the path of empire-第28节

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apital　at　Malolos；　thirty　miles　north　of　Manila；　a　government；　thirty　or　forty　thousand　troops；　and　an　influence　which　he　was　extending　throughout　the　islands　by　means　of　secret　organizations　and　superstitious　appeals。　This　seemed　a　puny　strength　to　put　forth　against　the　United　States　but　various　circumstances　combined　to　make　the　contest　less　unequal　than　it　seemed；　and　the　outcome　was　probably　more　in　doubt　than　that　in　the　war　with　Spain。

The　United　States　had　at　the　moment　but　fourteen　thousand　men　in　the　islands；　under　the　command　of　General　Otis。　Some　of　these　were　volunteers　who　had　been　organized　to　fight　Spain　and　who　could　not　be　held　after　the　ratification　of　peace。　Congress　had；　indeed；　provided　for　an　increase　in　the　regular　army；　but　not　sufficient　to　provide　the　〃40；000　effectives　for　the　field；〃　whom　Otis　had　requested　in　August；　1899。　There　were；　of　course；　plenty　of　men　available　in　America　for　service　in　the　Philippines；　and　finally　twelve　regiments　of　volunteers　were　raised；　two　of　which　were　composed　of　negroes。　Aguinaldo's　strength　lay　in　the　configuration　of　the　country；　in　its　climate；　which　for　four　centuries　had　prevented　a　complete　conquest　by　the　Spaniards；　and　in　the　uncertainty　which　he　knew　existed　as　to　how　far　the　American　people　would　support　a　war　waged　apparently　for　conquest；　against　the　wishes　of　the　Filipinos。　On　the　other　hand；　the　chief　advantages　of　the　American　forces　lay　in　Aguinaldo's　lack　of　arms　and　in　the　power　of　the　American　Navy；　which　confined　the　fighting　for　the　most　part　to　Luzon。

In　March；　General　MacArthur　began　to　move　to　the　north；　and　on　the　last　day　of　that　month　he　entered　Malolos。　On　the　23d　of　April　he　pushed　farther　northward　toward　Calumpit；　where　the　Filipino　generalissimo；　Luna；　had　prepared　a　position　which　he　declared　to　be　impregnable。　This　brief　campaign　added　a　new　favorite　to　the　American　roll　of　honor；　for　it　was　here　that　Colonel　Funston；　at　the　head　of　his　gallant　Kansans；　crossed　the　rivers　Bag…bag　and　Rio　Grande；　under　circumstances　that　gave　the　individual　American　soldier　a　prestige　in　the　eyes　of　the　Filipinos　and　a　reputation　which　often　ran　far　ahead　of　the　army。

General　Luna　had　torn　up　the　ties　and　rails　of　the　steel　railroad　bridge　over　the　Bag…bag；　and　had　let　down　the　span　next　the　far　bank。　Thus　cut　off　from　attack　by　a　deep　river　two　hundred　feet　wide；　the　Filipino　commander　had　entrenched　his　forces　on　the　farther　side。　Shielded　by　fields　of　young　corn　and　bamboo　thickets；　the　Americans　approached　the　bank　of　the　river。　A　naval　gun　on　an　armored　train　bombarded　the　Filipinos　but　could　not　silence　their　trenches。　It　was　therefore　necessary　to　cross　an　the　bridge；　and　under　fire。　General　Wheaton　ordered　Colonel　Funston　to　seize　the　bridge。　With　about　ten　men　Funston　rushed　the　nearer　end　which　stood　in　the　open。　Working　themselves　along　the　girders；　the　men　finally　reached　the　broken　span。　Beyond　that；　swimming　was　the　only　method　of　reaching　the　goal。　Leaving　their　guns　behind　them；　Colonel　Funston　and　three　others　swung　themselves　off　the　bridge　and　into　the　stream。　Quite　unarmed；　the　four　landed　and　rushed　the　nearest　trenches。　Fortunately　these　had　been　abandoned　under　American　fire；　and　rifles　and　cartridges　had　been　left　behind。　Thus　this　aquatic　charge　by　unarmed　men　secured　the　bridge　and　enabled　the　American　troops　to　cross。

Not　far　beyond　was　the　Rio　Grande；　four　hundred　feet　broad　and　crossed　by　another　railroad　bridge　that　must　be　taken。　Here　again　the　task　was　entrusted　to　Colonel　Funston　and　the　Twentieth　Kansas。　This　time　they　found　an　old　raft。　Two　privates　stripped　and　swam　across　with　a　rope。　Landing　unarmed　on　the　enemy's　side　of　the　river；　they　fastened　their　rope　to　a　part　of　the　very　trench　works　of　the　Filipinos。　With　this　connection　established；　Colonel　Funston　improvised　a　ferry　and　was　soon　on　the　enemy's　side　with　supports。　A　stiff；　unequal　fight　remained；　as　the　ferry　carried　but　six　men　on　each　trip。　The　bank　was　soon　won；　however；　and　the　safe　crossing　of　the　army　was　assured。　Such　acts　gave　the　natives　a　respect　for　Americans　as　fighting　men；　which　caused　it　to　be　more　and　more　difficult　for　the　Filipino　commanders　to　bring　their　forces　to　battle　in　the　open。

General　Lawton　in　the　meantime　was　conducting　a　brilliant　movement　to　the　eastward。　After　breaking　the　enemy　forces；　he　returned　to　Manila　and　then　marched　southward　into　the　Tagalog　country；　where　on　the　13th　of　June；　at　Zapoti　Bridge；　he　won　the　most　stoutly　contested　battle　of　the　insurrection。　The　successful　conclusion　of　these　operations　brought　the　most　civilized　part　of　the　island　under　American　control。

The　fighting　now　became　scattered　and　assumed　gradually　a　guerrilla　character。　The　abler　commanders　of　the　American　forces　found　their　way　to　the　top；　and　the　troops；　with　their　natural　adaptability；　constantly　devised　new　methods　of　meeting　new　situations。　A　war　of　strangely　combined　mountain　and　sea　fighting；　involving　cavalry　and　infantry　and　artillery；　spread　over　the　islands　in　widening　circles　and　met　with　lessening　resistance。　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；