ur American liberators. The Governor-General calls you
to arms. Why? To defend your Spanish tyrants? To defend those
who have despised you and in public speeches called for your
extermination--those who have treated you little better than
savages? No! no! a thousand times, no!

Glance at history and you will see that in all Spain's wars
undertaken in the Far East, Philippine blood has been sacrificed;
we were sent to fight for the French in Cochin China over a
matter which in no way concerned us; we were forced by Simon de
Anda to spill our blood against the English, who, in any case,
would have been better rulers than the Spaniards; every year our
sons are taken away to be sacrificed in Mindanao and Sulu against
those who, we are led to believe, are our enemies when, in reality,
they are our brothers, fighting, like us, for their liberty. After
such a sacrifice of blood against the English, the Annamites,
the Mindanaos, etc., what reward or thanks have we received from
the Spanish Government? Obscurity, poverty, the slaughter of our
dear ones. Enough, brothers, of this Spanish tutelage!

Note that the Americans will attack by sea and prevent any
reinforcements coming from Spain, therefore the insurgents must
attack by land.

You will, probably, have more than sufficient arms, because the
Americans, having arms, will find means to help us. Wherever
you see the American flag, there flock in numbers. They are
our redeemers.

Our unworthy names are nothing, but we all invoke the name of the
greatest patriot our country has seen, certain in the hope that
his spirit will be with us and guide us to victory, our immortal
_Jose Rizal_.

Cavite being occupied by the American forces, foreign Manila residents
were permitted to take refuge there, for no one could tell when the
Spaniards would be forced to capitulate, or what might happen if they
did. Meantime the rebels had cut off, to a considerable extent, but
not entirely, supplies of food to the capital, which was, however,
well stored; and at no time during the three and a half months'
siege was there a danger of famine among the civilian population,
although prices of commodities gradually advanced to about double
the normal rates. Even the hotels in the city only charged double
prices. The Spanish troops fared far worse; their condition became
more and m