The Admiral ushered me into his private quarters, and after the
exchange of the usual greetings I asked _whether it was true that
he had sent all the telegrams to the Consul at Singapore, Mr. Pratt,
which that gentleman had told me he received in regard to myself. The
Admiral replied in the affirmative, adding that the United States had
come to the Philippines to protect the natives and free them from
the yoke of Spain. He said, moreover, that America is exceedingly
well off as regards territory, revenue, and resources and therefore
needs no colonies_, assuring me finally that _there was no occasion
for me to entertain any doubts whatever about the recognition of the
Independence of the Philippines by the United States_. Then Admiral
Dewey asked me if I could induce the people to rise against the
Spaniards and make a short, sharp, and decisive campaign of it.
I said in reply that events would speak for themselves, but while
a certain arms expedition (respecting which Consul Wildman was duly
informed that it would be despatched from a Chinese port) was delayed
in China we could do nothing, because without arms every victory
would assuredly cost us the lives of many brave and dashing Filipino
warriors. The Admiral thereupon offered to despatch a steamer to hurry
up the expedition. (This, be it borne in mind, in addition to the
General orders he had given the Consul to assist us to procure arms
and ammunition.) Then he at once placed at my disposal all the guns
seized onboard the Spanish warships as well as 62 Mausers and a good
many rounds of ammunition which had been brought up from Corregidor
Island by the U.S.S. _Petrel_.
I then availed myself of an early opportunity to express to the
Admiral my deep gratitude for the assistance rendered to the people
of the Philippines by the United States, as well as my unbounded
admiration of the grandeur and beneficence of the American people. I
also candidly informed the Admiral that before I left Hongkong the
Filipinos residing in that colony hold a meeting at which the following
question was fully discussed, namely, _the possibility that after the
Spaniards were defeated, and their power and prestige in the islands
destroyed, the Filipinos might have to wage war against the United
States owing to the American Government declining to recognize our
independence. In that event the Americans, it was generally agreed,
would be sure to defeat us for they would find us worn out and short
of ammunition owing to our struggle with the Spaniards. I concluded
by asking the gallant Admiral to excuse me for an amount of frankness
that night appear to border on impudence, and assured him of the
fact that I was actuated only by a desire to have a perfectly clear
understanding in the interest of both parties._
_The Admiral said he was very glad to have this evidence of our
earnestness and straightforwardness and he thought the Filipinos and
Americans should act towards one another as friends and allies, and
therefore it was right and proper that all doubts should be expressed
frankly in order that explanations be made, difficulties avoided,
and distrust removed; adding that, as he had already indicated_, _the
United States would unquestionably recognize the Independence of the
people of the Philippines, guaranteed as it was by the word of honour
of Americans_, _which, he said, is more positive, more irrevocable than
any written agreement, which might not be regarded as binding when
there is an intention or desire to repudiate it, as was the case in
respect of the compact made with the Spaniards at Biak-na-bato. Then
the Admiral advised me to at once have made a Filipino National