ed into fiefs which they, as dukes and
marquises, would hold in feudal tenure from a Malay potentate. They
were confident. They held Luzon. They held the people. They had no
intention of returning to office stools or to the life of outlaws and
hunted men. The United States force in Manila was small and America
was far. It was true that they might have to fight for the prize
which they had seized, but the military leaders about Aguinaldo were
confident of winning in case they fought. They believed the Americans
were afraid of them and would be easily beaten. American soldiers had
been seized and had been insulted by the followers of Aguinaldo and
no resort had been made to force. The Americans had been ordered to
avoid bringing on an engagement and had obeyed. It is also probable
that many of the insults to which they had been subjected were not
appreciated by them. A tall soldier from western America paid no
attention to the insults hurled at him in a language which he did not
understand. And yet the small excited Filipinos might retire feeling
that the American had tamely submitted to insult worse than a blow."

By the middle of December, Aguinaldo had placed in position in the
vicinity of Manila all of the field guns in his possession.

The Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10. It provided for the
termination of Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines. This was what
the Insurgents had been waiting for, and thereafter things moved
rapidly. It is obvious that an attack was definitely planned for
at this time, for on December 21, Commandant F. E. Rey telegraphed
Aguinaldo that the second chief of the second zone of Manila had
directed him to assist by entering that city as soon as they opened
fire against the American troops. [203]

On the following day Cailles reported that he had occupied blockhouse
No. 12, which was within the American lines, and added the following
significant statement:--

"The order of yesterday was, on hearing the first shots from Santa
Ana, for my whole force to hurl themselves on the American line of
trenches, and to follow the living to Manila. The dead can lie with
the dead. Yesterday we were content waiting for the arming of the
San Quintin." [204]

San Quintin's Day was the anniversary of the Sicilian vespers, the
massacre of the French in Sicily in 1268. Obviously the Insurgents
were planning something similar for Manila.

For some reason the attack was not made as planned, but t