic" has said his last and his worst, it still remains true that the net result of American valor in the Philippines is the freeing of seven millions of people from a hopeless tyranny, to become a nation! All that the governor, the commission, the schoolmaster, the civil judge, and the missionary are attempting would have been impossible without the work of the soldier. Some cruelties there were. Nearly all that were proven to have taken place were committed in defiance of orders, in remote places, and under provocation such as only pens dipped in blood could describe. But these were eddies in the current.

The main stream of military administration in the Philippines has been humane. Some minds forever miss

currents, and get caught in eddies. From that class of mind every great cause in our history, and all of our great leaders, have had to endure opposition and abuse. But the calm verdict of history has set things straight, as it will do in the case of our military record in these Islands.

War was practically declared on April 21, 1898. On the 24th of April the following order was flashed from Washington to our Asiatic squadron:

"DEWEY, Hong-Kong:

"War has commenced between the United States and Spain. Proceed at once to the Philippine Islands. Commence operations at once, particularly against the Spanish fleet. You must capture vessels or destroy. Use utmost endeavors. LONG."

On May 1st Commodore Dewey sank the entire Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, without the loss of a man or serious injury to a single one of his ships. So singularly complete and overwhelming was the victory that devout students of the bloody history of Spain in this colony can not refrain from believing that the God of nations helped mightily. The words of Psalm ii, 9, come forcibly to mind: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." This was literally done in that marvelous seafight. History furnishes no parallel. The "rod of iron” did its awful work, and so easily was it done that no scar was left, and the hand that wielded it was uninjured.

The report of the battle is made with the modesty which real greatness always shows in the hour of triumph:

"The squadron arrived at Manila at daybreak this morning. Immediately engaged the enemy and destroyed the following Spanish vessels: Reina Christina, Castilla, Don Antonio de Ulloa, Don Juan de Austria, Isla de Luzon, Isla de Cuba, General Lezo, Marquis del Duero, El Curreo, Velasco, one transport, Isla de Mindanao, water battery at Cavite. I shall destroy Cavite arsenal dispensatory. The squadron is uninjured. Few men were slightly wounded. I request the department will send immediately from San Francisco fast steamer with ammunition. The only means of telegraphing is to the American consul at Hong-Kong. DEWEY."

Since the raising of the ships that went to the bottom that May morning, certain criticisms have been made. to the effect that the Spanish commanders had poor vessels and poorer guns, and that they sunk the vessels. themselves by opening the sea-cocks. What are the facts? The Spanish fleet had the steel cruiser Reina Christina, the steel protected cruisers Isla de Luzon and Isla de Cuba, and the iron cruiser Don Juan de Austria, all built within a year of the time the Baltimore, Concord, and Petrel were constructed. Their crews numbered 1,875 against 1,709 of our fleet. This takes no account of the gunners in the five shore batteries, which joined with the fleet in firing upon the attacking squadron. They had on their ships fourteen modern six-inch guns and twenty-two five-inch guns, and yet at a range narrowing down from 3,500 to 2,000 yards not a vessel of our fleet was materially injured.

Admiral Montojo silences all such criticism by his official account of the fight in so far as it affected his flagship, the Reina Christina. A part of that report is as follows:

"The enemy shortened the distance between us, and, rectifying his aim, covered us with a rain of rapid-fire