might after all be advisable to accept the government proposed by the
United States. On May 22 General Luna ordered his arrest and trial for
being in favour of the autonomy of the United States in the Philippine
Islands. He was tried promptly, the prosecuting witness being another
officer of Luna's staff who had accompanied him to Manila and acted
as a spy upon his movements (P.I.R., 285. 2). The court sentenced him
to dismissal and confinement at hard labor for twelve years. This
did not satisfy Luna's thirst for vengeance, and he was imprisoned
in Bautista on the first floor of a building whose second story was
occupied by that officer. One night Luna came alone into the room
where he was confined and told him that although he was a traitor,
yet he had done good service to the cause; and it was not proper that
a man who had been a colonel in the army should be seen working on
the roads under a guard. He told him that the proper thing for him to
do was to blow his brains out, and that if he did not do it within a
reasonable time the sentinel at his door would shoot him. He gave him
a pistol and left the room. Arguelles decided not to kill himself, but
fully expected that the guard would kill him. Shortly afterwards Luna
was summoned to meet Aguinaldo, and never returned. On September 29,
1899, his sentence was declared null and void and he was reinstated
in his former rank (P.I.R., 285. 3, and 2030. 2)." [448]

Colonel Arguelles has told me exactly the same story. For a time it
seemed as if the views expressed by him might prevail.

"According to Felipe Buencamino and some others, the majority of the
members of congress had been in favour of absolute independence until
they saw the demoralization of the officers and soldiers which resulted
in the American occupation of Malolos. In the middle of April, 1899,
they remembered Arellano's advice, and all of the intelligent men
in Aguinaldo's government, except Antonio Luna and the officers who
had no desire to lay down their military rank, decided to accept the
sovereignty of the United States. At about the same time copies of
the proclamation issued by the American Commission in Manila reached
them and still further influenced them toward the adoption of this
purpose. By the time congress met in San Isidro on May 1, 1899, all
of the members had accepted it except a few partisans of Mabini,
then president of the council of government. At its first meeting
the congress re