anila, February 13.--General Miller reports from Iloilo that that
town was taken on the 11th inst., and is held by troops. Insurgents
given until evening of 11th to surrender, but their hostile actions
brought on an engagement during the morning. Insurgents fired the
native portion of town, but little losses to property of foreign
inhabitants. No casualties among United States troops reported.

"_Otis_."

The legal situation, while the treaty was not ratified, and seemed
gravely in doubt, was an embarrassment to the executive of the United
States. The Philippine question was by the act of the President a
special reservation, and it was submitted to the people as too great in
scope and various in detail, to be determined by one man, especially as
the Philippine Archipelago was so far away from our Pacific shore as to
be, according to the average citizen's information, a new departure;
and the novelties in a Republic need much consideration. Really the
departure is not new--it is in the direct line of the logic of our
history. The President exceedingly desired to preserve the peace with
the Filipinos, and gave orders not to attack them. He trusted this
anxious care would prevent bloodshed. Hence the annoying attitude of
waiting acquiesence at Iloilo, and at Manila under almost intolerable
provocation. A personal letter from Manila, dated December 8th,
and written by a general officer contains this.

"Aguinaldo has sent for a new hatter with inflated blocks, and has
his people dragging up field guns in face of our outposts. You can
draw your own inferences."

There is a flavor of bitter humor in this, but the fact is prominent
that the desperadoes were quite wild, and had no understanding of
themselves or of us, and could acquire it only by getting themselves
whipped by us.

We quote again from the letter of which we have taken the passage
above:

"The able and thinking men in this country tell me in unmistakable
language that they are in no way prepared to take up the government
of these islands. They insist upon the fact that tribunals will have,
through lack of native material, to be mixed bodies. They say that
with all the harshness that must accompany occupancy, the people
here never had as much liberty as they have now, and that they show
a strong inclination to abuse what is given them."

This is the true story of the Philippine people wherever there has
been a free and intelligent expression.

Our army d