the United States consul
in Hongkong, in which he told him that he was anxious to become an
American citizen, but this being impossible, he desired to be allowed
to return to the Philippines and place himself under the orders of
Commodore Dewey. According to the brother of that Consul, who certainly
must have had opportunities for knowing the facts in the case, he
made no demands for independence, but said that he hoped that the
Americans would not leave the Filipinos to their fate, but would annex
the Philippines and protect them against the Spaniards. He promised
the Consul that he would fight with the Americans and not attempt to
foment a revolution against the United States. His highest expressed
aim was to throw off the Spanish yoke, and, that once accomplished,
he would abide by the decision of the United States as to the ultimate
disposition of the Philippines. If Aguinaldo had expressed his real
intentions of obtaining arms and using them only for his own purposes,
and, if he found it expedient, against the United States, it is not
to be thought that he would have been returned to the Philippines on
a United States vessel."--Taylor, 44 F Z.

[42] P.I.R., 471. 7.

[43] P.I.R., 1300. 2.

[44] Admiral Dewey's testimony, from which I quote extracts, will
be found in Senate Documents, Vol. 25.57 Congress, 1st session,
pp. 2928, 2941.

[45] P.I.R., 1300.2.

[46] P.I.R., 1300.2.

[47] Taylor, 4 MG., E.

[48] Report of the Philippine commission to the President. January 31,
1900. Vol. I, p. 121.

[49] P.I.R., 396. 3.

[50] Ibid., 396. 3.

[51] P.I.R., 461.4.

[52] "My Dear Brother: I inform you that we arrived here in Cavite
at eleven o'clock and disembarked at four o'clock in the afternoon
after our conference with the American Admiral. Everything appears
to be favourable for obtaining our independence. I cannot say more
on that subject as it would take too long.

"I have no other object in writing this except to ask you and your
companions to meet at once and arrange the best way to entrap all the
enemy in your town, employing deceit, for instance, make a present
of whatever you think best to the chiefs successively and then
at once enter the houses and attack them, or if not this, do what
you think best. Show valor and resolution, brothers, the hour has
arrived for the Philippines to belong to her sons and not to them,
only one step and we shall reach Independence; be constant, brothers,
and be uni