New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
TOLD IN THE CONFESSIONAL.
HOW THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTIONARY
PLOT WAS DISCLOSED.

THE RETIREMENT OF MARSHAL. RAMON BLANco
SPANISH AND NATIVE RrsorRcEs-THE
FEELING TOWARD JAPAN.
The retirement of Marshal Ramon Banco from
the Governor-Gcneralship of tine Philippine Islands.
announced recently. is omnous. 1t is in a measure
comparable with the retirement Of Marshal Mar
tin.z Campos from Cuba. For Marshal Blanco Is
one of the distinguished and most able
soldiers of Spain. He has made strong fight
against the instruction in the Philippine Arch
ipelago and has supported in his efforts there
by the Spanish Government with the utmost pos
sible generosity. Yet he has failed And if he has
failed there small hope of any one else sue
ceeding. II * 4 noteworthy coincidence, however
that he has been succeeded in Office by General
Polavieja Years ago in cuba Marshal biahco
failed In his attempts to suppress a rebellion and
was then succeeded By this same General Polaveja'
who made short work of the insurgents But the
circumstances in the Philippines now far diner
ent from what they then in Cuba. and the
new commander will have far more difficult task
to accomplish.
The story Of Marshal Blancos campaign In the
Philippines. which has just come to an ignoble end
Is not so long AZ that of the present Cuban war,
but II IL scarcely less interesting. In it's begin
ming 1t is decidedly romantic. one day friar in
ore OF the churches OF I.uZon listening to the
confession Of one Of his flock for many OF the 1900
or more fr.ars in the Philippine Islands serve as
parochial clergy The pcnitent was a pretty young
native woman. and she seemed unusually disturbed
in mind The friar urged her to make full con-
fossIon Of all that was troubling her. So with
much hesitation she told him she had heard Of a
treasona bic plot against both the Spanish Govern
meni and the Holy Mother Church. Who told her?
Her lover Was he Of the conspirators? Alas
yes Did she know OF any of his associates? on.
yes. and she gave the names Of score or more IN
Guiding many prominent men on that and other
islands many of them being members Of Masonic
lodges.
The fr.ar heard no more confessions that day.
lie has,.ned AT once to the head Of his order and
told him what he had heard 4 council Of the dig
nitarics OF the order instantly called. and IL
was decided that the secrets Of the confessional
must be for once revealed to the secular authori-
tics So the friar was commissioned TO lay his In
lorna ton before the (iovernor-General lie mas
tened TO the Government, House. and found Don
Ramon Rlanco and of the principal officers
Of the colony assembled In the drawing room
Calling the Marshal aside. he whispered to him an
,uklng of his tidinrs. The Marshal was thunder
struck Turning TO his guests he told them their
social gathering must be transformed into coun-
eli Of war. and then the whole story was laid be-
fore them. Sever was a Government taken more
by surprise Not one OF them had suspected the
slightest danger of a rebellion. They had. indeed.
bcen warned OF growing disaffection by the clergy
Of the Church. who manage to keep closely In
touch with IN, people and TO know more OF what Is
going on than the secular and military authorities.
But all these warnings had been dismissed az Idle
fancles Now the worst Of them was more than re-
Allied And when the Governor and his aids came
10 consider the situation their plight seemed des-
perate.
STRENGTH OF THE NATIVES
The natives were more than 100000 strong. and
ed
all OF them The plot was to rise at given signal
SUNRISE tho Covernor-,ienera and all the civil and
military authorities and also the entire clergy, in
their homes and put them to death at one ire
mendous stroke II would he another Sicil!an yes
pers Then the Philippine Republic would be pro-
claimed. Had not the fair penitent given her con-
fessor the warning and had he not acted prompt
ly mis- plan would PROBABLY have been executed.
Now that It was revealed It was in a measure
hnnl.d but the storm still sure TO break.
though I'm 4 different manner. what force was
there available to meet II?
NomInalIy the Spanish forces I'm the Philippines
consisted OF about Il 90 men. OF whom about 1900
were Europeans and the remainder natives. All the
native troops had Spanish officers ard all the ar
ttlerv and engineer forces were Spaniards At the
time OF the discovery Of the conspiracy. however.
this army was actually much below its nominal
strength. and what there was OF II was scattered
about an over the Archipelago. Most of the Span
ards and the most Trustworthy or the natives were
I'm son. OF the most distant Islands. In Manila
and the whole island Of Iuzon there were only one
battalion OF Spanish artillery. one regiment OF ma
tiv. Infantry and few companies OF native
cavalry and carbneers. These were all the forces
Marshal Blanco had at hand 10 resist an uprising
OF several million natives There were about 5lsi)
Snaufsh civilians in Government employ, for the
,ntlrn civil service * recruited from Spain. and
more than 1900 Spanish residents. Few OF these,
however had any military training or capacity ana
they were therefore not available
Don Ramon Blanco had almost been caught nap |
ming but the friar aroused him just I'm the nick OF
im. and then he acted with characteristic energy
II. not only turned his social gathering into Il
council OF war hut within an hour gave orders for
TN. arrest more than hundred OF the leaders /
81 IN. conspiracy. most Of them Freemasons and
natives who had been educated and had travelled !
a broad and become imbued with notions of liberty !
and popular rights. He also appointed special |
nudge who tried them and disposed Of them sum- !
marilv Among them were some OF the richest men |
on me island. Their fortunes were. as Is the !
Snani.h custom. cOn,iscated by the Government.
Within foriy-cight hours from the Hrst warning |