CHAPTER X.ANNO DOM. 1739.The Administration of Don Gaspar de la Torre.Señor Don Gaspar de la Torre, born in Flanders, of Spanish parents, arrived at Manila, and found, among other cares that would devolve upon him, a suit which had been carrying on against Señor Arroyo, the royal fiscal, upon an accusation preferred by Señor Tamon. An attempt having been made to apprehend and imprison the fiscal upon this occasion, he was too much on his guard to fall into the snare, and took refuge in the Franciscan convent, preserving, in this secure retreat, the liberty of his person, though he could not save his property, which was all seized,that small portion excepted which he was able to take with him. The matter was in this state when Don Gaspar de la Torre took possession of the government. The archbishop, who was the angel of peace in these islands, persuaded himself he could succeed in accommodating the unhappy difference, and proposed to the new Governor his mediation in favour of the fiscal; but this was opposed by the Governor, on the ground that Arroyo ought to show his respect for the laws, by submitting to be imprisoned in the fort, and undergoing the usual forms of trial. The archbishop was inclined to think that the accused would enjoy more liberty in the fort than he did in the Franciscan convent, and all his friends being of this opinion, Señor Arroyo was at last persuaded to quit his retreat. This unfortunate determination subjected him to fresh hardships, for he was immediately seized, thrown into a dungeon in the fort, and accused of several new crimes.He was asked if he was aware of the cause of his confinement; he answered, that he conceived he was imprisoned because he would not, unnoticed, pass over the sums of which Señor Tamon, and many of his particular confederates, had defrauded the royal revenue, amounting, he believed, to about three millions of dollars: he declined saying any thing further, as he was in a state of confinement.All these proceedings were forwarded to his Majesty, and in the mean time Señor Arroyo’s imprisonment in the fort was accompanied with circumstances of the greatest rigour, which had the effect of reducing the mind of the archbishop to a state of profound melancholy, considering himself as the author, however innocently, of the fiscal’s miseries. He sickened and died in a very short time, to the great grief of all, on account of his affability and many excellent qualities.Through the connivance of the Oidors,Dr. Neyra, professor of laws in the college of the Jesuits, was made fiscalad interim, and by this means an addition was made to the number of Señor Arroyo’s enemies. He was now accused of having married without licence. Examinations were taken on the subject, and a number of witnesses produced, who were all of the clerical order, and among them particularly was the person who had performed the ceremony. Arroyo endeavoured, by every means, to refute this charge, but as the Governor was his decided enemy, the clergy threw their weight likewise into the scale against him. In a very short time he fell sick, and died in a few days, borne down by the accumulated miseries to which he had been subjected. He was the best and most faithful minister his Majesty ever had in these islands, and his person ought to have been held as sacred as that of a Roman tribune.The King, fully informed of the harshtreatment of the fiscal, and the violent proceedings against him which had been resorted to, became convinced of the truth of the allegations preferred against the conduct of Señor Tamon, and acquitting the fiscal of the crimes imputed to him, forwarded an order, permitting him to return to his office, enjoining the arrears of his salary to be paid up, and directing that the two lawyers who had appeared against him should be fined two hundred dollars each. Before this order arrived, however, the fiscal was no more; a result commonly looked for in this climate, where the difficulty of recovering, in cases of a depression of spirits, is generally insuperable5.About this time war was declared between Spain and England, an enemy more to be dreaded on account of the injury formerly done by this nation to the Philippines. On this occasion, Admiral George Anson passed Cape Horn with a squadron, in which passage he lost some ships, butwith the remainder he run down the coast of America, doing all the mischief in his power. He arrived at Acapulco, where, finding that the ship Nuestra Señora de Cobadonga, had not yet sailed to the Philippines, he prosecuted his voyage thither, with the two ships which remained of his squadron. He refreshed at one of the islands of the Marianas, and put into Canton river to refit his ships, which had been considerably damaged in the progress of the voyage. In Manila all the operations of Anson were known, and to prevent him from capturing the Cobadonga, the Governor despatched a galiot to give notice of this powerful enemy, with directions for the Cobadonga to change her route, and send information respecting it, in order that a galleon, which was fitting in Cavite, might proceed to her relief. The galiot discovered, near the straits of St. Bernardino, an enemy’s vessel, and not doubting that it was Anson, gave notice to the armed galleonin Cavite, which immediately put to sea, but grounded on the island of Ticao, and made so much water that she was compelled to return. The Cobadonga arrived at the Marianas under charge of a Portuguese pilot, and sailing from thence in perfect confidence of safety, arrived at Cape Espiritu Santo; where the English, upon the alert, and in greater forwardness than it was expected they could be, were waiting with their ship the Centurion, after having refitted her at Canton.When the Cobadonga perceived the enemy, there was no alternative but to yield, or boldly encounter a superior force. They chose the latter, and fought so desperately, that they did not strike till they had sixty killed and seventy wounded, among the number of which were the first and second captains. Admiral Anson took possession of the vessel and property, amounting to one million five hundred thousand dollars in silver alone, and carriedthe ship to Macao, where he left the Cobadonga, proceeding to Canton to careen his own ship.The merchants of Manila felt this loss most severely, and to be revenged, in some measure, requested the Governor to allow them to fit out a squadron with a view of pursuing Anson, and intercepting the China fleet. Four ships were accordingly equipped at the expense of the inhabitants of the town, and Don Antonio Quijano was appointed commander. He arrived at China, but Anson had already sailed for Europe, when not being able to return on account of the monsoon, he wintered at Macao, and without doing any thing returned to Manila the following year. A strict enquiry was instituted before a court martial into the conduct of the commander and officers of the Cobadonga, and on view of the allegations brought against them they were acquitted, and only compelled to pay the charges of the court martial.In consequence of this capture, however, a ruinous lawsuit commenced between the merchants of Manila and the pious establishments, whose property was embarked in her. The loss was declared total, and there appeared no doubt that the pious establishments were liable to that extent; but it was ascertained that some merchants had left their property in Acapulco, and of course there was no real total loss, as all the produce of the original adventure had not been embarked. The pious establishments, therefore, asserted that their property, or a portion of it, still existed in New Spain. The merchants on the other hand alleged, that if the Cobadonga had arrived at Manila, the risk of the pious establishments would have been at an end, and the merchants must have paid them their original advance, although they must have run the risk of bringing to Manila the property left in New Spain.The Royal Audience determined thissuit in favour of the pious establishments, but the merchants petitioned the council of the Indies, which gave it in their favour. This, as may be supposed, has given rise to several lawsuits in like cases, such diversity of opinion prevailing on the subject, that it were to be wished the system was either wholly abolished, or altered considerably, as it at present gives rise to numberless frauds and impositions, to which the existing laws furnish no check6.Don Caspar de la Torre entered with a bad grace on his government, in his violent proceedings against the fiscal, which drew down on him the hatred of the public, and the disasters of this period contributed to inflame their resentment. His whole conduct, indeed, was apparently directed rather to reconcile himself to this prejudice, than to remove it. Convinced of the general disgust against him, he fell into a profound melancholy, followed by dysentery, which is rarely cured in the Philippines.It was aggravated by an account which arrived of a disturbance in the town of Balayan, in the province of Batangas, and he at last fell a sacrifice to a false report which was in circulation, that the Chinese were entering the city, when notwithstanding his illness, he determined to oppose them in person, but was prevented by his friends, who very soon discovered the fallacy of the report. The effect, however, which it had on his frame was such, that he died in a few days after, on the 21st of September, 1745.Señor Arrechedera, of the order of St. Domingo, bishop