g for him would be to hold his own
force intact while they wore each other out. The Spanish losses,
small as they were, occurred in front of the American lines, not in
front of the Filipinos. There is no reason, accordingly, for believing
that the Filipinos suffered heavily. To arrange that the Spaniards
should inflict losses upon the Americans, while he saved his own men,
showed ingenuity on the part of Aguinaldo; but it was decidedly not
the conduct of an ally." [134]

The feeling toward the American troops at this time is further shown
by a telegram from General Pio del Pilar, sent from San Pedro Macati
on August 10, 1898:--

"Commandant Acebedo writes that the Spaniards are about to surrender
because they want to turn over the place; the Americans want them to
leave only the batteries and say that they will station themselves
in said batteries. It appears that they want to deceive us; they do
not want to give us arms, and if they do not give us arms, we shall
attack them and drive them out. I await your reply." [135]

This is perhaps not quite the kind of cooeperation that Admiral Dewey
and Generals Anderson and Merritt had expected.

The truth is that the Insurgents were determined to capture Manila for
themselves, not only because of the "war booty," for which they were
hungry, but because of the status which they felt that the taking of
the capital of the Philippines would assure them. The great importance
which they attached to this plan is shown in communications written
by Agoncillo, Aguinaldo and others. [136]

Of conditions at this time, Taylor says:--

"On July 7, Aguinaldo appointed Artemio Ricarte and Pantaleon Garcia
to negotiate the surrender of Manila by the Spaniards to him (Exhibit
155). On July 5 Pantaleon Garcia was planning to enter Manila by way of
Tondo or of Santa Cruz (P.I.R., 243.7). On the 9th Aguinaldo ordered
that rice should be gathered from the towns of Manila Province for
the use of his troops in the decisive attack upon Manila which he
intended making in a few days (P.I.R., 1087. 5).

"Aguinaldo, finding that his chance of obtaining Manila for himself was
growing steadily less, now determined to force himself into the city
with the Americans and demand a consideration for the assistance he
had rendered them during the siege. It is true he had assisted them,
but his assistance had not been intentional. It was the result of
the operations he was carrying on for his own ends. The