The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-26
| I

At the beginning of the seventeenth
century the hostilitics between the
Spanish and the Dutch extended to the
Philippines. The Hollanders not in
frequently sent strongly armed vessels
to capture the Mexican treasure ships,
thereby inhlcting heavy losses upon
the colonies. Professor Worcester says
that q detailed account of the naval
engagements which took place in Phil
iDpine waters at this period would fill
volume. At one time a formidable
Dutch fleet arrived off Manila Bay at
a time when the Governor was i'll pre-
pared to repel an attack, and had the
advantage been pressed the capital
might have been taken and the history
OF the Philippines been changed. De-
lay enabled the Spaniards to conCen.
trate their resources, and they eVentu-
ally routed the Dutch fleet in the bat
tie of Playa Honda. Though reprisals
followed, the Dutch never succeeded
in effecting a permanent lodgment in
the Philippines. They captured, how
ever a Spanish colony in FormoSa, but
were themselves driven out of that
island by the Chinese twenty years
later. After half century of strife
they ceased to molest the Spaniards
and concentrated their energy on the
development of their own East Indian
possessions which lay further south.
For some years afterward the only
causes of disturbance in the Philip
pines were the dishonesty of officials
and the incessant dissensions between
church and state.
An event of Importance in the history
of the archipelago vas the first mas
sacra of Chinese. 1t seems tnat, at
the time of the ManChu invasion of
China in the first half of the seven
teenth century, n mandarin named
KuSeng retired to the island of 1<inuen,
but, finding his communication with
the mainland cut off, turned his at
tention &c FOrnosa. on which there
were, at the time Dutch settlements.
Twenty eight hundred Europeans werc
attacked by about a hundred thousand
Chinese and forced to surrender. ku
seug then bcChought himself of the
Philippines. and deSpa tened a Domin-
lean missionary to demand from their
governor the payment of tribute under
penalty of attack. In 1902 this envoy,
named lticCiO, arrived at Manila, but
meanwhile infammatOry letters from
FOrmosa had reached some of the Chi
nese ut tie Philippine capital, and the
governor, learning the fact accused
them Of conspiracy. All his available
forces were concentrated and. when
everything was ready, The Chinese
were melted to rebel and general
| massacre followed. Some of the Chi
| nese, however, escaped to Formosa,
and Kuseng prepared to take VEN
| geance on the Spaniards. but died OF
fever before his plans could be carried
out.
In 1861 war was declared by Great
| Britain against Spain. and Il fleet was
| despatched under Admiral Cornish
| with orders to take Manila On Sept
| %. 1862, the vessels arrived before the
city, and land forces were disembarked
! The Spanish garrison. though inferior
| to the English in numbers, made a
| stout resistance, and 5000 native re-
| cruits came to it's support ne city
| ultimately fell, but the terms of capt.
| ulatior arranged with the Archbishop
Of Manila provided for freedom in the
| exercise of religion as Well as for the
security of private property and as
surcd free trade to all the inhabitants
! of the island, together with the main.
| trnauce of the powers of the Spanish
supreme court. An indemnity of $4,000,
900 was eXaCted. The surrendered ter,
| ritory included the whole archipelago
| but the English never occupied NOR,
than that part of Lu2On which lay
Immediately around Manila. The peac,
| of Paris, concluded in February, 1865
provided for the evacuation of the
| town. and the Spaniards regained pos
| session of 1t in the following year, al
| though a considerable portion of tn,
| indemnity remained unpaid. After tn,
| departure uf the British several re
| volts against Spanish authority oc
| CURED. In 1928 a body of native troop
rose In rebellion and unsuccessful,
| tried to seize tho capital and plac
their captain at the head OF the gov
ernment. Other uprisings FOLLOWED
among which may be mentioned one il
Cebu in 1927 and one in Nogros il
1884. The latter is said TO have beel
due to the governor compelling stat
prisoners to work for his private ad
|
rection before that Of 1896 broke out a
Cavite I'm 1872. A conspiracy had bee
formed not only at the arsenal, bu
also in the capital, and It had bee
agreed that when the oppOrtune mo
ment arrived the Manila contingen
should give the signal by dischargin
n rocket The Cavite insurgents mis-
took fire works sent up at a local cele
bration for the expected notification
and began operations prematurelS
They We're forced 10 retire to the arsen
al, and eventually all We're killed O
captured. Hostility to the Spanis
friars was at the bottom of this up
rising, certain Dr., Burgos ha
headed party which demanded full
flment OF the decision of the Counc
OF Trent prohibiting friars from hold
ing parishes, The provision had neve
been carried out in the Philippines
1t is believed that the monastic order
were the instigators of this revolt, de
string to involve Burgos and his fol
lowers In reasonable transactions, an
thus bring about their death. How
ever this may have been. 1t Is certai