... What injury could
come to the Philippines, even if we admitted that the Admiral would
not give arms to the President on account of his refusal to sign a
document prejudicial to the country, after he had taken all means
to provide for her defence? None. Such an act of the President could
not be censured, but, on the other hand, would be most meritorious,
because it would be one proof more of his undoubted patriotism."
Not one word of any promise of independence do we find in this
remarkable document. On the contrary it furnishes conclusive proof
that no such promise had been made and that the future relations
between Filipinos and Americans were still completely uncertain.
And now comes some direct evidence. Bray and St. Clair, the latter
the editor of the Insurgent organ in Singapore, were present on
the occasion when independence was said to have been promised by
Pratt. Bray subsequently declared in the most positive terms that it
was promised. St. Clair wrote him a letter taking him roundly to task
for this claim, in the following very interesting terms:--
"I felt it to be my duty to let Pratt know that you still hold that
you and Santos have evidence that will controvert his, (and) he was,
of course, extremely disappointed, because he (is) quite aware of
what took place in Spanish, and as to turning of his conversation
into a pretense of agreement he knows nothing.
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