the path of empire-第22部分

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systematically　worked　forward；　with　an　occasional　skirmish　in　which　they　were　always　victorious；　and　were　received　with　a　warm　welcome　by　the　teeming　native　population。　On　the　13th　of　August；　General　Wilson　was　on　the　point　of　clearing　his　first　mountain　range；　General　Schwan　had　occupied　Mayaguez；　and　General　Henry　had　passed　through　the　mountains　and　was　marching　down　the　valley　of　the　Arecibo；　when　orders　arrived　from　Washington　to　suspend　operations。

The　center　of　interest；　however；　remained　in　the　far…away　Philippines。　Dewey；　who　had　suddenly　burst　upon　the　American　people　as　their　first　hero；　remained　a　fixed　star　in　their　admiration；　a　position　in　which　his　own　good　judgment　and　the　fortunate　scarcity　of　newspaper　correspondents　served　to　maintain　him。　From　him　action　was　expected；　and　it　had　been　prepared　for。　Even　before　news　arrived　on　the　7th　of　May　of　Dewey's　victory　on　the　1st　of　May；　the　Government　had　anticipated　such　a　result　and　had　decided　to　send　an　army　to　support　him。　San　Francisco　was　made　a　rendezvous　for　volunteers；　and　on　the　l2th　of　May；　General　Wesley　Merritt　was　assigned　to　command　the　expedition。　Dewey　reported　that　he　could　at　any　time　command　the　surrender　of　Manila；　but　that　it　would　be　useless　unless　he　had　troops　to　occupy　the　city。

On　the　19th　of　May；　General　Merritt　received　the　following　orders：　〃The　destruction　of　the　Spanish　fleet　at　Manila；　followed　by　the　taking　of　the　naval　station　at　Cavite；　the　paroling　of　the　garrisons；　and　the　acquisition　of　the　control　of　the　bay；　have　rendered　it　necessary；　in　the　further　prosecution　of　the　measures　adopted　by　this　Government　for　the　purpose　of　bringing　about　an　honorable　and　durable　peace　with　Spain；　to　send　an　army　of　occupation　to　the　Philippines　for　the　twofold　purpose　of　completing　the　reduction　of　the　Spanish　power　in　that　quarter　and　giving　order　and　security　to　the　islands　while　in　the　possession　of　the　United　States。〃

On　the　30th　of　June　the　first　military　expedition；　after　a　bloodless　capture　of　the　island　of　Guam；　arrived　in　Manila　Bay。　A　second　contingent　arrived　on　the　17th　of　July；　and　on　the　25th；　General　Merritt　himself　with　a　third　force；　which　brought　the　number　of　Americans　up　to　somewhat　more　than　10；000。　The　Spaniards　had　about　13；000　men　guarding　the　rather　antiquated　fortifications　of　old　Manila　and　a　semicircle　of　blockhouses　and　trenches　thrown　about　the　city；　which　contained　about　350；000　inhabitants。

It　would　have　been　easy　to　compel　surrender　or　evacuation　by　the　guns　of　the　fleet；　had　it　not　been　for　an　additional　element　in　the　situation。　Manila　was　already　besieged；　or　rather　blockaded；　on　the　land　side；　by　an　army　of　nearly　ten　thousand　Philippine　insurgents　under　their　shrewd　leader；　Emilio　Aguinaldo。　It　does　not　necessarily　follow　that　those　who　are　fighting　the　same　enemy　are　fighting　together；　and　in　this　case　the　relations　between　the　Americans　and　the　insurgents　were　far　from　intimate；　though　Dewey　had　kept　the　situation　admirably　in　hand　until　the　arrival　of　the　American　troops。

