the path of empire-第32章

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stance。　An　indication　of　the　new　character　of　the　war　was　given　by　the　change　of　the　military　organization；　in　April；　1900；　from　one　of　divisions　and　brigades；　to　a　geographical　basis。　Each　commander　was　now　given　charge　of　a　certain　area　and　used　his　men　to　reduce　this　district　to　order。

The　insurgents　fought　in　small　groups　and　generally　under　local　chieftains。　Their　advantage　lay　in　their　thorough　knowledge　of　the　country　and　in　the　sympathy　of　a　part　of　the　population　and　the　fear　of　another　part；　for　outlaws　living　in　concealment　and　moving　in　the　dark　can　often　inspire　a　terror　which　regular　troops　under　discipline　fail　to　engender。　The　Americans　could　not　trust　the　natives；　as　it　was　impossible　to　tell　the　truthful　from　the　treacherous。　Nevertheless　it　was　a　kind　of　fighting　which　gave　unusual　scope　for　that　American　individualism；　so　strongly　represented　in　the　army；　to　which　the　romance　of　precisely　this　sort　of　thing　had　drawn　just　the　class　of　men　best　fitted　for　the　work。　Scouting；　counter　scouting；　surprise　attacks；　and　ambuscades　formed　the　daily　news　transmitted　from　the　front　affairs　not　of　regiments　and　companies　but　of　squads　and　individuals。　When　face　to　face；　however；　the　Filipinos　seldom　stood　their　ground；　and　the　American　ingenuity　and　eager　willingness　to　attempt　any　new　thing　gradually　got　the　better　of　the　local　knowledge　and　unscrupulousness　as　to　the　laws　of　war　which　had　at　first；　given　the　natives　an　advantage。　Funston；　now　Brigadier　General；　and　his　〃suicide　squad〃　continued　to　play　an　active　part；　but　a　similar　spirit　of　daring　and　ingenuity　pervaded　the　whole　army。

Broken　as　were　the　Filipino　field　forces　and　widening　as　was　the　area　of　peace；　the　result　of　the　island　campaign　was　still　uncertain。　It　rested　upon　two　unknown　quantities。　The　first　was　the　nature　of　the　Filipinos。　Would　they　remain　irreconcilable；　ever　ready　to　take　advantage　of　a　moment　of　weakness？　If　such　were　to　be　the　case；　we　could　look　for　no　real　conquest；　but　only　a　forcible　occupation；　which　the　people　of　the　United　States　would　never　consent　to　maintain。　The　second　unknown　quantity　was　the　American　people　themselves。　Would　they　sustain　the　occupation　sufficiently　long　to　give　a　reasonable　test　of　the　possibilities　of　success？

Two　events　brought　these　uncertainties　to　an　end。　In　the　first　place；　William　Jennings　Bryan　was　defeated　for　the　presidency　in　November；　1900；　and　President　McKinley　was　given　four　more　years　in　which　to　complete　the　experiment。　In　the　second　place；　on　March　23；　1901；　Aguinaldo；　who　had　been　long　in　concealment；　was　captured。　Though　there　had　long　been　no　possibility　of　really　commanding　the　insurgent　forces　as　a　whole；　Aguinaldo　had　remained　the　center　of　revolt　and　occasionally　showed　his　hand；　as　in　the　attempt　to　negotiate　a　peace　on　the　basis　of　independence。　In　February　an　intercepted　letter　had　given　a　clue　to　his　hiding　place。　Funston；　in　spite　of　his　new　rank；　determined　personally　to　undertake　the　capture。　The　signature　of　Lacuna；　one　of　the　insurgent　leaders；　was　forged　and　letters　were　sent　to　Aguinaldo　informing　him　of　the　capture　of　five　Americans；　who　were　being　sent　to　headquarters。　Among　the　five　was　Funston　himself。　The　〃insurgent〃　guard；　clad　in　captured　uniforms；　consisted　for　the　most　part　of　Macabebes；　hereditary　enemies　of　the　Tagalogsfor　the　Americans　had　now　learned　the　Roman　trick　of　using　one　people　against　another。　The　ruse　succeeded　perfectly。　The　guard　and　its　supposed　prisoners　were　joyfully　received　by　Aguinaldo；　but　the　tables　were　quickly　turned　and　Aguinaldo's　capture　was　promptly　effected。

On　the　19th　of　April；　Aguinaldo　wrote：　〃After　mature　deliberation；　I　resolutely　proclaim　to　the　world　that　I　cannot　refuse　to　heed　the　voice　of　a　people　longing　for　peace；　nor　the　lamentations　of　thousands　of　families　yearning　to　see　their　dear　ones　enjoying　the　liberty　and　promised　generosity　of　the　great　American　nation。　By　acknowledging　and　accepting　the　sovereignty　of　the　United　States　throughout　the　Philippine　Archipelago；　as　I　now　do；　and　without　any　reservation　whatsoever；　I　believe　that　I　am　serving　thee；　my　beloved　country。〃

