RM2.1 - Born with a "Silver Spoon": The Origin of World Trade in 1571 PDF

RM2.1 - Born with a “Silver Spoon”: The in Europe as a prime mover that Origin affected the price of all commodities, of World Trade in 1571 devaluing silver – primarily caused by By: Francis Jo...

RM2.1 - Born with a “Silver Spoon”: The in Europe as a prime mover that Origin affected the price of all commodities, of World Trade in 1571 devaluing silver – primarily caused by By: Francis John B. Bayato the European price inflation. - Europeans did indeed play an THE BIRTH OF THE WORLD TRADE: The Portuguese went down to the West African important role in the birth of world coast, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, trade, but their role was as crossed the Indian Ocean, and established in middlemen in the vast silver trade; the Spice Islands of Indonesia and the South they were prime movers on neither China Sea, THEN, Spain did the same thing the supply side (except Spain in in Patagonia, the Pacific Ocean, and the America) nor the demand side of the Philippines (the maritime connection worldwide silver market. Europeans between nations) - established the were intermediaries in the trade connection between the four great between the New World and China. continents. - The bulk of metals required for trade 1571: Manila was founded as a crucial is from Europe. entrepot linking substantial, direct, and continuous trade between America and Asia for the first time. It became the answer to - An enormous quantity of silver history’s “missing link” in international passed over the Pacific, especially trade. out of Acapulco and through Manila on its way to China. “Mexican silver also flowed out to the THE ROLE OF SILVER IN CREATING A islands in large sums, far exceeding WORLD MARKET the 500,000 -peso limitation. In fact, at the opening of the seventeenth China became the dominant buyer of silver century, the drain of pesos from however the supply came from Latin America Mexico to the Orient through the (Mexico and Peru). Philippines was estimated at 5 million TIMELINE OF SILVER PRODUCING pesos [128 tons] annually, with a COUNTRIES [America – Japan – China] reported 12 million pesos [307 tons] - This explains why merchants want to being smuggled out in 1597”. trade with Japan. - 50 tons of silver passed over the - China’s tributary system — in the Pacific – which is the same amount in silver trade because the scholarly Baltic trade. literature in general has neglected this pivotal country, certainly in \terms - BUT; Manila had no purpose other of recognizing China as a prime than the trade in silver and silk. The causal actor. city contained 42,000 inhabitants in the middle of the seventeenth century - China’s clear participation in the global price revolution – (Wolf 1982, p. 153), approximately EUROCENTRIC focus. the same population as Barcelona, Danzig, Marseille, and other cities - EUROCENTRIC FOCUS: a global with more broadly based economies phenomenon that looks at the events  (Mols 1977, pp. 42–43; deVries 1984, Asia. In exchange for recognizing the app. 1). authority of China, other sovereign states gained greater autonomy and freedom to - Manila’s population circa 1650 determine their own course in other affairs. included about 15,000 Chinese, - Instead of focusing to the East-West 7,350 Spaniards, and an estimated flow of trade, scholars contend that 20,124 Filipinos. we center our discussion with China’s tributary system. - The Pacific route of silver to China was Spain’s only avenue for entry TRADE-DEFICIT: should be shipped in order into the lucrative Asian marketplace to cover the trade imbalance. However, we because the trade out of Europe in have already established that gold and silver the sixteenth and seventeenth did not travel jointly into the Asian centuries was controlled first by the marketplace as a balancing item called Portuguese and later by the Dutch. “money.” Moreover, the exchange of silver for Spain’s Manila galleons initiated the gold was not a Europe-versus-Asia issue in birth of Pacific rim trade more than any case. 420 years ago. - There was no “trade imbalance” for which to compensate, so long as we DISCUSSION: Eurocentrism overestimates recognize that silver itself was the key European contributions to global commodity distributed globally and development. Recent scholarship challenges that it was exchanged for items— this Eurocentric view, arguing that the East mostly silk and porcelain but also India Companies were participants in an gold—from the Asian mainland. already existing network of intra-Asian trade. European companies played a role in the CHINA’S PAPER MONEY SYSTEM: Japanese silver trade, but they were not the reduced the value of silver in the economy, sole or even dominant players. By Gold was too valuable for most ordinary recognizing the pre-existing network and the transactions, but copper coinage was a role of other Asian