elect of Ylocos, succeeded him, conformable to the order of his Majesty. Upon enquiring into the alleged defection of the Chinese, he found no such thing had been even attempted, and that the report had been circulated merely to annoy the Governor. Arrechedera was not slow in quelling the disturbances in Balayan. He sent an officer,with one hundred regular troops, and a considerable body of Indians against the insurgents; and although this officer was not able to disperse them, as the Indians under him fled at the first onset, he succeeded in checking their attack, without having suffered in any other respect than a wound from a musket ball, which he himself received from one of his own new raised recruits. He applied to the Governor for further aid, and two hundred men being added to his force, he attained his object. He left a small detachment in the province to overawe those who might be ill disposed, and the rest of the troops were embarked for Cavite, as accounts had been received that the English had arrived with a squadron at Batavia, and the Alcalde of Ylocos reported, that two ships and two smaller vessels had been seen on that coast, supposed to be enemies. The Governor immediately put Manila into a state of defence, repairing thefortifications, purchasing arms from strangers, and casting cannon. All these preparations, however, proved unnecessary, as the English never appeared, but it was eventually discovered that they had captured a brigantine and another vessel.Before this time a dreadful persecution commenced against the Christians in the province of Tonquin, and generally in the empire of China. In Tonquin many suffered martyrdom, and among others two Philippine missionaries, the Friars Gil de Federich and Mateo Liciniana, both Dominicans, who had left Manila for the purpose of assisting the missionary establishment which the Dominicans had in China. They were imprisoned separately, and at different times, but they had the happiness, before they died, of being lodged in the same dungeon, where they mutually consoled each other, and by bribing the soldiers who had the charge of them, they were permitted to say mass,and preach and administer the sacrament to the Christians there. In these sacred duties they were occupied continually, until the day on which they were to suffer death for the propagation of the Christian faith, by being bound to a log of wood, and having their heads struck off. This took place at four o’clock in the evening of the 22d of January, 1745. The Christians received their bodies, and delivered them over to the Dominicans, who gave them honourable burial. In the empire of China, the determination of the emperors to oppose the propagation of the Christian religion seemed daily to become stronger, and the Viceroy of Tonquin, who knew that in his province there were many concealed missionaries, persecuted the Christians in every way, in order to induce them to discover them, when, on the imprisonment of several with this view, the missionaries voluntarily came forward and delivered themselves up to the tyrant.There were in all five, of the order of St. Dominic, and belonging to that establishment in the Philippines; viz. the most illustrious Don Friar Pedro Martir Sanz, of the province of Catalonia, Bishop of Mauricastrense, and Apostolical Vicar; the Friars PedroFranciscoSerrano of Jaen; Juan Alcaber of Grenada; Joaquin Royo of Hinojosa, in Aragon; and Francisco Diaz. They were examined frequently, and suffered severely from being beaten and otherwise tormented. The Viceroy at last sentenced Señor Sanz to lose his head immediately, condemning likewise the rest to the same punishment, but deferring their execution till the ordinary time. The court of Pekin confirmed the decree, and immediately it was made known to him; the Señor Sanz rejoiced exceedingly, and sungTe Deum, confessing fully, and waiting impatiently for the period of his becoming a martyr, which took place on the 26th of May, 1747. After alapse of six months, his body was found as fresh as the day he was beheaded: it was taken up, burnt, reduced to powder, and thrown into a well, that the Christians might not collect his ashes. The other four friars remained in prison, where they were afterwards strangled privately by order of the Viceroy. Many attributed this persecution to the Jesuits, who bore no good will to the Señor Sanz.Two ships about this period arrived at Manila from Acapulco, very richly laden, bringing the accustomed relief, of which the colony stood much in need, and which gave new life and activity to the whole settlement. By these ships came the new Archbishop Pedro de la Sona Trinidad, who, when counsellor of the Indies, had taken the habit of St. Francis, and now brought with him a royal mandate, for the absolute expulsion of the Chinese, and the appointment of himself as Governorad interim.This mandate for the expulsion of the Chinese had often before this period been sent to Manila, but had never been carried into execution, the interest of the Governor being too deeply involved in the suspension of it, the Chinese paying him a contribution for his forbearance. The Archbishop found that Arrechedera was strongly attached to this nation, and he became so far a convert to his sentiments on this subject, that he did not put the royal order in force.This seems to have been the only error committed by this illustrious prelate during the time he held the government. In all other respects his conduct reflected the highest honour on him. An insurrection in the island of Bohol compelled him to send Captain Lechuga there with an adequate force, who succeeded in reducing to obedience all the towns on the sea coast of the island, but in the interior and mountainousparts they retain their independence to this day.The Jesuits having urged Philip the Fifth to send letters to the Kings of Jolo and Mindanao, the Governor sent ambassadors with these letters, and with proposals either to acknowledge the Spanish government, or to enter into alliance with us. These chiefs were so delighted with the honour which so great a King as that of Spain had thus conferred on them, that they agreed to admit missionaries into their territories. A Jesuit was accordingly sent to Mindanao, but soon observing the little subordination of the chiefs, and the very inadequate power the King possessed to restrain them, he began to entertain apprehensions for his life, forsook his mission, and escaped to the garrison of Zamboanga. In Jolo two Jesuits attempted to enter upon the object of their mission, but were so violently opposed by the Moorish priests,and the chief men in the country, that their progress was very limited.Under these circumstances the King of Jolo, Mahomet Alimudin, resolved on a visit to the Governor at Manila; but this was opposed by the two Jesuits, on the ground of the ascendancy, which, during his absence, his brother Bantilan would acquire, and who was the determined enemy of the Christian name. The King’s intention being whispered, Bantilan raised such opposition to it in the court, and among the chiefs, that the irritation became general, and the Jesuits consulted their own safety in retiring to Zamboanga. A short time afterwards the King likewise having been attempted to be murdered, fled to Manila to request the aid of the Governor. On his way he arrived at Zamboanga, and by the assistance of the Spaniards proceeded to Manila, which he entered with seventy persons in his train, and was accommodatedat the charge of the King. He afterwards made his public entry, was received with great ostentation, and visited by the principal people in Manila, who brought him presents of gold chains, diamonds, ornaments, rich apparel, and many such things of that nature, as might be expected from the generosity of the Spaniards, and himself and suite were supported at the public expense.The Archbishop was desirous of making him a convert to the Christian faith, a proposal which he embraced apparently with great fervor, and he was accordingly instructed in the leading principles of our holy religion; but as the general idea was, that he felt little attachment to our religion, and only expected by that means to secure our aid in reinstating him on the throne, his baptism was postponed.This delay mortified the Bishop of Ylocos, who was particularly anxious forit, and not being able to bend the Archbishop to his views, he persuaded the King to go to the town of Panique, the first town in Ylocos, in order to be baptized there, a Spaniard accompanying him to act as godfather. Besides his own he had a Spanish guard, and he was received with distinguished honour in every part through which he passed. In Panique he was baptized by the name of Fernando, with great solemnity, by a Dominican, assisted by many others of that order, on the 29th of April, 1750. On his return to Manila, the Governor received him with a general salute, and ordered entertainments of comedies, dances, fire-works, and bull-fights, in honour of his arrival.In Jolo, Bantilan, the brother of King Alimudin, assumed the supreme authority, after having compelled his brother to take refuge in Manila. He was the worst enemy the Spaniards ever had, on account of thegreat depredations he committed on the coasts of all the islands. The Archbishop was extremely desirous of repressing these attacks, but the means he possessed were equally inadequate to this, as insufficient to attempt the reinstatement of the King of Jolo on his throne.
