After the war with the Filipinos broke out, McKinley said repeatedly in public speeches, 'I never dreamed they would turn against us.'" [63] If there is nothing harder than this to get around the memory of President McKinley will not suffer, as the important thing is not what Aguinaldo had led his people to expect, but what the American officials had promised him.

The President was certainly not bound to believe that the Filipinos would turn against us even if they did then expect independence.

Blount has seen fit to leave unmentioned certain other facts which are very pertinent in this connection.
Apparently sometime during September, 1898, Sandico made the following statement in a letter to Aguinaldo:-- "I also have to inform you that Senores Basa, Cortes and Co.

have congratulated the Government of the United States upon the capture of Manila, stating at the same time that now that Filipino soil had been soaked with American blood, the Islands must remain American.

I believe that a telegram should be sent immediately, to counteract that sent by them." [64] Probably Sandico did not know that on August 15, 1898, Agoncillo had transmitted another telegram to President McKinley through Consul-General Wildman, reading as follows:-- "Agoncillo, my Commissioner and Ambassador-Extraordinary, representing the provisional government of the Philippine Islands, in its name and the name of its President, Emilio Aguinaldo, congratulates you on the successful termination of the war, and commends the occupancy of Manila.