An Historical View of the Philippine Islands, Vol 2 (of 2) / Exhibiting their discovery, population, language, government, manners, customs, productions and commerce.

by Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga

Señor Torre sent to Backhouse and Brereton, his Britannic Majesty’s commanding officers at Manila, the despatches, by which he ordered the evacuation of Manila, and they replied, that they were ready to deliver up the place to him in form. He took possession of a house in Santa Cruz, placed a Spanish guard, with advanced centinels, as far as the great bridge, where the advanced guard of the English was, and a friendly communication took place. Governor Drake felt hurt that he had not been consulted on these proceedings, and ordered the Spanish Governor to retire, or abide the consequences. Brereton and Backhouse ordered the troops under arms to arrest the Governor for sending such a hostile message, as the sincerity of both parties was unquestionable. Drake heard of it, and escaping from the city with his suite, embarked on board the frigate and put to sea.

The terms were concluded in an amicable manner, and the day was fixed for giving possession of the place, for which purpose Señor Anda came with the troops which he had in Polo; and Señor Torre being indisposed, he received the town from the English, placed the Spanish guards at the gates, and hoisted the Spanish flag on the fort of Sant Jago, in the midst of salutes of artillery.

The English commander, before he quitted Manila, published a manifesto, in which he desired any person who had cause of complaint against the late government to apply to him, and he would do him justice. Señor Villa Corta presented himself, and demanded the repayment of the three thousand dollars he had paid, to redeem the sentence of death passed on him. Brereton ordered them to be returned, observing, that if the sentence was just, it ought to have been put in execution, and not be commuted for money; and if unjust, the restitution of the sum was highly proper. The provincial of the Jesuits claimed a sloop which Governor Drake had requested of him, and which he had given gratuitously for the service of the King of Great Britain; but the Governor having appropriated it to his own use, he now requested it might be returned, or four thousand dollars paid for it, which was the sum it was valued at. This was immediately paid him: various other demands were made of less magnitude, which Brereton satisfied with justice and equity.

At the instance of the English chiefs, our government published a manifesto, in which a pardon was granted to the Chinese who had joined their party, although some of the ringleaders, not confiding in the manifesto, went away with the English, as did also Faller and Orandain, who were under apprehensions, if they remained in Manila, that they would be beheaded as traitors. Orandain, in his retreat, passed over to Tonquin, and having landed, the natives rose on him, in consequence of some excesses which had been committed by the sailors: they attacked him, and being unable to gain the boats in consequence of waiting for his daughter, whom he had married to an Englishman, and who was on shore with him, both he and his daughter were murdered, thus atoning for the crimes with which he was charged.

Manila, Cavite, and Pasig, being delivered up, Brereton embarked and went to Mariveles, where the transport ships were waiting for him; and having despatched a packet-boat with the King of Jolo to restore him to his throne, he set sail for India.

The religious orders had co-operated very considerably with Señor Anda, in enabling him to maintain the Indians of the respective districts in obedience to his orders, by inspiring a horror of the English as enemies of the King and their religion, exciting them even to die in fighting cheerfully against them; likewise offering their houses, estates, and riches, and finally exposing their own persons to very imminent risks. All of them exerted themselves uniformly to this end, for which they jointly and individually were honoured with the thanks of his Majesty for their distinguished loyalty; but the Augustines suffered most, for as Señor Anda retired into the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, which these friars governed, they supplied him with recruits and with provisions. They exhorted the Indians, and even forced them, to serve against the English, and to be ready, at all times, to obey orders. The enemy knew that without this resource Señor Anda could not have acquired the means of resistance; and finding that the Augustines gave him every aid, they were declared traitors, eleven were arrested, and carried away to London and India. All were made prisoners whom they could lay their hands on, and confined in the dungeons of the fort; and they would have been taken away to sea if the preliminaries of peace had not arrived. They plundered a second time their convent; they sold the bells and the library; and a person was even found to purchase the building; in short, every thing they had was confiscated. When Manila was delivered up, in order to repossess themselves of their convent, it was necessary for the provincial to make a contract to pay ten thousand dollars for it, in case the courts of Madrid and London should confirm the confiscation of their property. The British court approved of the conduct of the English council, and, in virtue of its sentence, an Englishman went to Madrid to receive the ten thousand dollars; but our court not consenting to pay this sum, considering it a mere imposition, the English threatened that another opportunity they would make up the loss; but this dispute, as also that respecting the four millions which the Archbishop promised to pay, is buried in oblivion long ago, and was fully covered by the millions sacrificed in the treaties respecting Nootka Sound, and the whale fisheries on the northern coast of America.

All these services of the Augustines to Señor Anda were, however, thrown away, for some of the individuals of their body in the disputes which arose on the succession after the death of the Archbishop, attached themselves to the party of Villa Corta; and consulting their provincial, they replied to Señor Anda, that it was their opinion the dispute ought to be decided by the Royal Audience, and that their decision should be final. So disgusted was he by this determination of the Augustines, that he not only forgot all the services they had rendered him, but on his return as Governor, under some frivolous pretence, he sent soldiers to Pampanga, confiscated their property, and put the whole of the order in confinement at Manila, substituting Indian clergy in their room.

His Majesty considered attentively all the services the Augustines had rendered in Manila, and ordered that all their property should be restored to them, together with the province of Pampanga; but when this order arrived, the furniture of the poor monks was already rotten in the store-houses, and the friars themselves having been driven into other provinces or dead, were unable to avail themselves of his Majesty’s kindness, and take possession of the province of Pampanga thus allotted to them by his decision. To all which, if the desolation caused by the war is added, the friars will be found to have suffered the most severe losses, and which they have yet scarcely been able to retrieve.

Señor Torre being recovered of his indisposition, which was probably only assumed, in order to afford Señor Anda the opportunity of entering triumphantly into Manila to receive it from the English, as many suspected was the case, he went to reside at the palace, and began, by degrees, to restore order, and to repair the various ravages occasioned by the war. He made arrangements for tranquillizing the province of Pangasinan, and conducted the government with sufficient ability until the arrival of his successor, Field-Marshal Don Joseph Raon; but the occurrences during his and the succeeding government are of too recent a nature to be committed to the press with that candour which the fidelity of historical record requires.