CHAPTER X.ANNO DOM. 1739.The Administration of Don Gaspar de la Torre.Señor Don Gaspar de la Torre, born in Flanders, of Spanish parents, arrived at Manila, and found, among other cares that would devolve upon him, a suit which had been carrying on against Señor Arroyo, the royal fiscal, upon an accusation preferred by Señor Tamon. An attempt having been made to apprehend and imprison the fiscal upon this occasion, he was too much on his guard to fall into the snare, and took refuge in the Franciscan convent, preserving, in this secure retreat, the liberty of his person, though he could not save his property, which was all seized,that small portion excepted which he was able to take with him. The matter was in this state when Don Gaspar de la Torre took possession of the government. The archbishop, who was the angel of peace in these islands, persuaded himself he could succeed in accommodating the unhappy difference, and proposed to the new Governor his mediation in favour of the fiscal; but this was opposed by the Governor, on the ground that Arroyo ought to show his respect for the laws, by submitting to be imprisoned in the fort, and undergoing the usual forms of trial. The archbishop was inclined to think that the accused would enjoy more liberty in the fort than he did in the Franciscan convent, and all his friends being of this opinion, Señor Arroyo was at last persuaded to quit his retreat. This unfortunate determination subjected him to fresh hardships, for he was immediately seized, thrown into a dungeon in the fort, and accused of several new crimes.He was asked if he was aware of the cause of his confinement; he answered, that he conceived he was imprisoned because he would not, unnoticed, pass over the sums of which Señor Tamon, and many of his particular confederates, had defrauded the royal revenue, amounting, he believed, to about three millions of dollars: he declined saying any thing further, as he was in a state of confinement.All these proceedings were forwarded to his Majesty, and in the mean time Señor Arroyo’s imprisonment in the fort was accompanied with circumstances of the greatest rigour, which had the effect of reducing the mind of the archbishop to a state of profound melancholy, considering himself as the author, however innocently, of the fiscal’s miseries. He sickened and died in a very short time, to the great grief of all, on account of his affability and many excellent qualities.Through the connivance of the Oidors,Dr. Neyra, professor of laws in the college of the Jesuits, was made fiscalad interim, and by this means an addition was made to the number of Señor Arroyo’s enemies. He was now accused of having married without licence. Examinations were taken on the subject, and a number of witnesses produced, who were all of the clerical order, and among them particularly was the person who had performed the ceremony. Arroyo endeavoured, by every means, to refute this charge, but as the Governor was his decided enemy, the clergy threw their weight likewise into the scale against him. In a very short time he fell sick, and died in a few days, borne down by the accumulated miseries to which he had been subjected. He was the best and most faithful minister his Majesty ever had in these islands, and his person ought to have been held as sacred as that of a Roman tribune.The King, fully informed of the harshtreatment of the fiscal, and the violent proceedings against him which had been resorted to, became convinced of the truth of the allegations preferred against the conduct of Señor Tamon, and acquitting the fiscal of the crimes imputed to him, forwarded an order, permitting him to return to his office, enjoining the arrears of his salary to be paid up, and directing that the two lawyers who had appeared against him should be fined two hundred dollars each. Before this order arrived, however, the fiscal was no more; a result commonly looked for in this climate, where the difficulty of recovering, in cases of a depression of spirits, is generally insuperable5.About this time war was declared between Spain and England, an enemy more to be dreaded on account of the injury formerly done by this nation to the Philippines. On this occasion, Admiral George Anson passed Cape Horn with a squadron, in which passage he lost some ships, butwith the remainder he run down the coast of America, doing all the mischief in his power. He arrived at Acapulco, where, finding that the ship Nuestra Señora de Cobadonga, had not yet sailed to the Philippines, he prosecuted his voyage thither, with the two ships which remained of his squadron. He refreshed at one of the islands of the Marianas, and put into Canton river to refit his ships, which had been considerably damaged in the progress of the voyage. In Manila all the operations of Anson were known, and to prevent him from capturing the Cobadonga, the Governor despatched a galiot to give notice of this powerful enemy, with directions for the Cobadonga to change her route, and send information respecting it, in order that a galleon, which was fitting in Cavite, might proceed to her relief. The galiot discovered, near the straits of St. Bernardino, an enemy’s vessel, and not doubting that it was Anson, gave notice to the armed galleonin Cavite, which immediately put to sea, but grounded on the island of Ticao, and made so much water that she was compelled to return. The Cobadonga arrived at the Marianas under charge of a Portuguese pilot, and sailing from thence in perfect confidence of safety, arrived at Cape Espiritu Santo; where the English, upon the alert, and in greater forwardness than it was expected they could be, were waiting with their ship the Centurion, after having refitted her at Canton.When the Cobadonga perceived the enemy, there was no alternative but to yield, or boldly encounter a superior force. They chose the latter, and fought so desperately, that they did not strike till they had sixty killed and seventy wounded, among the number of which were the first and second captains. Admiral Anson took possession of the vessel and property, amounting to one million five hundred thousand dollars in silver alone, and carriedthe ship to Macao, where he left the Cobadonga, proceeding to Canton to careen his own ship.The merchants of Manila felt this loss most severely, and to be revenged, in some measure, requested the Governor to allow them to fit out a squadron with a view of pursuing Anson, and intercepting the China fleet. Four ships were accordingly equipped at the expense of the inhabitants of the town, and Don Antonio Quijano was appointed commander. He arrived at China, but Anson had already sailed for Europe, when not being able to return on account of the monsoon, he wintered at Macao, and without doing any thing returned to Manila the following year. A strict enquiry was instituted before a court martial into the conduct of the commander and officers of the Cobadonga, and on view of the allegations brought against them they were acquitted, and only compelled to pay the charges of the court martial.In consequence of this capture, however, a ruinous lawsuit commenced between the merchants of Manila and the pious establishments, whose property was embarked in her. The loss was declared total, and there appeared no doubt that the pious establishments were liable to that extent; but it was ascertained that some merchants had left their property in Acapulco, and of course there was no real total loss, as all the produce of the original adventure had not been embarked. The pious establishments, therefore, asserted that their property, or a portion of it, still existed in New Spain. The merchants on the other hand alleged, that if the Cobadonga had arrived at Manila, the risk of the pious establishments would have been at an end, and the merchants must have paid them their original advance, although they must have run the risk of bringing to Manila the property left in New Spain.The Royal Audience determined thissuit in favour of the pious establishments, but the merchants petitioned the council of the Indies, which gave it in their favour. This, as may be supposed, has given rise to several lawsuits in like cases, such diversity of opinion prevailing on the subject, that it were to be wished the system was either wholly abolished, or altered considerably, as it at present gives rise to numberless frauds and impositions, to which the existing laws furnish no check6.Don Caspar de la Torre entered with a bad grace on his government, in his violent proceedings against the fiscal, which drew down on him the hatred of the public, and the disasters of this period contributed to inflame their resentment. His whole conduct, indeed, was apparently directed rather to reconcile himself to this prejudice, than to remove it. Convinced of the general disgust against him, he fell into a profound melancholy, followed by dysentery, which is rarely cured in the Philippines.It was aggravated by an account which arrived of a disturbance in the town of Balayan, in the province of Batangas, and he at last fell a sacrifice to a false report which was in circulation, that the Chinese were entering the city, when notwithstanding his illness, he determined to oppose them in person, but was prevented by his friends, who very soon discovered the fallacy of the report. The effect, however, which it had on his frame was such, that he died in a few days after, on the 21st of September, 1745.Señor Arrechedera, of the order of St. Domingo, bishop