for the purpose of crashing our untrained and badly
equipped Army with one blow.

But now General Otis acted for the first time like a diplomatist,
and wrote me, through his Secretary, Mr. Carman, a letter inviting the
Filipino Government to send a Commission to meet an American Commission
for the purpose of arriving at an amicable arrangement between both
parties; and although I placed no trust in the professions of friendly
intentions of the said General--whose determination to prevent the
Commission arriving at a peaceful solution of the difficulties was
already evident--I acceded to the request, partly because I saw
the order, dated 9th January, given by the above mentioned General
confirmed, and on the other hand to show before the whole world my
manifest wishes for the conservation of peace and friendship with
the United States, solemnly compacted with Admiral Dewey.

CHAPTER XVIII

The Mixed Commission

Conferences of the Mixed Commission, Americans and Filipinos, were
held in Manila from the 11th to the 31st of the said month of January,
the Filipino Commissioners clearly expressing the wish of our people
for recognition as an independent nation.

They also frankly stated the complaints of the Filipino people about
the abuses and atrocities of the American soldiery, being attentively
and benevolently listened to by the American Commissioners. The
latter replied that they had no authority to recognize the Filipino
Government, their mission being limited to hearing what the Filipinos
said, to collect data to formulate the will of our people and
transmit it fully and faithfully to the Government of Washington,
who alone could arrive at a definite decision on the subject. These
conferences ended in perfect harmony, auguring well for happier times
and definite peace when Mr. McKinley should reply to General Otis's
telegrams transmitting our wishes with his favourable recommendations,
as the American Commissioners said.

CHAPTER XIX

Outbreak of Hostilities

While I, the Government, the Congress and the entire populace were
awaiting the arrival of such a greatly desired reply, many fairly
overflowing with pleasant thoughts, there came the fatal day of
the 4th February, during the night of which day the American forces
suddenly attacked all our lines, which were in fact at the time almost
deserted, because being Saturday, the day before a regular feast day,
our Generals and some of the most