inaldo's peculiar talent, without the
exercise of which the movement would have failed at the outset. But
the value of this gift was not fully appreciated by his people. A
certain section of the fighting masses had far greater admiration
for Antonio Luna's visible prowess than for the unseen astuteness
of Aguinaldo's manoeuvres. It was characteristic of the Filipinos to
split into factions, but the encouragement given to General Antonio
Luna's aspiration to supersede his supreme chief was unfortunate, for
Aguinaldo was not the man to tolerate a rival. He had rid himself of
Andres Bonifacio (_vide_ p. 371) in 1896, and now another disturber
of that unity which is strength had to be disposed of. The point
of dispute between these two men was of public knowledge. It has
already been shown how fully cognizant Antonio Luna was of the
proposals made to the Americans for an armistice, for the express
purpose of taking the vote of the Revolutionary Congress, for peace
or war, on May 1. Aguinaldo was no longer a military dictator, but
President of the so-called Philippine Republic (_vide_ p. 486), by
whose will he was disposed loyally to abide. Antonio Luna's elastic
conscience urged him to duplicity; he pretended to submit to the will
of the majority, expressed through the Congress, with the reserved
intention of carrying on the war at all hazards, as military dictator,
if the vote were for peace. Congress met, and during the debate on
the momentous question--peace or war--the hitherto compact group of
intransigents weakened. No agreement could be arrived at in the first
session. There was, however, a strong tendency to accept American
sovereignty. Luna feared that Aguinaldo's acceptance of the vote
of the majority (if a division were taken) might deprive him of the
opportunity of rising to supreme eminence. Luna's violence at this
time was intolerable, up to the point of smacking deputy F.B. in the
face. His attempted coercion of the will of others brought about his
own downfall. His impetuosity called forth the expression, "He is
a fanatic who will lead us to a precipice." In his imagination, all
who did not conform to his dominant will were conspirators against
him. Hence, at Cavite (Aguinaldo's native province), he disarmed all
the troops of that locality, and substituted Ilocanos of his own
province, whilst he vented his ferocity in numerous executions of
Tagalogs. Had he lived he would probably have created a tribal feud