elect of Ylocos, succeeded him, conformable to the order of his Majesty. Upon enquiring into the alleged defection of the Chinese, he found no such thing had been even attempted, and that the report had been circulated merely to annoy the Governor. Arrechedera was not slow in quelling the disturbances in Balayan. He sent an officer,with one hundred regular troops, and a considerable body of Indians against the insurgents; and although this officer was not able to disperse them, as the Indians under him fled at the first onset, he succeeded in checking their attack, without having suffered in any other respect than a wound from a musket ball, which he himself received from one of his own new raised recruits. He applied to the Governor for further aid, and two hundred men being added to his force, he attained his object. He left a small detachment in the province to overawe those who might be ill disposed, and the rest of the troops were embarked for Cavite, as accounts had been received that the English had arrived with a squadron at Batavia, and the Alcalde of Ylocos reported, that two ships and two smaller vessels had been seen on that coast, supposed to be enemies. The Governor immediately put Manila into a state of defence, repairing thefortifications, purchasing arms from strangers, and casting cannon. All these preparations, however, proved unnecessary, as the English never appeared, but it was eventually discovered that they had captured a brigantine and another vessel.Before this time a dreadful persecution commenced against the Christians in the province of Tonquin, and generally in the empire of China. In Tonquin many suffered martyrdom, and among others two Philippine missionaries, the Friars Gil de Federich and Mateo Liciniana, both Dominicans, who had left Manila for the purpose of assisting the missionary establishment which the Dominicans had in China. They were imprisoned separately, and at different times, but they had the happiness, before they died, of being lodged in the same dungeon, where they mutually consoled each other, and by bribing the soldiers who had the charge of them, they were permitted to say mass,and preach and administer the sacrament to the Christians there. In these sacred duties they were occupied continually, until the day on which they were to suffer death for the propagation of the Christian faith, by being bound to a log of wood, and having their heads struck off. This took place at four o’clock in the evening of the 22d of January, 1745. The Christians received their bodies, and delivered them over to the Dominicans, who gave them honourable burial. In the empire of China, the determination of the emperors to oppose the propagation of the Christian religion seemed daily to become stronger, and the Viceroy of Tonquin, who knew that in his province there were many concealed missionaries, persecuted the Christians in every way, in order to induce them to discover them, when, on the imprisonment of several with this view, the missionaries voluntarily came forward and delivered themselves up to the tyrant.There were in all five, of the order of St. Dominic, and belonging to that establishment in the Philippines; viz. the most illustrious Don Friar Pedro Martir Sanz, of the province of Catalonia, Bishop of Mauricastrense, and Apostolical Vicar; the Friars PedroFranciscoSerrano of Jaen; Juan Alcaber of Grenada; Joaquin Royo of Hinojosa, in Aragon; and Francisco Diaz. They were examined frequently, and suffered severely from being beaten and otherwise tormented. The Viceroy at last sentenced Señor Sanz to lose his head immediately, condemning likewise the rest to the same punishment, but deferring their execution till the ordinary time. The court of Pekin confirmed the decree, and immediately it was made known to him; the Señor Sanz rejoiced exceedingly, and sungTe Deum, confessing fully, and waiting impatiently for the period of his becoming a martyr, which took place on the 26th of May, 1747. After alapse of six months, his body was found as fresh as the day he was beheaded: it was taken up, burnt, reduced to powder, and thrown into a well, that the Christians might not collect his ashes. The other four friars remained in prison, where they were afterwards strangled privately by order of the Viceroy. Many attributed this persecution to the Jesuits, who bore no good will to the Señor Sanz.Two ships about this period arrived at Manila from Acapulco, very richly laden, bringing the accustomed relief, of which the colony stood much in need, and which gave new life and activity to the whole settlement. By these ships came the new Archbishop Pedro de la Sona Trinidad, who, when counsellor of the Indies, had taken the habit of St. Francis, and now brought with him a royal mandate, for the absolute expulsion of the Chinese, and the appointment of himself as Governorad interim.This mandate for the expulsion of the Chinese had often before this period been sent to Manila, but had never been carried into execution, the interest of the Governor being too deeply involved in the suspension of it, the Chinese paying him a contribution for his forbearance. The Archbishop found that Arrechedera was strongly attached to this nation, and he became so far a convert to his sentiments on this subject, that he did not put the royal order in force.This seems to have been the only error committed by this illustrious prelate during the time he held the government. In all other respects his conduct reflected the highest honour on him. An insurrection in the island of Bohol compelled him to send Captain Lechuga there with an adequate force, who succeeded in reducing to obedience all the towns on the sea coast of the island, but in the interior and mountainousparts they retain their independence to this day.The Jesuits having urged Philip the Fifth to send letters to the Kings of Jolo and Mindanao, the Governor sent ambassadors with these letters, and with proposals either to acknowledge the Spanish government, or to enter into alliance with us. These chiefs were so delighted with the honour which so great a King as that of Spain had thus conferred on them, that they agreed to admit missionaries into their territories. A Jesuit was accordingly sent to Mindanao, but soon observing the little subordination of the chiefs, and the very inadequate power the King possessed to restrain them, he began to entertain apprehensions for his life, forsook his mission, and escaped to the garrison of Zamboanga. In Jolo two Jesuits attempted to enter upon the object of their mission, but were so violently opposed by the Moorish priests,and the chief men in the country, that their progress was very limited.Under these circumstances the King of Jolo, Mahomet Alimudin, resolved on a visit to the Governor at Manila; but this was opposed by the two Jesuits, on the ground of the ascendancy, which, during his absence, his brother Bantilan would acquire, and who was the determined enemy of the Christian name. The King’s intention being whispered, Bantilan raised such opposition to it in the court, and among the chiefs, that the irritation became general, and the Jesuits consulted their own safety in retiring to Zamboanga. A short time afterwards the King likewise having been attempted to be murdered, fled to Manila to request the aid of the Governor. On his way he arrived at Zamboanga, and by the assistance of the Spaniards proceeded to Manila, which he entered with seventy persons in his train, and was accommodatedat the charge of the King. He afterwards made his public entry, was received with great ostentation, and visited by the principal people in Manila, who brought him presents of gold chains, diamonds, ornaments, rich apparel, and many such things of that nature, as might be expected from the generosity of the Spaniards, and himself and suite were supported at the public expense.The Archbishop was desirous of making him a convert to the Christian faith, a proposal which he embraced apparently with great fervor, and he was accordingly instructed in the leading principles of our holy religion; but as the general idea was, that he felt little attachment to our religion, and only expected by that means to secure our aid in reinstating him on the throne, his baptism was postponed.This delay mortified the Bishop of Ylocos, who was particularly anxious forit, and not being able to bend the Archbishop to his views, he persuaded the King to go to the town of Panique, the first town in Ylocos, in order to be baptized there, a Spaniard accompanying him to act as godfather. Besides his own he had a Spanish guard, and he was received with distinguished honour in every part through which he passed. In Panique he was baptized by the name of Fernando, with great solemnity, by a Dominican, assisted by many others of that order, on the 29th of April, 1750. On his return to Manila, the Governor received him with a general salute, and ordered entertainments of comedies, dances, fire-works, and bull-fights, in honour of his arrival.In Jolo, Bantilan, the brother of King Alimudin, assumed the supreme authority, after having compelled his brother to take refuge in Manila. He was the worst enemy the Spaniards ever had, on account of thegreat depredations he committed on the coasts of all the islands. The Archbishop was extremely desirous of repressing these attacks, but the means he possessed were equally inadequate to this, as insufficient to attempt the reinstatement of the King of Jolo on his throne.