actors, we can develop a candidate for monetary preeminence more nuanced and accurate understanding Silver (pure and simpler to price) > Copper of the region. (needs to be destructed and hard to price) Ming rulers (China) abandoned their CHINA: THE WORLD’S SILVER SINK resistance to silver and implemented: China has been so influential during the olden times of global trade, but after the SINGLE-WHIP TAX SYSTEM paradigm shift, China was eliminated from the story – but some scholars are still (1) Myriad existing national levies were studying China’s metamorphosis into a consolidated into a single tax seemingly bottomless silver sink. (2) All tax payments were to be made in the form of silver CHINA’S SILVER < THE WHOLE WORLD The Chinese tributary system served to create order in the relationship between sovereign kingdoms and principalities in East NOTE: Because of their population (1/4 of Example: it took about 13 ounces of silver to the world), the “SILVERIFICATION” of buy an ounce of gold in China, while a half China inevitably had global ramifications. century earlier it took 6 ounces of silver FURTHER DISCUSSION: Faced with SILVER AND THE POWER BASES OF declining profits from its silver industry, IMPERIAL SPAIN, THE TOKUGAWA Castile could no longer afford its vast empire. SHOGUNATE, AND MING CHINA China contributed mightily to the duration of the Spanish empire, but even China’s The discovery of the Cerro Rico silver mine prodigious demand for silver could not in Potosí, Bolivia in 1545 caused a prevent the eventual erosion of mine profits population boom and mining frenzy. The and therefore the decline of Spain. city's population swelled to an astonishing Spain experienced multiple bankruptcies 160,000 in just six decades, rivaling major European cities like London and Paris. in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, during a time of record silver Factors contributing to this growth included rich silver deposits, advanced mining production, because the value of each unit of silver continued to decline. technologies, and soaring silver prices. The abundant supply of silver and high demand NOTE: Since China’s hunger for silver from China (single-whip tax system) altered the balance of power in the West by generated immense wealth and attracted transferring huge profits to the Spanish people from all walks of life. crown, it is logical to suspect an Asian power shift as a result of the inter-Asian trade in SPANISH CROWN: grabbed the opportunity, which wisely allowed favored “private silver. The laws of supply and demand apply on all continents. sector” entrepreneurs to operate New World mines, rather than attempting to do so itself. TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE: Gained control Instead, the crown took a substantial fraction over Japanese silver mines and sold them to of mining profits through taxes. China, as in the East-West comparative history, profits from silver mines financed the NOTE: The domestic developments inside China elevated the value of silver in world defeat of hundreds of rival feudal lords (daimyo), thereby permitting the markets far beyond what it could have been otherwise - the largest beneficiary of silver’s consolidation of Japan. The shogun was high value must have been the Spanish forced to align himself with the merchant class, creating an indigenous market-based crown. Thus, the silver-industry profits that economy with Asian (not Western) root. financed the Spanish empire were huge because China had become the world’s - Europeans were important dominant silver customer. This implies that middlemen in the Sino-Japanese ultimately China was responsible for a power silver trade, with Japan as the shift within early modern Europe. dominant supplier and China the end UNTIL SILVER LOST SOME OF ITS VALUE customer. - As tens of thousands of tons of silver Atwell Goldstone American silver, prioritizes intra-Asian were accumulated on the Asian arguing that it factors, particularly mainland (invoking the law of supply played a pivotal role domestic price inflation, and demand) in shaping China's as the primary drivers of structural changes  domestic within the Ming and merely a passive tool for settling development Qing dynasties trade imbalances. Instead, silver was attracted to Asia due to its intrinsic fiscal crisis that plagued value and its role in China's monetary the Ming dynasty. The system. The flow of gold and copper conversion of taxes in the opposite direction further from rice to silver highlights the complexity of these created a fixed tax trade relationships. burden that became increasingly unsustainable as the 2. the role of Japan as a major value of silver declined. supplier of silver is often This decline in overlooked. Japan's contribution purchasing power of tax to the global silver market was revenues eroded the substantial, and its economic Ming dynasty's financial