"Upon their heads be all the blood which may be shed." [210]
Three days later this proclamation, which was rather dangerously like
a declaration of war, was reissued with a significant change in the
last one of the passages quoted, the words "attempt to take forcible
possession of any part of the territory submitted to its jurisdiction"
being substituted for the words "attempt to take forcible possession
of the Visayan Islands."
On January 8, 1899, at 9.40 P.M., Sandico telegraphed Aguinaldo
as follows:--
"_Note_.--In consequence of the orders of General Rios to his officers,
as soon as the Filipino attack begins the Americans should be driven
into the Intramuros district and the Walled city should be set on
fire." [211]
Preparations for the attack, which was to begin inside the city
of Manila, were now rapidly pushed to conclusion. I quote Taylor's
excellent summary of them:--
"After Aguinaldo's proclamation of January 5 the number of
organizations charged with an attack within the city increased rapidly
and it is possible that those which had been formed during Spanish rule
had never been disbanded. Sandico's clubs for athletic exercises and
mutual improvement formed a nucleus for these bodies and the directing
boards of the popular committees took up the work of recruiting, while
some of the members became officers of the militia or sandatahan.
Pages:
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191