CHAPTER X.ANNO DOM. 1739.The Administration of Don Gaspar de la Torre.
The Administration of Don Gaspar de la Torre.
The Administration of Don Gaspar de la Torre.
Señor Don Gaspar de la Torre, born in Flanders, of Spanish parents, arrived at Manila, and found, among other cares that would devolve upon him, a suit which had been carrying on against Señor Arroyo, the royal fiscal, upon an accusation preferred by Señor Tamon. An attempt having been made to apprehend and imprison the fiscal upon this occasion, he was too much on his guard to fall into the snare, and took refuge in the Franciscan convent, preserving, in this secure retreat, the liberty of his person, though he could not save his property, which was all seized,that small portion excepted which he was able to take with him. The matter was in this state when Don Gaspar de la Torre took possession of the government. The archbishop, who was the angel of peace in these islands, persuaded himself he could succeed in accommodating the unhappy difference, and proposed to the new Governor his mediation in favour of the fiscal; but this was opposed by the Governor, on the ground that Arroyo ought to show his respect for the laws, by submitting to be imprisoned in the fort, and undergoing the usual forms of trial. The archbishop was inclined to think that the accused would enjoy more liberty in the fort than he did in the Franciscan convent, and all his friends being of this opinion, Señor Arroyo was at last persuaded to quit his retreat. This unfortunate determination subjected him to fresh hardships, for he was immediately seized, thrown into a dungeon in the fort, and accused of several new crimes.He was asked if he was aware of the cause of his confinement; he answered, that he conceived he was imprisoned because he would not, unnoticed, pass over the sums of which Señor Tamon, and many of his particular confederates, had defrauded the royal revenue, amounting, he believed, to about three millions of dollars: he declined saying any thing further, as he was in a state of confinement.All these proceedings were forwarded to his Majesty, and in the mean time Señor Arroyo’s imprisonment in the fort was accompanied with circumstances of the greatest rigour, which had the effect of reducing the mind of the archbishop to a state of profound melancholy, considering himself as the author, however innocently, of the fiscal’s miseries. He sickened and died in a very short time, to the great grief of all, on account of his affability and many excellent qualities.Through the connivance of the Oidors,Dr. Neyra, professor of laws in the college of the Jesuits, was made fiscalad interim, and by this means an addition was made to the number of Señor Arroyo’s enemies. He was now accused of having married without licence. Examinations were taken on the subject, and a number of witnesses produced, who were all of the clerical order, and among them particularly was the person who had performed the ceremony. Arroyo endeavoured, by every means, to refute this charge, but as the Governor was his decided enemy, the clergy threw their weight likewise into the scale against him. In a very short time he fell sick, and died in a few days, borne down by the accumulated miseries to which he had been subjected. He was the best and most faithful minister his Majesty ever had in these islands, and his person ought to have been held as sacred as that of a Roman tribune.The King, fully informed of the harshtreatment of the fiscal, and the violent proceedings against him which had been resorted to, became convinced of the truth of the allegations preferred against the conduct of Señor Tamon, and acquitting the fiscal of the crimes imputed to him, forwarded an order, permitting him to return to his office, enjoining the arrears of his salary to be paid up, and directing that the two lawyers who had appeared against him should be fined two hundred dollars each. Before this order arrived, however, the fiscal was no more; a result commonly looked for in this climate, where the difficulty of recovering, in cases of a depression of spirits, is generally insuperable5.About this time war was declared between Spain and England, an enemy more to be dreaded on account of the injury formerly done by this nation to the Philippines. On this occasion, Admiral George Anson passed Cape Horn with a squadron, in which passage he lost some ships, butwith the remainder he run down the coast of America, doing all the mischief in his power. He arrived at Acapulco, where, finding that the ship Nuestra Señora de Cobadonga, had not yet sailed to the Philippines, he prosecuted his voyage thither, with the two ships which remained of his squadron. He refreshed at one of the islands of the Marianas, and put into Canton river to refit his ships, which had been considerably damaged in the progress of the voyage. In Manila all the operations of Anson were known, and to prevent him from capturing the Cobadonga, the Governor despatched a galiot to give notice of this powerful enemy, with directions for the Cobadonga to change her route, and send information respecting it, in order that a galleon, which was fitting in Cavite, might proceed to her relief. The galiot discovered, near the straits of St. Bernardino, an enemy’s vessel, and not doubting that it was Anson, gave notice to the armed galleonin Cavite, which immediately put to sea, but grounded on the island of Ticao, and made so much water that she was compelled to return. The Cobadonga arrived at the Marianas under charge of a Portuguese pilot, and sailing from thence in perfect confidence of safety, arrived at Cape Espiritu Santo; where the English, upon the alert, and in greater forwardness than it was expected they could be, were waiting with their ship the Centurion, after having refitted her at Canton.When the Cobadonga perceived the enemy, there was no alternative but to yield, or boldly encounter a superior force. They chose the latter, and fought so desperately, that they did not strike till they had sixty killed and seventy wounded, among the number of which were the first and second captains. Admiral Anson took possession of the vessel and property, amounting to one million five hundred thousand dollars in silver alone, and carriedthe ship to Macao, where he left the Cobadonga, proceeding to Canton to careen his own ship.The merchants of Manila felt this loss most severely, and to be revenged, in some measure, requested the Governor to allow them to fit out a squadron with a view of pursuing Anson, and intercepting the China fleet. Four ships were accordingly equipped at the expense of the inhabitants of the town, and Don Antonio Quijano was appointed commander. He arrived at China, but Anson had already sailed for Europe, when not being able to return on account of the monsoon, he wintered at Macao, and without doing any thing returned to Manila the following year. A strict enquiry was instituted before a court martial into the conduct of the commander and officers of the Cobadonga, and on view of the allegations brought against them they were acquitted, and only compelled to pay the charges of the court martial.In consequence of this capture, however, a ruinous lawsuit commenced between the merchants of Manila and the pious establishments, whose property was embarked in her. The loss was declared total, and there appeared no doubt that the pious establishments were liable to that extent; but it was ascertained that some merchants had left their property in Acapulco, and of course there was no real total loss, as all the produce of the original adventure had not been embarked. The pious establishments, therefore, asserted that their property, or a portion of it, still existed in New Spain. The merchants on the other hand alleged, that if the Cobadonga had arrived at Manila, the risk of the pious establishments would have been at an end, and the merchants must have paid them their original advance, although they must have run the risk of bringing to Manila the property left in New Spain.The Royal Audience determined thissuit in favour of the pious establishments, but the merchants petitioned the council of the Indies, which gave it in their favour. This, as may be supposed, has given rise to several lawsuits in like cases, such diversity of opinion prevailing on the subject, that it were to be wished the system was either wholly abolished, or altered considerably, as it at present gives rise to numberless frauds and impositions, to which the existing laws furnish no check6.Don Caspar de la Torre entered with a bad grace on his government, in his violent proceedings against the fiscal, which drew down on him the hatred of the public, and the disasters of this period contributed to inflame their resentment. His whole conduct, indeed, was apparently directed rather to reconcile himself to this prejudice, than to remove it. Convinced of the general disgust against him, he fell into a profound melancholy, followed by dysentery, which is rarely cured in the Philippines.It was aggravated by an account which arrived of a disturbance in the town of Balayan, in the province of Batangas, and he at last fell a sacrifice to a false report which was in circulation, that the Chinese were entering the city, when notwithstanding his illness, he determined to oppose them in person, but was prevented by his friends, who very soon discovered the fallacy of the report. The effect, however, which it had on his frame was such, that he died in a few days after, on the 21st of September, 1745.Señor