General　Merritt　decided　to　hold　no　direct　communication　with　Aguinaldo　until　the　Americans　were　in　possession　of　the　city；　but　landed　his　army　to　the　south　of　Manila　beyond　the　trenches　of　the　Filipinos。　On　the　30th　of　July；　General　F。　V。　Greene　made　an　informal　arrangement　with　the　Filipino　general　for　the　removal　of　the　insurgents　from　the　trenches　directly　in　front　of　the　American　forces；　and　immediately　advanced　beyond　their　original　position。　The　situation　of　Manila　was　indeed　desperate　and　clearly　demanded　a　surrender　to　the　American　forces；　who　might　be　relied　upon　to　preserve　order　and　protect　property。　The　Belgian　Consul；　M。　Eduard　Andre；　urged　this　course　upon　the　Spanish　commander。　The　Governor…General；　Fermin　Jaudenes；　exhibited　the　same　spirit　which　the　Spanish　commanders　revealed　throughout　the　war：　though　constitutionally　indisposed　to　take　any　bold　action；　he　nevertheless　considered　it　a　point　of　honor　not　to　recognize　the　inevitable。　He　allowed　it　to　be　understood　that　he　could　not　surrender　except　to　an　assault；　although　well　knowing　that　such　a　melee　might　cause　the　city　to　be　ravaged　by　the　Filipinos。　M。　Andre；　however；　succeeded　by　the　11th　of　August　in　arranging　a　verbal　understanding　that　the　fleet　should　fire　upon　the　city　and　that　the　troops　should　attack；　but　that　the　Spaniards　should　make　no　real　resistance　and　should　surrender　as　soon　as　they　considered　that　their　honor　was　saved。

The　chief　contestants　being　thus　amicably　agreed　to　a　spectacular　but　bloodless　battle；　the　main　interest　lay　in　the　future　action　of　the　interested　and　powerful　spectators　in　the　harbor。　Admiral　Dewey；　though　relieved　by　the　arrival　of　the　monitor　Monterey　on　the　4th　of　August；　was　by　no　means　certain　that　the　German　squadron　would　stand　by　without　interference　and　see　the　city　bombarded。　On　the　9th　of　August　he　gave　notice　of　the　impending　action　and　ordered　foreign　vessels　out　of　the　range　of　fire。　On　the　13th　of　August　Dewey　steamed　into　position　before　the　city。　As　the　American　vessels　steamed　past　the　British　Immortalite；　her　guard　paraded　and　her　band　played　Admiral　Dewey's　favorite　march。　Immediately　afterwards　the　British　commander；　Captain　Chichester；　moved　his　vessels　toward　the　city　and　took　a　position　between　our　fleet　and　the　German　squadron。　The　foreign　vessels　made　no　interference；　but　the　Filipinos　were　more　restless。　Eagerly　watching　the　American　assault；　they　rushed　forward　when　they　saw　it　successful；　and　began　firing　on　the　Spaniards　just　as　the　latter　hoisted　the　white　flag。　They　were　quieted；　though　with　difficulty；　and　by　nightfall　the　city　was　under　the　Stars　and　Stripes；　with　American　troops　occupying　the　outworks　facing　the　forces　of　Aguinaldo；　who　were　neither　friends　nor　foes。

While　the　dispatch　of　Commodore　Watson's　fleet　to　Spain　was　still　being　threatened　and　delayed；　while　General　Miles　was　rapidly　approaching　the　capital　of　Porto　Rico；　and　on　the　same　day　that　Admiral　Dewey　and　General　Merritt　captured　Manila；　Spain　yielded。　On　the　18th　of　July　Spain　had　taken　the　first　step　toward　peace　by　asking　for　the　good　offices　of　the　French　Government。　On　the　26th　of　July；　M。　Cambon；　the　French　Ambassador　at　Washington；　opened　negotiations　with　the　United　States。　On　the　12th　of　August；　a　protocol　was　signed；　but；　owing　to　the　difference　in　time　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　globe；　to　say　nothing　of　the　absence　of　cable　communication；　not　in　time　to　prevent　Dewey's　capture　of　Manila。　This　protocol　provided　for　the　meeting　of　peace　commissioners　at　Paris　not　later　than　the　1st　of　October。　Spain　agreed　immediately　to　evacuate　and　relinquish　all　claim　to　Cuba；　to　cede　to　the　United　States　ultimately　all　other　islands　in　the　West　Indies；　and　one　in　the　Ladrones；　and　to　permit　the　United　States　to　〃occupy　and　hold　the　city；　bay；　and　harbor　of　Manila　pending　the　conclusion　of　a　treaty　of　peace　which　shall　determine　the　control；　disposition；　and　government　of　the　Philippines。〃