foundation. activities were closely intertwined with those of China. By focusing on the supply and demand SUMMARY & CONCLUSION dynamics of silver, we can better (a) Global trade found Manila which formed understand the driving forces the first direct and permanent trade link behind the trade without resorting between America and Asia. to simplistic East-West dichotomies. (b) The second-leading source of silver was Japan, responsible for around 30% of 3. the conventional view fails to world output in the sixteenth century and perhaps 16% in the seventeenth century. adequately explain the role of the Manila galleons and the (c) Silver was shipped to China, the world’s trade between America and dominant end-customer, regardless of Asia. The absence of a trade deficit argument for this trade (d) whether it was produced in Asia or in the route suggests that the West. conventional explanation is incomplete and unable to account (e) The conventional explanation of this for all aspects of the global silver west-to-east flow of “money” is that trade. Europe had to send treasure to Asia because the West had to settle its trade deficit with Asia. However flawed under (f) Both the Spanish empire and Tokugawa shogunate captured a substantial portion three ways: of silver profits from mines they controlled. Spain’s mines financed a 1. the conventional view conflates century of multifaceted war and empire. various precious metals under the umbrella term "money." This is (g) The laws of supply and demand misleading, as silver was a distinct guaranteed that the price of silver would commodity with its own unique supply slowly decline to its cost of production, and demand dynamics. It was not which is what happened. A direct effect  of this process is that profit per ounce of RM2.1 - Pedro Peláez, Leader of the silver was steadily squeezed out. This Filipino Clergy caused the decline of Spain. The By: Francis John Bayato worldwide decline in the value of silver in Pedro Peláez (creole) was a precursor to the the early modern period translated birth of Filipino national consciousness directly into global price inflation. during the Spanish period. (h) Since, as we have argued, the Spanish An Ecclesiastical Career with the enterprise in America was financed by Dominicans the world silver market (as were the Early Life Education Priesthood activities of the Portuguese traders), and Pedro Pablo Peláez In 1837 he since China was the dominant factor in Peláez was studied in was ordained the global silver market, then it appears born in the to the that the trans-Atlantic slave trade was Pagsanjan, Dominican priesthood by heavily, though indirectly, influenced by province of school of the monetary and fiscal developments in La Laguna, Santo archbishop of Ming China. In other words, end- on 29 June Tomás Manila, José customer China created profitable trade 1812. In from 1823 Seguí. He in the New World, and profitable trade in 1817 he to 1829. He taught Latin America created the demand for African received the pursued grammar, slaves. sacrament further a philosophy, of four-year and moral (i) Scholars have long been interested in the confirmation course in theology for impact of Europeans on Asia (and the. His theology, eight years. rest of the world). The focus has shifted godfather graduating Peláez in recent years, however, especially was Don with a studied among Asian scholars who increasingly Manuel de Bachelor's theology and emphasize the dominant historical role of Los Reyes, degree in philosophy at the intra-Asian marketplace. auditor of 1833. Two the University the Office of years later of Santo the Royal he passed Tomás (j) The economic impact of China on the Revenue the between West was far greater than any European from Wines. competitive 1836 and influence on Asia in the early modern examinatio 1862, and period. n for the was awarded faculty of his doctorate full in 1844. He (k) Without the Chinese demand for silver, professors. was a there would have been no finance competent mechanism for the Spanish empire. and Without China, there would have been no extremely century-long price revolution. Without prepared China, the birth of world trade would have ecclesiastic, been delayed to some unknowable as his extent. But China did convert, both professors monetarily and fiscally, to silver. This fact acknowledge reverberated across all continents and d by his own gave birth to world trade in 1571, professors. providing a powerful force in shaping the modern world.  