Arrechedera, of the order of St. Domingo, bishop elect of Ylocos, succeeded him, conformable to the order of his Majesty. Upon enquiring into the alleged defection of the Chinese, he found no such thing had been even attempted, and that the report had been circulated merely to annoy the Governor. Arrechedera was not slow in quelling the disturbances in Balayan. He sent an officer,with one hundred regular troops, and a considerable body of Indians against the insurgents; and although this officer was not able to disperse them, as the Indians under him fled at the first onset, he succeeded in checking their attack, without having suffered in any other respect than a wound from a musket ball, which he himself received from one of his own new raised recruits. He applied to the Governor for further aid, and two hundred men being added to his force, he attained his object. He left a small detachment in the province to overawe those who might be ill disposed, and the rest of the troops were embarked for Cavite, as accounts had been received that the English had arrived with a squadron at Batavia, and the Alcalde of Ylocos reported, that two ships and two smaller vessels had been seen on that coast, supposed to be enemies. The Governor immediately put Manila into a state of defence, repairing thefortifications, purchasing arms from strangers, and casting cannon. All these preparations, however, proved unnecessary, as the English never appeared, but it was eventually discovered that they had captured a brigantine and another vessel.Before this time a dreadful persecution commenced against the Christians in the province of Tonquin, and generally in the empire of China. In Tonquin many suffered martyrdom, and among others two Philippine missionaries, the Friars Gil de Federich and Mateo Liciniana, both Dominicans, who had left Manila for the purpose of assisting the missionary establishment which the Dominicans had in China. They were imprisoned separately, and at different times, but they had the happiness, before they died, of being lodged in the same dungeon, where they mutually consoled each other, and by bribing the soldiers who had the charge of them, they were permitted to say mass,and preach and administer the sacrament to the Christians there. In these sacred duties they were occupied continually, until the day on which they were to suffer death for the propagation of the Christian faith, by being bound to a log of wood, and having their heads struck off. This took place at four o’clock in the evening of the 22d of January, 1745. The Christians received their bodies, and delivered them over to the Dominicans, who gave them honourable burial. In the empire of China, the determination of the emperors to oppose the propagation of the Christian religion seemed daily to become stronger, and the Viceroy of Tonquin, who knew that in his province there were many concealed missionaries, persecuted the Christians in every way, in order to induce them to discover them, when, on the imprisonment of several with this view, the missionaries voluntarily came forward and delivered themselves up to the tyrant.There were in all five, of the order of St. Dominic, and belonging to that establishment in the Philippines; viz. the most illustrious Don Friar Pedro Martir Sanz, of the province of Catalonia, Bishop of Mauricastrense, and Apostolical Vicar; the Friars PedroFranciscoSerrano of Jaen; Juan Alcaber of Grenada; Joaquin Royo of Hinojosa, in Aragon; and Francisco Diaz. They were examined frequently, and suffered severely from being beaten and otherwise tormented. The Viceroy at last sentenced Señor Sanz to lose his head immediately, condemning likewise the rest to the same punishment, but deferring their execution till the ordinary time. The court of Pekin confirmed the decree, and immediately it was made known to him; the Señor Sanz rejoiced exceedingly, and sungTe Deum, confessing fully, and waiting impatiently for the period of his becoming a martyr, which took place on the 26th of May, 1747. After alapse of six months, his body was found as fresh as the day he was beheaded: it was taken up, burnt, reduced to powder, and thrown into a well, that the Christians might not collect his ashes. The other four friars remained in prison, where they were afterwards strangled privately by order of the Viceroy. Many attributed this persecution to the Jesuits, who bore no good will to the Señor Sanz.Two ships about this period arrived at Manila from Acapulco, very richly laden, bringing the accustomed relief, of which the colony stood much in need, and which gave new life and activity to the whole settlement. By these ships came the new Archbishop Pedro de la Sona Trinidad, who, when counsellor of the Indies, had taken the habit of St. Francis, and now brought with him a royal mandate, for the absolute expulsion of the Chinese, and the appointment of himself as Governorad interim.This mandate for the expulsion of the Chinese had often before this period been sent to Manila, but had never been carried into execution, the interest of the Governor being too deeply involved in the suspension of it, the Chinese paying him a contribution for his forbearance. The Archbishop found that Arrechedera was strongly attached to this nation, and he became so far a convert to his sentiments on this subject, that he did not put the royal order in force.This seems to have been the only error committed by this illustrious prelate during the time he held the government. In all other respects his conduct reflected the highest honour on him. An insurrection in the island of Bohol compelled him to send Captain Lechuga there with an adequate force, who succeeded in reducing to obedience all the towns on the sea coast of the island, but in the interior and mountainousparts they retain their independence to this day.The Jesuits having urged Philip the Fifth to send letters to the Kings of Jolo and Mindanao, the Governor sent ambassadors with these letters, and with proposals either to acknowledge the Spanish government, or to enter into alliance with us. These chiefs were so delighted with the honour which so great a King as that of Spain had thus conferred on them, that they agreed to admit missionaries into their territories. A Jesuit was accordingly sent to Mindanao, but soon observing the little subordination of the chiefs, and the very inadequate power the King possessed to restrain them, he began to entertain apprehensions for his life, forsook his mission, and escaped to the garrison of Zamboanga. In Jolo two Jesuits attempted to enter upon the object of their mission, but were so violently opposed by the Moorish priests,and the chief men in the country, that their progress was very limited.Under these circumstances the King of Jolo, Mahomet Alimudin, resolved on a visit to the Governor at Manila; but this was opposed by the two Jesuits, on the ground of the ascendancy, which, during his absence, his brother Bantilan would acquire, and who was the determined enemy of the Christian name. The King’s intention being whispered, Bantilan raised such opposition to it in the court, and among the chiefs, that the irritation became general, and the Jesuits consulted their own safety in retiring to Zamboanga. A short time afterwards the King likewise having been attempted to be murdered, fled to Manila to request the aid of the Governor. On his way he arrived at Zamboanga, and by the assistance of the Spaniards proceeded to Manila, which he entered with seventy persons in his train, and was accommodatedat the charge of the King. He afterwards made his public entry, was received with great ostentation, and visited by the principal people in Manila, who brought him presents of gold chains, diamonds, ornaments, rich apparel, and many such things of that nature, as might be expected from the generosity of the Spaniards, and himself and suite were supported at the public expense.The Archbishop was desirous of making him a convert to the Christian faith, a proposal which he embraced apparently with great fervor, and he was accordingly instructed in the leading principles of our holy religion; but as the general idea was, that he felt little attachment to our religion, and only expected by that means to secure our aid in reinstating him on the throne, his baptism was postponed.This delay mortified the Bishop of Ylocos, who was particularly anxious forit, and not being able to bend the Archbishop to his views, he persuaded the King to go to the town of Panique, the first town in Ylocos, in order to be baptized there, a Spaniard accompanying him to act as godfather. Besides his own he had a Spanish guard, and he was received with distinguished honour in every part through which he passed. In Panique he was baptized by the name of Fernando, with great solemnity, by a Dominican, assisted by many others of that order, on the 29th of April, 1750. On his return to Manila, the Governor received him with a general salute, and ordered entertainments of comedies, dances, fire-works, and bull-fights, in honour of his arrival.In Jolo, Bantilan, the brother of King Alimudin, assumed the supreme authority, after having compelled his brother to take refuge in Manila. He was the worst enemy the Spaniards ever had, on account of thegreat depredations he committed on the coasts of all the islands. The Archbishop was extremely desirous of repressing these attacks, but the means he possessed were equally inadequate to this, as insufficient to attempt the reinstatement of the King of Jolo on his throne.