President　McKinley　appointed　the　Secretary　of　State；　William　R。　Day；　as　president　of　the　peace　commission；　and　summoned　John　Hay　home　from　England　to　take　his　place。　The　other　commissioners　were　Senators　Cushman　K。　Davis　and　William　P。　Frye；　Republicans；　Senator　George　Gray；　Democrat；　and　Whitelaw　Reid；　the　editor　of　the　New　York　〃Tribune〃。　The　secretary　of　the　commission　was　the　distinguished　student　of　international　law；　John　Bassett　Moore。　On　most　points　there　was　general　agreement　as　to　what　they　were　to　do。　Cuba；　of　course；　must　be　free。　It　was；　moreover；　too　obvious　to　need　much　argument　that　Spanish　rule　on　the　American　continent　must　come　altogether　to　an　end。　As　there　was　no　organized　local　movement　in　Porto　Rico　to　take　over　the　government；　its　cession　to　the　United　States　was　universally　recognized　as　inevitable。　Nevertheless　when　the　two　commissions　met　in　Paris；　there　proved　to　be　two　exciting　subjects　of　controversy；　and　at　moments　it　seemed　possible　that　the　attempt　to　arrange　a　peace　would　prove　unsuccessful。　However　reassured　the　people　were　by　the　successful　termination　of　the　war；　for　those　in　authority　the　period　of　anxiety　had　not　yet　entirely　passed。

The　first　of　these　points　was　raised　by　the　Spanish　commissioners。　They　maintained　that　the　separation　of　Cuba　from　Spain　involved　the　rending　of　the　Empire；　and　that　Cuba　should　therefore　take　responsibilities　as　well　as　freedom。　The　specific　question　was　that　of　debts　contracted　by　Spain；　for　the　security　of　which　Cuban　revenues　had　been　pledged。　There　was　a　manifest　lack　of　equity　in　this　claim；　for　Cuba　had　not　been　party　to　the　contracting　of　the　obligations；　and　the　money　had　been　spent　in　stifling　her　own　desire　to　be　free　rather　than　on　the　development　of　her　resources。　Nevertheless　the　Spanish　commissioners　could　feel　the　support　of　a　sustaining　public　opinion　about　them；　for　the　bulk　of　these　obligations　were　held　in　France　and　investors　were　doubtful　of　the　ability　of　Spain；　if　bereft　of　her　colonies；　to　carry　her　enormous　financial　burdens。　The　point；　then；　was　stoutly　urged；　but　the　American　commissioners　as　stoutly　defended　the　interests　of　their　clients；　the　Cubans；　and　held　their　ground。　Thanks　to　their　efforts；　the　Cuban　republic　was　born　free　of　debt。

The　other　point　was　raised　by　the　American　commissioners；　and　was　both　more　important　and　more　complicated；　for　when　the　negotiation　began　the　United　States　had　not　fully　decided　what　it　wanted。　It　was　necessary　first　to　decide　and　then　to　obtain　the　consent　of　Spain　with　regard　to　the　great　unsettled　question　of　the　disposition　of　the　Philippines。　Dewey's　victory　came　as　an　overwhelming　surprise　to　the　great　majority　of　Americans　snugly　encased；　as　they　supposed　themselves　to　be；　in　a　separate　hemisphere。　Nearly　all　looked　upon　it　as　a　military　operation　only；　not　likely　to　lead　to　later　complications。　Many　discerning　individuals；　however；　both　in　this　country　and　abroad；　at　once　saw　or　feared　that　occupation　would　lead　to　annexation。　Carl　Schurz；　as　early　as　the　9th　of　May；　wrote　McKinley　expressing　the　hope　that　〃we　remain　true　to　our　promise　that　this　is　a　war　of　deliverance　and　not　one　of　greedy　ambition；　conquest；　self…aggrandizement。〃　In　August；　Andrew　Carnegie　wrote　in　〃The　North　American