In the meantime (almost exactly coincident with the capture of Manila) came the signing at Washington of the peace protocol (August 120), providing that the United States should occupy and hold the city, bay, and harbor of Manila, pending the conclusion of a treaty of peace, which should determine the control, disposition, and government of the Philippines. On October 31st. after the Peace Commission had been at work in Paris for a month, the Spanish plenipo tentiaries were painfully surprised by a demand for the cession of the whole group. It was nearly a month before Spain yielded to the inevitable. In the treaty as signed December 10, 1S98, Spain eeded the whole group and the States agreed to pay Spain $20.000,000, give Spanish ships and merchandise admission to the islands on the same terms accorded to American ships and goods for a period of ten years. and to trans port to Spain the Spanish soldiers captured at the surrender of Manila. The treaty was sub mitted to the Senate of the United States Janu ary 4, 1S99, and it was ratified February 6th, by only three votes more than the necessary two thirds majority (57 to 27).
In the meantime, before the protocol of peace, Aguinaldo bad organized a government (June 13, 1898), and in the provisional constitution pro mulgated June 23d he announced the independ ence of the islands as the chief object of the Revo lutionary Government. On August dth Agui naldo appealed to the power: of the world for recognition of his forces as belligerents and of the independence of the Philippines, asserting that the Revolutionary Government was predom inant in fifteen provinces. These provinces com prised the central part of Luzon and the ma jority of the inhabitants. During the following months the Americans held Manila and the native forces the rest of the island. The hopes of inde pendence under American protection, which had been based upon the declared attitude of the United States toward Cuba and the friendly co operation of Admiral Dewey and General Ander son. were rudely shaken by the proposed annexa tion of the islands to the United States, and relations became greatly. ,trained in consequence of President MeKinley's proclamation of Decem ber 21st that the islands were ceded to the United States and that military ride was to be extended over them as rapidly as possible. The tension proved too great to last, and on the night of February 4. 1899, hostilities broke out at Manila. The news of this battle, reported as an attack by the Filipinos on the Americans, no doubt contributed to the ratification of the peace treaty two days later.
The first intimations that the islands might be annexed called forth opposition in the United States. which was increased by the open declara
tion of that policy by the Government and great ly intensified by the outbreak of war between the .American army and the Filipino republic. This opposition characterized the acquisition of the islands as the beginning of imperialism. as at va riance with the traditional policy of the United States toward peoples struggling for independ ence. as being identical in its purposes with the projects of Napoleon Ill. in Mexico, as irrecon cilable with the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the spirit of the Constitution, and as inevitably involving unknown expense and bloodshed. It was urged that our policy should have been one of conciliation and substan tially identical with that pursued in Cuba. that the Filipinos were as capable of self-govermucnt as the South Americans. in whose behalf the Monroe Doctrine was first promulgated, or as the adherents of Juarez in Mexico, who were sup ported by the United States against Maximilian. and that a protectorate by the United States would have been acceptable to the Filipinos. On the other side, the acquisition of the islands by the United State- was declared the only possible solution that would save them from anarchy or from into the hands of some European power. and that it was the duty of the limited States to accept the burden. Others felt strongly the appeal of the great natural of the archipelago. almost undeveloped by Spain. and the immense strategic importance of holding them in view of the future Eastern .Asiatie question:.
The discussion of the points of view and the policy of the Government were hampered by great lack of knowledge of the situation. To meet in part this difficulty. President 'McKinley appointed. in January. 1S99. a commiAcion, con sisting of President Schurinan of Cornell i ni versity. Admiral Dewey, Gen. E. S. Otis, the lion. Charles Denby, and Prof. D. C. Worcester, to investigate conditions in the islands and to labor for the acceptance of American rule by the natives. In 31are1, 1899, the Commission began its work. On April iith it issued a proclamation to the people of the islands. explaining the pur pose of their mission and the intentions of the American Government. The efforts of the Com mission were devoted particularly to conciliating prominent Filipino:, and to building up a party favorable to American rule. To do this concur rently with the vigorous prosecution of the war was uphill work. In May they had a conference with some representatives of Aguinaldo, but it came to nothing.