In 1895 trouble broke out among the Moros in the south, and in that year the Spanish began what is known as the Marauit (mär ä wēt´) campaign in Mindanao. This was an expedition against the Moros, under the command of Governor-General Blanco himself. This campaign proved a great surprise to the Moros, who were finally overpowered by a division of the Spanish troops commanded by Brigadier-General Gonzales Parrado (pä rä´dō). The campaign lasted for three months, and was a complete success.
After this, in order that the government might keep order there, it was decided to settle the country in the Marauit district with families from Luzon and the other northern islands. This decision hastened the downfall of the Spanish in the Philippines. At first the Filipino people were invited to go and live in this conquered territory, but no one accepted the invitation. It sounded smooth and fair; but it meant leaving friends and home and security for peril, hardship, and doubtful adventure. So, as the unwillingness of the people was seen, the invitation was made more urgent, and took the form of an order. This order, however, was only sent to provinces where the secret societies were supposed to be strongest. It caused great dissatisfaction among the Filipinos, who quickly understood its meaning. Many left their homes and went to live in the mountains to avoid trouble.
The government now made still greater effort, and in 1895 and 1896 there was a systematic persecution of the people to get them to go south. This persecution proved too much for even Filipino patience, and in the spring of 1896 the Katipunan sent a petition to Japan, asking the Mikado to annex the Philippine Islands to Japan. It is said that 5,000 Filipinos signed this petition. The emperor of Japan sent the petition to Spain, and in this way the names of all these petitioners became known to the government. The powers at Manila, however, did not dare to act at once, but waited their time; and the punishment, when it came, was all the more severe for the delay.
THE BRIDGE OF SAN JUAN DEL MONTE.
At this time all the Spaniards in Manila knew that some great uprising was planned among the people. The government, however, realized the mistake that had been made in paying too much attention to the revolt at Cavite, and it now made the greater mistake of not paying enough attention to this trouble.
On July 5, 1896, an officer of the Guardia Civil reported that over 14,000 men in the valley of Pasig were pledged to revolt. Still nothing was done about this by the Spanish until a month later, when a large number of revolutionary flags and ammunition were found at Taal. Governor-General Blanco then ordered some arrests to be made.
By this time the Katipunan had its plans nearly completed. There was to have been an uprising on the 20th of August; but, on the night before, the plot was discovered by Father Mariano Gil (mä rē ä´nō zhēl), an Augustine friar, the parish priest at Tondo. The authorities then realized for the first time that the Katipunan was a political society, and Governor-General Blanco cabled the fact to Madrid.
The garrison at Manila numbered only 1,500 men, many of whom were natives and not to be depended upon for help; so that General Blanco did not dare to take the field against the rebels. Nevertheless, arrests were made daily, and the prisons were full to overflowing. Among the prisoners were some of the leading Filipinos of Luzon, many of whom were merely suspected of disloyalty to the government.
Much time was lost by the Spanish because General Blanco was unwilling to use force until every honorable means of bringing about peace had been exhausted. He felt, moreover, that his army was too small to justify an advance against the rebels, and so he cabled to Madrid for help. In return he got word that 2,000 men, two gunboats, and large stores of arms and ammunition were to be sent at once.