The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-27
PLOT TO TAKE MANILA
Details of a Filipino Scheme to
Recapture the City.
Letters Found Amorz the Papers o..
General Ricarte, Who Was Ar
rested by the Military Police.
Three Thousand Natives Were to
Have Quietly Entered the Capital.

A number OF letters which were found
among the papers of General Ricarte, WHO
was recently arrested by the police in the
vicinity of Manila, and which are now
made public by the War Department.
/ furnish details Of plot that was not
carried out for the recapture OF Manila by
the FiIipinos. The first of the collection
is an unsigned draft of letter referring
directly to a proposed attack on Manila
last January. il follows:
San Francisco de Malabon,
20 January, 1900.
For the ends which you find best, my
lieutenant general, l have the honor to
report that on Saturday at 10 o'clock we
failed to carry out the hostile demonstra-
tion in Manila and its suburbs for the fol-
lowing reasons:
81. On account Of the small number of
resolute persons who were stationed az
the gates of the Walled City, since there
were not more than 200, including the
twenty odd Spanish Cazadores stationed at
the Puerta de Sta. Lucia. and the number
of the enemy in the city that day was more
than thousand
90 Because at the hour given above
General Otis was not on land, because an
hour before that time he went on board a
of General Lawton and the remains OF
some other officers who died in this cam
paigu.
Il want to tell you, general that next
day We started TO renew our preparations
and carry out our blow at the same hour.
but to my great regret and that of my
companions It was impossible to do it.
20. Because beginning at a. m. on
Sunday, December 81 the enemy and the
f,t1 in all
the suburbs OF the city on account Of the
disturbances which on the previous day
took place in Dulumbayan, Dursoria, and
Sampaloe; hence all my companions unani.
mously agreed that ! should withdraw to
this place to inform the general. first,
what had taken place-as ] have done
and then to present you with plan whose
execution will be more certain, since, il
you approve it, We think that all the diff
iculties met with in the frustrated blow
of the day before yesterday will be avoided.
The plan is as follows:
Knives for weapons.
Il. To recruit in your command south
of Luzon 5000 mer of sure daring and
steadiness. These viii enter the Walled
City armed with knives. The entrance of
this number of men will be effected during
a period OF about three weeks, it will be
very easy TO do II and l shall undertake
to place them in safe places while the rest
are arriving and as soon as they all get In
| shall give the necessary instructions to
direct and arrange for corporation in the
blow on the said point, the Walled City.
80. That for expenses of recruiting pur-
chase of necessary arms and to meet other
absolutely necessary needs for this num-
Der of men before the attack about 100, 600
pesos is necessary. which amount accord
ing to my poor judgment, can be taken
from the citizens residing in the suburbs
of Manila since | am firmly convinced that
If you, my general, appoint three commits
sioners of your entire confidence to collect
contributions in the said suburbs the sum
will be soon gotten together IL you grant
permission to the commissioners to employ
two pesos from every 100 for the expenses
OF the work, and il you grant the subscri-
bers the right 20 address you, general,
letter through proper channels that they
have contributed the sum turned over TO
said commissioner. since then l believe the
discrepancies observed in the accounts of
commissioners and contributors in the pas,
can be avoided.
"At the same time, with all due honor
and respect, l inform you, general, that
it is my strong belief that 10 receive a
favorable termination of this present cam
paig min which we suffer defeats continu-
ally, not that any one is of much impor-
lance, but they diminish the desire of we
Filipinos TO pursue with the necessary ar
dor the longed for liberty and indepen-
donce of our dear country; there is no
other way of attaining this than by carry
ing out the blow in the city of Manila |
since that piece of land. surrounded with
its high and massive wall, once taken we
shall be able to dominate its suburbs, and !
as the foreigners live in them we shall be |
The Firebrand Favored.
yes, general. { agree with persons of |
greater ability than l that the burning of !
a few foreign commercial establishments |
will be sufficient to give a new color to |
the present critical conditions in the Phil |
ippines. but permit me, general to state |
my case briefly. How would the foreigners |
and the Americans come to an arrange |
inert in regard to the damage and preju- /
d'ce such confagration would cause the /
first? How would we find out their agree /
ment? II the property OF the foreigners |
is burned and nothing more is done we |
shall not obtain their valuable aid, We |
shall never get il, but IT, in addition, we |
succeed in obtaining possession of the said (
Walled City, then, with our heads nobly |
erect, we can demand what we want of |
them and OF the enemy, because the first |
will have to submit to our authority as
soon as we can dominate the place where I
they are.
Il state all this. general, for you opfn-
ion, that if you approve Il l can pro-
coed to make the necessary preparations !
and arrange fairly definitely the move |
ments to take place in the various places /
and the proper signals. l hope. general, |
that you will approve this plan, which Is
one OF the proofs of the ardent patriotism |
of this, your humble subordinate
God keep my lieutenant general.
ITO the Lieutenant General commanding
south of Luzon."
Headquarters of Operations
I'm Southern Luzon.
San Francisco de Malabon.
Dec. 20, 1899.
"The plan of battle traced by you for
the attack on Manila by the forces of ter
ritorial militia organized by you, is of a
nature which l consider would be greatly
successful in this war. and for that rea-
son you should lead in il personally, so
that by your presence We may obtain the
desired result by means OF the precision,
surprise, and energy which should be
given by you to the battle.
God guard you many years.
MARIANA TRIAS.
Lieutenant General.
"senor Artemio Ricarte. Division Cen
eral.'
"Office of the Superior Chief,
"P. NJ. Provinces of Southern LUZon.
I'm answer TO your communicat ton
IN which you inform me of your oesire TO
place yourself at the head lin command) !
Of the forces that are TO attack If we
operate against Manila, l must make
Known to you the great satisfaction that
such desire produces in me, for Just that