Commission should view the desolation and horrors of
war in the Philippines, inhaling on the very day of their arrival
the revolting odour emitted from American and Filipino corpses. It
was better for their purposes that that gentleman, Mr. Schurman,
President of the Commission, should return from Manila, limiting
his investigation to inquiries among the few Filipinos, who, seduced
with gold, were siding with the Imperialists. It were better for them
that the Commission should view the Philippines problem through fire
and slaughter, in the midst of whizzing bullets and the uncontrolled
passion of infuriated foes, thus preventing them from forming correct
judgment of the exact and natural conditions of the problem. Ah! it
was, lastly, better that the Commission return to the States defeated
in its mission of obtaining peace and blaming me and other Filipinos
for its inability to settle matters, when, in reality, I and all the
Philippine people were longing that that peace had been concluded
yesterday,--long before now--but an honest and honourable peace,
honourable alike for the United States and the Philippine Republic
in order that it be sincere and everlasting.

The second impolitic act of General Otis was the issue of a
proclamation on the 4th of January, 1899, asserting in the name
of President McKinley the sovereignty of America in these islands,
with threats of ruin, death and desolation to all who declined to
recognize it.

I, Emilio Aguinaldo--though the humble servant of all, am, as
President of the Philippine Republic, charged with the safeguarding
of the rights and independence of the people who appointed me to such
an exalted position of trust and responsibility--mistrusted for the
first time the honour of the Americans, perceiving of course that
this proclamation of General Otis completely exceeded the limits of
prudence and that therefore no other course was open to me but to
repel with arms such unjust and unexpected procedure on the part of
the commander of friendly forces.

I protested, therefore, against such a proclamation--also threatening
an immediate rupture of friendly relations,--for the whole populace was
claiming that an act of treason had been committed, plausibly asserting
that the announcement of the Commission applied for by Admiral Dewey
was a ruse, and that what General Otis was scheming for was to keep
us quiet while he brought reinforcement after reinforcement from the
United States