On　the　19th　of　May；　General　Wheaton；　Chief　of　Staff　in　the　Philippines；　sent　the　following　dispatch　to　Washington：　〃Lacuna　having　surrendered　with　all　his　officers　and　men　today；　I　report　that　all　insurrectionary　leaders　in　this　department　have　been　captured　or　have　surrendered。　This　is　the　termination　of　the　state　of　war　in　this　department　so　far　as　armed　resistance　to　the　authority　of　the　United　States　is　concerned。〃

There　was　subsequent　fighting　with　other　tribes　and　in　other　islands；　particularly　with　the　Moros　of　the　Sulu　group；　but　by　the　time　Aguinaldo　had　accepted　American　rule；　the　uncertainty　of　the　American　people　had　been　resolved；　and　the　execution　of　the　treaty　with　Spain　had　been　actually　accomplished。　As　seventy　thousand　troops　were　no　longer　needed　in　the　islands；　the　volunteers　and　many　of　the　regulars　were　sent　home；　and　there　began　an　era　of　peace　such　as　the　Philippines　had　never　before　known。

During　the　suppression　of　the　insurrection　the　American　Army　had　resorted　to　severe　measures；　though　they　by　no　means　went　to　the　extremes　that　were　reported　in　the　press。　It　was　realized；　however；　that　the　establishment　of　a　permanent　peace　must　rest　upon　an　appeal　to　the　good　will　and　self…interest　of　the　natives。　The　treatment　of　the　conquered　territories；　therefore；　was　a　matter　of　the　highest　concern　not　only　with　reference　to　the　public　opinion　at　home　but　to　the　lasting　success　of　the　military　operations　which　had　just　been　concluded。

There　was　as　yet　no　law　in　the　United　States　relating　to　the　government　of　dependencies。　The　entire　control　of　the　islands　therefore　rested；　in　the　first　instance；　with　the　President　and　was　vested　by　him；　subject　to　instructions；　in　the　Military　Governor。　The　army　fortunately　reflected　fully　the　democratic　tendencies　of　the　United　States　as　a　whole。　In　June；　1899；　General　Lawton　encouraged　and　assisted　the　natives　in　setting　up　in　their　villages　governing　bodies　of　their　own　selection。　In　August；　he　issued　a　general　order；　based　upon　a　law　of　the　islands；　providing　for　a　general　system　of　local　government　into　which　there　was　introduced　for　the　first　time　the　element　of　really　popular　election。　In　1900；　a　new　code　of　criminal　procedure；　largely　the　work　of　Enoch　Herbert　Crowder；　at　that　time　Military　Secretary；　was　promulgated；　which　surrounded　the　accused　with　practically　all　the　safeguards　to　which　the　Anglo…Saxon　is　accustomed　except　jury　trial；　for　which　the　people　were　unprepared。

To　advise　with　regard　to　a　permanent　system　of　government　for　the　Philippines　President　McKinley　appointed　in　January；　1899；　a　commission　consisting　of　Jacob　G。　Schurman；　President　of　Cornell　University；　Dean　C。　Worcester；　who　had　long　been　engaged　in　scientific　research　in　the　Philippines；　Colonel　Charles　Denby；　for　many　years　previously　minister　to　China；　Admiral　Dewey；　and　General　E。　S。　Otis。　Largely　upon　their　recommendation；　the　President　appointed　a　second　commission；　headed　by　Judge　William　Howard　Taft　to　carry　on　the　work　of　organizing　civil　government　which　had　already　begun　under　military　direction　and　gradually　to　take　over　the　legislative　power。　The　Military　Governor　was　to　continue　to　exercise　executive　power。　In　1901；　Congress　at　length　took　action；　vesting　all　military；　civil；　and　judicial　powers　in　such　persons　as　the　President　might　appoint　to　govern　the　islands。　McKinley　immediately　appointed　Judge　Taft　to　the　new　governorship　thus　authorized。　In　1901　in　the　〃Insular　Cases〃　the　Supreme　Court　also　gave　its　sanction　to　what　had　been　done。　In　legislation　for　the　territories；　it　held　that　Congress　was　not　bound　by　all　the　restrictions　of　the　Constitution；　as；　for　instance；　that　requiring　jury　trial；　that　Porto　Rico　and　the　Philippines　were　neither　foreign　countries　nor　completely　parts　of　the　United　States；　though　Congress　was　at　liberty　to　incorporate　them　into　the　Union。

There　was；　however；　no　disposition　to　incorporate　the　Philippines　into　the　United　States；　but　there　has　always　been　a　widespread　sentiment　that　the　islands　should　ultimately　be　given　their　independence；　and　this　s