1 April 1889

Manila

Manila, P. I., 1 April 1889

[Mr. Jose Rizal]

DEAR FRIEND,

Last night the gobernadorcillo of Pandacan[1] came upon about 50 boxes of gunpowder, several full of boxes of cartridges for revolver and carbine in Santa Mesa,[2] among the hovels [at] back of [the] Hippodrome of Santa Mesa. The poor people there declared that they were delivered to them by the lieutenant of the civil guard of veterans of Sampaloc for them to keep. When these country folks were at the courthouse, Millat and Marti, owners of the dry goods bazaar, La Tienda de los Catalanes, appeared, saying that they were the owners and they had a permit from the government. In the first place, this store does not deal in arms but in textiles. In the second place, even if they were arms-dealers, I believe they would not thus expose their goods in insecure houses, to the inclement weather, as well as to thieves, who unfortunately have become numerous since this date, as I shall tell you below. In the third place, the Superior Government refuses to issue any license for arms even to those who formerly held it, and how it is that now munitions of war are entrusted to country folks?

By the first mail boat I shall give you more details, which I cannot do now for lack of time.

But may I call your attention to the fatal, or, for us happy, chain of events of which our poor country is now the theater through the work and grace of monasticism – at least that is what we suspect. The fact is that at the beginning of last March, the friars spread here the rumor that the country would rise against Spain on the 16th of that month. Consequently, many Spaniards who are new here were startled. On the 14th they bought the only supply of rifles in the Bazar Filipino and all that there was in the stores on the Escolta.[3] It is said that the great number of these rifles had already been distributed among the bandits with the order that they make trouble.

All this, together with the case of Judge Nubla who characterized the anonymous letter to the gobernadorcilo of the natives of Tondo as an attempt of rebellion was reinforced by the seizure of printed matter from Hong Kong for which Matias, brother of Jose Basa, resident on San Jacinto Street, the Spaniard Abello, warehousekeeper of El Murallon and compadre of J. Basa, and the helmsman of the steamship Nanzin, are in prison. Their case is also characterized as attempt at rebellion in the prosecution of which many searches have been ordered that I told you about in my letter of yesterday. Captain Luis Yangco[4] of the Murallon was also searched.

Had not the gobernadorcillo of Pandacan been informed of the danger of the residents of that place and had he not seized those infernal things, what would have become of us at these moments? It is also said that printed matter in Tagalog circulates here urging the people to behead the Spaniards. We are looking for it.

The latest they tell me is that what [was] found in Santa Mesa were 50 boxes of 25 pounds each of gunpowder, 12 large boxes of cartridges, and 2 small ones in two different houses, the gunpowder in one and the cartridges in another, the distance between the two being like that between the foot of Tutuban bridge[5] and Martin’s house.

Until the next.

P. CATOG

03-381 [Reformists]