The times., 1899-05-30
ne,reN md DENLY.

A letter Just received from Manila by
public man who was in Washington yes
terday offers an interesting side-hght on
the situation in Manila, and, incidentally,
tends to illustrate the abiding American
common sense and shrewdness of Admiral
George Dewey.
According to the statement of the writ
er. when the three civilian Commissioners
appeared on the scene in their blue coats
and red breeches, it did not take the Ad-
miral long to discover that they had been
properly coached by Mr.. Alger's friend oil
the former Relief Commission 10 act as a
unit; DENLY believing that they could
make some sort of terms with Aguinaldo
and claim all the credit of the peace set
tIement Dewey and Otis were in nope
less minority against the trio, and the
first named at least saw that neither his
advice nor that OF his military colleague
would be asked or accepted-which, indeed.
has proved to be the case. So Dewey
quietly and promptly prepared to retire
from position he was no longer allowed to
control and secured permission to start
for home in advance of the arrival of
relieving flag officer; thing it was not in
him to do except for good cause.
Otis was not in position to escape from
his difficulties as easily, and could only
obey orders and allow DENLY and his as
sociates TO spoil his campaign and allow
the amused rebels to negotiate and have
fun with them until the beginning of the
rainy season, after which Dewey and Otis
tt,n--
sumo active operations and openly laugh
at the tricked Commissioners, which they
are now doing.
The gentleman who wrote the letter oc-
cupies a position which should give him
opportunities for getting at the truth, but,
aside from that, II bears internal evidence
of representing the opinion on the subject
in Army and Navy circles in the Philip
pines. The synchronism of facts tends
to corroborate his statement The civilian
Commission with its red breeches and
cooked hats, was so constituted as to give
it veto power over the naval and military
commanders, their plans and wishes. We
know it will be answered that it was in
structed not to interfere with military
operations; but it certainly was given
power to open negotiations with the mu-
tineers, and, being in a majority, was
able to enforce that power whether Dewey
and Otis thought such a course desirable
at any given time or not. 1t did open
negotiations which, on tie part OF Ag-
uinaldo. were never conducted with any
view except to gain delay until the advent
of the rainy season, when he believed the
Americans would be compelled to retire
to within their fortified lines until dry
weather again.
The results are before US. DENLY and
The rest consumed the time that Otis need
ed to wind up his persistent day-to-day
attacks on the Filipinos. The latter at once
acquired the idea that the United States
Government was sick of fighting, and that
the distinguished attention paid to their
envoys by the civilian Commission meant
that peace would be bought on any terms,
and SO the favorable situation in which the
meddIers found Dewey and Otis when they
arrived was rapidly changed through their
industrious and nonsensical efforts into
one of practical defeat of all the military
hopes and plans.
1t is now painfully evident that there
are three gold-laced coats and three pairs
of red inexpressibles at Manila that are
dangerous there, and. occupants included,
would be useless for public purposes any
where else. 1t is due to the gallant gen.
eral and his officers and men whose work
they have nullifed, and to the memory OF
the slain, whose sacrifice they have made
of no effect. that these men instantly be
called home. and at once returned to the
pedagoglc and beef interests which they
adorned before they were wrenched from
the bosoms of sorrowing families, and sent
to lecture on Church and State" THE
Higher Education" THE Theory and
Practice OF Whitewashing, and cognate
subjects, to a lot of grinning Malay barbar-
ians.