The record-union., 1898-08-16

(ContlnueQ from First Page.)
Sagasta, who knew his own intentions
better than any one else knew them,
| had chartered a vessel and sent in
structions to General August on Thurs
day to offer no further resistance and
to capitulate if compelled to do 80.
This, however, has not been verified,
and as proceeding utterly foreign to
meager exhibitions of forethought
heretofore manifested by the Spanish
Government, it receives no credence
from the anxious authorities lin Wash
| ington.
| When the protocol was signed, fol-
lowed Immediately by the sending of
cable dispatches to Admiral Dewey and
General Merritt, it was broad daylight
Saturday morning at Manila. 1t takes
fully minute at the most generous
calculations to send a single word to
| Hongkong by cable. Acting Secretary
Allen and Adjutant General Corbin
| each sent several hundred words of in
| stl uctions to the respective command
ers under them, including copies of the
| Presidents proclamation, and it is
therefore unlikely that the vessel was
able to start before Saturday after
noon. Manila is 62S miles from Hong
kong, and at eighteen knots the dis
| tance might be made in thirty six
/ hours, which would enable the dis
/ patches to reach the American forces
Monday morning, or, according to
Washington time, Sunday night Unless
| General Merritt had taken Manila by
that time, the instructions sent him
prevent any further military opera
| tions, and the truce will have to be
agreed upon similar in all respects to
that imposed upon General Miles in
Porto Rico.
The official messages relate solely to
hostilities, and have no bearing upon
the third article of the protocol, which
| provides that the United States will
hold the city, bay and harbor of Man
/ liza until the meeting of the Commits
| SionerS. This is an exceedingly pc
culiar feature of the situation, but it
gives the authorities less concern than
/ the fear of further fighting. That ar
| ticle was worded in accordance with
the Presidents original proposition two
weeks ago, which in turn had been
when there was momentary expectation
that the starved-out city would sur
render at once, and it was evident that
the United States forces would remain
in power in the Philippines. 1t was
therefore considered unnecessary to
| stipulate in the protocol that a Com
mission should be appointed within ten
| days and arrange the details of the
evacuation, as was the case of Cuba
| and Porto Rico.
If the positions of besieged and be-
| siegerS at Manila has not materially
| changed in the last two weeks, when
the leaders of the opposing forces re-
ceived their orders establishing an arm
! istice, such a military commission
would be essential unless the Spanish
General throws himself upon General
| Merritt's protection and compels the
! Americans Immediately to assume re-
sponsibility for the protection of pri-
vate property and the inhabitants, as
we'll as the Spanish garrison from the
insurgents under Aguinaldo.
Secretary Alger is confident that the
Spanish General will welcome the news
and cheerfully obey the instructions
cabled to him from Madrid to lay down
his arms, and no serious complication
is expected to arise with the insurgents
at present at least regarding the change
of government. The chief alarm relates
to the sacrifice of life which may have
taken place since August 4th, and &c
1.-THE possibility that Aguinaldo and his
soldiers may have entered the city from
a point on the north while the Span
| iards were engaged with the Ameri-
cans on the south In that case it is
| feared wholesale massacres may have
taken place and much valuable proper
ty ruthlessly destroyed.