To this complaint was immediately added a The Man of the Manila Cabildo challenge posed by Ponce de León, as well Cabildo of Manila: the body of ecclesiastical as the vote of Canon Juan Rojas in favor of capitulars in the cathedral, an institution the use of piques in the competitive tests, as coveted by any clergy for the seemingly commissioned by the cabildo for grading relative ease of accomplishing its functions purposes. as well as the decent sustenance it guaranteed. As the days passed more irregularities were discovered, and new sensitive issues During the period of Spanish dominion, there sprouted. Firstly, Ignacio Ponce de León were no cabildos in the diocesis sufraganeas denounced the fact that the royal assistant (suffragan diocese, where the bishop was chosen for the examination, the Augustinian subject to an archbishop); it only existed only Juan Zugasti, was not even a professor—as in the Archdiocese of Manila. required by a royal order. Pelaez – cabildo (September 1837) Even if Peláez had everything he needed to [canonifa magistral or magisterial canon] - 2n win the post, the reality was different. After the examination, the governor-general, in his Consequently, he had to leave his position as capacity as vice patron, decided to hand over faculty chair at the Colegio de San José. the canonjía to Elordi, not mentioning that Thus started his long and brilliant career in Peláez came out first in the short list of three the cabildo, which would end only with his candidates. death. PENINSULARES – Spanish Born in Spain From the beginning Pedro Pelaéz performed (Iberian Peninsula) various functions, not only those related to his prebend, such as being administrator of INSULARES: full-blooded Spaniards born in the cathedral revenues, conjuez de causas colonies (trial cojudge), or secretary. MEZTIZOS: half-blooded Spaniards Pelaéz continued with these functions during the term of bishop-elect Tomás Ladrón de CREOLES: any person of European (mostly Guevara, a secular priest. However, where French or Spanish) or African descent born Father Peláez excelled was in his intellectual in the West Indies or parts of French or capacity and great oratory, which was Spanish America received with “general acclaim” in his various sermons, be they commissioned, official, or INDIOS: native Filipinos, “brown people” extemporaneous. While the Spaniards were becoming more In 1841 a competitive examination was held empowered in the cabildo, the primary to fill the vacancy of canonjía magistral, motivation behind this was political control which Peláez had occupied in an interim and mistrust of the natives. This was evident capacity since March of three years earlier. in the governor's response to the insurrections led by Apolinario de la Cruz and Pelaez vs. Ignacio Ponce de Leon vs. Pedro the Tayabas military. Despite the growing Nolaso Elordi separation of the native clergy, there is no - Marred with favoritism clear evidence of a developing national - Irregularities (alteration of the course consciousness among the native population. of exam) This consciousness would take many more years to develop. Pelaez vs. The Dean By then Pelaéz was already a figure with number of secular priests when the seat of enormous influence inside as well as outside regular priests became vacant. the cabildo. Upon the death of the archbishop, as we shall see, he would In response, Father Agudo had asked for the occupy the important position of the vacant handover of the parishes of Cavite, which seat of vicar capitular and, lastly, that of were served by the native Filipino clergy, to treasurer of the cathedral. his Recollect province whenever a vacancy would arise, in order to put in place Cavite as the Apple of Discord and the definidores and reap the advantages that Cédula of 1849 would accrue from the Spanish regular priests’ handling of parishes. On 9 March 1849, while Peláez continued his ascendant career in the cabildo, a royal order However, Archbishop Jose Aranguren (cédula) was issued that mandated the opined that the handover should be rejected handover of the parishes of Bacoor, Cavite precisely because of the evil that it would Viejo (Kawit), and Silang to the Recollects cause the secular clergy of the diocese. The and those of Santa Cruz (Tanza), San prelate recognized that it would be a grave Francisco de Malabón (General Trías), Naic, error to deprive the secular priests of the and Indang to the Dominicans. The cédula parishes that had belonged to them for eighty surprised the archbishop of Manila and the years during which they had notably secular clergy, composed overwhelmingly of improved the moral and material conditions native Filipinos, because a chain of parishes of these communities. It was not the first time they had been administering for quite some that he opposed this kind of measure in time was expropriated from them for no defense of his secular clergy: a while back, apparent reason. he had prevented the Franciscans from taking possession of the secular town of The measure came to be associated with Quiapo. other royal mandates, especially those of 8 June 1826, when Ferdinand VII. Within the The apprehensions expressed by the exceptional terms appropriate to the Filipino- archbishop of Manila would not presuppose Hispanic church (the Patronato Real, the rule any problem