Señor Don Gaspar de la Torre, born in Flanders, of Spanish parents, arrived at Manila, and found, among other cares that would devolve upon him, a suit which had been carrying on against Señor Arroyo, the royal fiscal, upon an accusation preferred by Señor Tamon. An attempt having been made to apprehend and imprison the fiscal upon this occasion, he was too much on his guard to fall into the snare, and took refuge in the Franciscan convent, preserving, in this secure retreat, the liberty of his person, though he could not save his property, which was all seized,that small portion excepted which he was able to take with him. The matter was in this state when Don Gaspar de la Torre took possession of the government. The archbishop, who was the angel of peace in these islands, persuaded himself he could succeed in accommodating the unhappy difference, and proposed to the new Governor his mediation in favour of the fiscal; but this was opposed by the Governor, on the ground that Arroyo ought to show his respect for the laws, by submitting to be imprisoned in the fort, and undergoing the usual forms of trial. The archbishop was inclined to think that the accused would enjoy more liberty in the fort than he did in the Franciscan convent, and all his friends being of this opinion, Señor Arroyo was at last persuaded to quit his retreat. This unfortunate determination subjected him to fresh hardships, for he was immediately seized, thrown into a dungeon in the fort, and accused of several new crimes.He was asked if he was aware of the cause of his confinement; he answered, that he conceived he was imprisoned because he would not, unnoticed, pass over the sums of which Señor Tamon, and many of his particular confederates, had defrauded the royal revenue, amounting, he believed, to about three millions of dollars: he declined saying any thing further, as he was in a state of confinement.
All these proceedings were forwarded to his Majesty, and in the mean time Señor Arroyo’s imprisonment in the fort was accompanied with circumstances of the greatest rigour, which had the effect of reducing the mind of the archbishop to a state of profound melancholy, considering himself as the author, however innocently, of the fiscal’s miseries. He sickened and died in a very short time, to the great grief of all, on account of his affability and many excellent qualities.
Through the connivance of the Oidors,Dr. Neyra, professor of laws in the college of the Jesuits, was made fiscalad interim, and by this means an addition was made to the number of Señor Arroyo’s enemies. He was now accused of having married without licence. Examinations were taken on the subject, and a number of witnesses produced, who were all of the clerical order, and among them particularly was the person who had performed the ceremony. Arroyo endeavoured, by every means, to refute this charge, but as the Governor was his decided enemy, the clergy threw their weight likewise into the scale against him. In a very short time he fell sick, and died in a few days, borne down by the accumulated miseries to which he had been subjected. He was the best and most faithful minister his Majesty ever had in these islands, and his person ought to have been held as sacred as that of a Roman tribune.
The King, fully informed of the harshtreatment of the fiscal, and the violent proceedings against him which had been resorted to, became convinced of the truth of the allegations preferred against the conduct of Señor Tamon, and acquitting the fiscal of the crimes imputed to him, forwarded an order, permitting him to return to his office, enjoining the arrears of his salary to be paid up, and directing that the two lawyers who had appeared against him should be fined two hundred dollars each. Before this order arrived, however, the fiscal was no more; a result commonly looked for in this climate, where the difficulty of recovering, in cases of a depression of spirits, is generally insuperable5.
About this time war was declared between Spain and England, an enemy more to be dreaded on account of the injury formerly done by this nation to the Philippines. On this occasion, Admiral George Anson passed Cape Horn with a squadron, in which passage he lost some ships, butwith the remainder he run down the coast of America, doing all the mischief in his power. He arrived at Acapulco, where, finding that the ship Nuestra Señora de Cobadonga, had not yet sailed to the Philippines, he prosecuted his voyage thither, with the two ships which remained of his squadron. He refreshed at one of the islands of the Marianas, and put into Canton river to refit his ships, which had been considerably damaged in the progress of the voyage. In Manila all the operations of Anson were known, and to prevent him from capturing the Cobadonga, the Governor despatched a galiot to give notice of this powerful enemy, with directions for the Cobadonga to change her route, and send information respecting it, in order that a galleon, which was fitting in Cavite, might proceed to her relief. The galiot discovered, near the straits of St. Bernardino, an enemy’s vessel, and not doubting that it was Anson, gave notice to the armed galleonin Cavite, which immediately put to sea, but grounded on the island of Ticao, and made so much water that she was compelled to return. The Cobadonga arrived at the Marianas under charge of a Portuguese pilot, and sailing from thence in perfect confidence of safety, arrived at Cape Espiritu Santo; where the English, upon the alert, and in greater forwardness than it was expected they could be, were waiting with their ship the Centurion, after having refitted her at Canton.
When the Cobadonga perceived the enemy, there was no alternative but to yield, or boldly encounter a superior force. They chose the latter, and fought so desperately, that they did not strike till they had sixty killed and seventy wounded, among the number of which were the first and second captains. Admiral Anson took possession of the vessel and property, amounting to one million five hundred thousand dollars in silver alone, and carriedthe ship to Macao, where he left the Cobadonga, proceeding to Canton to careen his own ship.
The merchants of Manila felt this loss most severely, and to be revenged, in some measure, requested the Governor to allow them to fit out a squadron with a view of pursuing Anson, and intercepting the China fleet. Four ships were accordingly equipped at the expense of the inhabitants of the town, and Don Antonio Quijano was appointed commander. He arrived at China, but Anson had already sailed for Europe, when not being able to return on account of the monsoon, he wintered at Macao, and without doing any thing returned to Manila the following year. A strict enquiry was instituted before a court martial into the conduct of the commander and officers of the Cobadonga, and on view of the allegations brought against them they were acquitted, and only compelled to pay the charges of the court martial.
In consequence of this capture, however, a ruinous lawsuit commenced between the merchants of Manila and the pious establishments, whose property was embarked in her. The loss was declared total, and there appeared no doubt that the pious establishments were liable to that extent; but it was ascertained that some merchants had left their property in Acapulco, and of course there was no real total loss, as all the produce of the original adventure had not been embarked. The pious establishments, therefore, asserted that their property, or a portion of it, still existed in New Spain. The merchants on the other hand alleged, that if the Cobadonga had arrived at Manila, the risk of the pious establishments would have been at an end, and the merchants must have paid them their original advance, although they must have run the risk of bringing to Manila the property left in New Spain.
The Royal Audience determined thissuit in favour of the pious establishments, but the merchants petitioned the council of the Indies, which gave it in their favour. This, as may be supposed, has given rise to several lawsuits in like cases, such diversity of opinion prevailing on the subject, that it were to be wished the system was either wholly abolished, or altered considerably, as it at present gives rise to numberless frauds and impositions, to which the existing laws furnish no check6.
Don Caspar de la Torre entered with a bad grace on his government, in his violent proceedings against the fiscal, which drew down on him the hatred of the public, and the disasters of this period contributed to inflame their resentment. His whole conduct, indeed, was apparently directed rather to reconcile himself to this prejudice, than to remove it. Convinced of the general disgust against him, he fell into a profound melancholy, followed by dysentery, which is rarely cured in the Philippines.It was aggravated by an account which arrived of a disturbance in the town of Balayan, in the province of Batangas, and he at last fell a sacrifice to a false report which was in circulation, that the Chinese were entering the city, when notwithstanding his illness, he determined to oppose them in person, but was prevented by his friends, who very soon discovered the fallacy of the report. The effect, however, which it had on his frame was such, that he died in a few days after, on the 21st of September, 1745.
