as been gained by the illusion that Manila
was fortified? What has been gained by the intimation that the
broad and beautiful bay on whose bosom the Spanish Fleet perished
yesterday had been rendered inaccessible? What use was made of the
famous Island of Corregidor? What was done with its guns? Where
were the torpedoes? Where were those defensive preparations
concerning which we were requested to keep silence?

Several merchant vessels were seized in and about Manila Bay, and
supplies from seawards were cut off from the city, which was quite at
the mercy of Admiral Dewey, who could have bombarded it and forced
surrender the same day. But it was not easy to foresee what might
follow. Admiral Dewey had full discretion to act as circumstances might
seem to guide him, but it was evident that whatever the surrender of
the Captain-General of the Archipelago might theoretically imply,
a military occupation of Manila was far from being tantamount to
possession of the Islands. Hemmed in everywhere on land by the
insurgent forces which now occupied and collected taxes in several
Luzon provinces, the Spaniards could have been shelled out of the
capital and forced to capitulate, or driven to extermination by the
thousands of armed natives thirsting for their blood. The Americans
had, consequently, a third party to consider. The natives' anxiety
to oust the Spaniards was far stronger than their wish to be under
American, or indeed any foreign, control. But whilst a certain section
of the common people was perfectly indifferent about such matters,
others, wavering at the critical moment between their opposition
to the Spaniards and repulsion of the foreign invader, whoever he
might be, proclaimed their intention to cast in their lot with the
former. Lastly, there was Aguinaldo's old rebel party, which rallied
to the one cry "Independence." "Nothing succeeds like success," and
if the rebel version of the alleged Treaty of Biac-na-bato had been
fulfilled in the spirit, no doubt Aguinaldo would have been unanimously
revered as a great reformer. But the relinquishment of the strife
by the leaders, the money transaction, and the immediate renewal of
Spanish severities, together created an impression in the minds of
the rebel rank-and-file that, in some way, their general welfare had
been sacrificed to personal interest. It was doubtful, therefore,
how Aguinaldo would be received on his return to the Islands. Wit