Señor Arrechedera, of the order of St. Domingo, bishop elect of Ylocos, succeeded him, conformable to the order of his Majesty. Upon enquiring into the alleged defection of the Chinese, he found no such thing had been even attempted, and that the report had been circulated merely to annoy the Governor. Arrechedera was not slow in quelling the disturbances in Balayan. He sent an officer,with one hundred regular troops, and a considerable body of Indians against the insurgents; and although this officer was not able to disperse them, as the Indians under him fled at the first onset, he succeeded in checking their attack, without having suffered in any other respect than a wound from a musket ball, which he himself received from one of his own new raised recruits. He applied to the Governor for further aid, and two hundred men being added to his force, he attained his object. He left a small detachment in the province to overawe those who might be ill disposed, and the rest of the troops were embarked for Cavite, as accounts had been received that the English had arrived with a squadron at Batavia, and the Alcalde of Ylocos reported, that two ships and two smaller vessels had been seen on that coast, supposed to be enemies. The Governor immediately put Manila into a state of defence, repairing thefortifications, purchasing arms from strangers, and casting cannon. All these preparations, however, proved unnecessary, as the English never appeared, but it was eventually discovered that they had captured a brigantine and another vessel.
Before this time a dreadful persecution commenced against the Christians in the province of Tonquin, and generally in the empire of China. In Tonquin many suffered martyrdom, and among others two Philippine missionaries, the Friars Gil de Federich and Mateo Liciniana, both Dominicans, who had left Manila for the purpose of assisting the missionary establishment which the Dominicans had in China. They were imprisoned separately, and at different times, but they had the happiness, before they died, of being lodged in the same dungeon, where they mutually consoled each other, and by bribing the soldiers who had the charge of them, they were permitted to say mass,and preach and administer the sacrament to the Christians there. In these sacred duties they were occupied continually, until the day on which they were to suffer death for the propagation of the Christian faith, by being bound to a log of wood, and having their heads struck off. This took place at four o’clock in the evening of the 22d of January, 1745. The Christians received their bodies, and delivered them over to the Dominicans, who gave them honourable burial. In the empire of China, the determination of the emperors to oppose the propagation of the Christian religion seemed daily to become stronger, and the Viceroy of Tonquin, who knew that in his province there were many concealed missionaries, persecuted the Christians in every way, in order to induce them to discover them, when, on the imprisonment of several with this view, the missionaries voluntarily came forward and delivered themselves up to the tyrant.There were in all five, of the order of St. Dominic, and belonging to that establishment in the Philippines; viz. the most illustrious Don Friar Pedro Martir Sanz, of the province of Catalonia, Bishop of Mauricastrense, and Apostolical Vicar; the Friars PedroFranciscoSerrano of Jaen; Juan Alcaber of Grenada; Joaquin Royo of Hinojosa, in Aragon; and Francisco Diaz. They were examined frequently, and suffered severely from being beaten and otherwise tormented. The Viceroy at last sentenced Señor Sanz to lose his head immediately, condemning likewise the rest to the same punishment, but deferring their execution till the ordinary time. The court of Pekin confirmed the decree, and immediately it was made known to him; the Señor Sanz rejoiced exceedingly, and sungTe Deum, confessing fully, and waiting impatiently for the period of his becoming a martyr, which took place on the 26th of May, 1747. After alapse of six months, his body was found as fresh as the day he was beheaded: it was taken up, burnt, reduced to powder, and thrown into a well, that the Christians might not collect his ashes. The other four friars remained in prison, where they were afterwards strangled privately by order of the Viceroy. Many attributed this persecution to the Jesuits, who bore no good will to the Señor Sanz.
Two ships about this period arrived at Manila from Acapulco, very richly laden, bringing the accustomed relief, of which the colony stood much in need, and which gave new life and activity to the whole settlement. By these ships came the new Archbishop Pedro de la Sona Trinidad, who, when counsellor of the Indies, had taken the habit of St. Francis, and now brought with him a royal mandate, for the absolute expulsion of the Chinese, and the appointment of himself as Governorad interim.This mandate for the expulsion of the Chinese had often before this period been sent to Manila, but had never been carried into execution, the interest of the Governor being too deeply involved in the suspension of it, the Chinese paying him a contribution for his forbearance. The Archbishop found that Arrechedera was strongly attached to this nation, and he became so far a convert to his sentiments on this subject, that he did not put the royal order in force.
This seems to have been the only error committed by this illustrious prelate during the time he held the government. In all other respects his conduct reflected the highest honour on him. An insurrection in the island of Bohol compelled him to send Captain Lechuga there with an adequate force, who succeeded in reducing to obedience all the towns on the sea coast of the island, but in the interior and mountainousparts they retain their independence to this day.
The Jesuits having urged Philip the Fifth to send letters to the Kings of Jolo and Mindanao, the Governor sent ambassadors with these letters, and with proposals either to acknowledge the Spanish government, or to enter into alliance with us. These chiefs were so delighted with the honour which so great a King as that of Spain had thus conferred on them, that they agreed to admit missionaries into their territories. A Jesuit was accordingly sent to Mindanao, but soon observing the little subordination of the chiefs, and the very inadequate power the King possessed to restrain them, he began to entertain apprehensions for his life, forsook his mission, and escaped to the garrison of Zamboanga. In Jolo two Jesuits attempted to enter upon the object of their mission, but were so violently opposed by the Moorish priests,and the chief men in the country, that their progress was very limited.
Under these circumstances the King of Jolo, Mahomet Alimudin, resolved on a visit to the Governor at Manila; but this was opposed by the two Jesuits, on the ground of the ascendancy, which, during his absence, his brother Bantilan would acquire, and who was the determined enemy of the Christian name. The King’s intention being whispered, Bantilan raised such opposition to it in the court, and among the chiefs, that the irritation became general, and the Jesuits consulted their own safety in retiring to Zamboanga. A short time afterwards the King likewise having been attempted to be murdered, fled to Manila to request the aid of the Governor. On his way he arrived at Zamboanga, and by the assistance of the Spaniards proceeded to Manila, which he entered with seventy persons in his train, and was accommodatedat the charge of the King. He afterwards made his public entry, was received with great ostentation, and visited by the principal people in Manila, who brought him presents of gold chains, diamonds, ornaments, rich apparel, and many such things of that nature, as might be expected from the generosity of the Spaniards, and himself and suite were supported at the public expense.
The Archbishop was desirous of making him a convert to the Christian faith, a proposal which he embraced apparently with great fervor, and he was accordingly instructed in the leading principles of our holy religion; but as the general idea was, that he felt little attachment to our religion, and only expected by that means to secure our aid in reinstating him on the throne, his baptism was postponed.
This delay mortified the Bishop of Ylocos, who was particularly anxious forit, and not being able to bend the Archbishop to his views, he persuaded the King to go to the town of Panique, the first town in Ylocos, in order to be baptized there, a Spaniard accompanying him to act as godfather. Besides his own he had a Spanish guard, and he was received with distinguished honour in every part through which he passed. In Panique he was baptized by the name of Fernando, with great solemnity, by a Dominican, assisted by many others of that order, on the 29th of April, 1750. On his return to Manila, the Governor received him with a general salute, and ordered entertainments of comedies, dances, fire-works, and bull-fights, in honour of his arrival.
In Jolo, Bantilan, the brother of King Alimudin, assumed the supreme authority, after having compelled his brother to take refuge in Manila. He was the worst enemy the Spaniards ever had, on account of thegreat depredations he committed on the coasts of all the islands. The Archbishop was extremely desirous of repressing these attacks, but the means he possessed were equally inadequate to this, as insufficient to attempt the reinstatement of the King of Jolo on his throne.