for Narciso Clavería when he of vicar generals, occasional ruptures of was informed about Agudo’s request. relations with Rome, poor education of Because the measure was in line with the diocesan priests), the cédula of 1826 could empowerment of the Spanish element, which be considered a just measure, based on the he had firmly promoted since his arrival in the principle of returning parishes to their islands (within the religious orders there were founders. no natives), there would be no problem in approving it, even if the most basic rights of These “regularizing” commands—the the diocesan clergy were violated. handover of parishes to the regular clergy, as against retaining them in the control of the Cavite was one strategic province in its secular clergy—answered to the relations with Manila, so it was always development of a philosophy that had been thought proper that its administration be emerging, slowly but persistently, since the handled by Spanish religious rather than by end of the eighteenth century and the native priests as what was happening up until beginning of the nineteenth, especially after then. In all these, Clavería was totally in favor the loss of the Spanish American colonies. of the demand of Agudo, adding moreover that the measure could be extended to the The Recollect Order petitioned to gain Dominicans who had not made any request control of parishes near Manila. He also whatsoever. employed the scheme of increasing the  The Vicar Capitular during the Vacancy of Pelaéz and Gómez, Leaders of the Clerical the Archbishopric Protest The need for reforms in the Filipino-Hispanic The arrival of the cédula in Manila began to church had emerged from past years and arouse a profound uneasiness among the due to an objective change in circumstances. diocesan priests. As a result of the This yearning, it can be said, was brought disposition signed by Isabel II, once the four about as much from inside the system proper parishes mentioned in the royal order would as from outside, although from different have been handed over to the Recollects and perspectives. Dominicans, the secular priests would lose seven parishes and retain only four. 1. Improving the Patronato 2. Improving conditions of the clergy LEADER: Fr. Pedro Pelaez and Fr. Mariano 3. Reforming the endowments of the Gomez ecclesiastical organizations 4. Studying the assignment of the As indicated by Father Schumacher (1981, parishes 1–12), in this action could be glimpsed the first signs of national awakening, that is, the Peláez was part of this effort to effect awareness of a growing number of secular change. In the performance of his privileged priests—mostly natives—that the injustice position as vicar capitular, he cooperated directed at them owed only and exclusively generously with Barili. Peláez was, at this to their being Filipinos. height, an unquestionable leader within the colonial church for the natives as well as for The first movements of unrest among the the peninsulars, something particularly secular clergy were registered a little after obvious inside the cabildo itself. the arrival of the cédula. The epicenter of this discontent was the Cavite town of Santa The Cédula of 1861 and the Secular Cruz de Malabón. Clergy’s Struggle for Equality They asked the Queen to abolish the cédula, A royal cédula ordered the Recollects to be or, if this was not possible, to make indemnified with the “parishes in the province indemnification for the expropriated of Cavite, or others that have been served by parishes. But their archbishop insisted to Fr. the native priests, as they were being Gomez that they should follow the law vacated,”56 for the parishes in Mindanao that instead. the Recollects were to cede to the recently restored Jesuits. Peláez did not stop to condemn the illegality of the friars’ position as parish priests, When the royal cédula arrived in Manila, because they could do so only, based on the Peláez, who was the secular clergy’s official Council of Trent, when there was a scarcity representative in his capacity as vicar of secular priests, a situation that did not capitular, requested that its implementation obtain in Manila at that time. be suspended temporarily, an opinion that certainly was shared by Gaínza. Antonio Duran: Peláez and Gómez agreed on was to raise funds to maintain an agent in This was part of a government order that Madrid, who would work for the abolition of contravened the interests of secular clergy. the cédula The royal disposition of September 1861 did not consider in any way the rights of the secular clergy, who would be jeopardized by having to part with a great quantity of parishes all over the diocese. When the royal Recollect procurator Agudo Peláez and the cédula arrived in Manila, Vicar Peláez archbishop of Santo Domingo Gaínza requested that its implementation be succeeded in persuading the government to suspended temporarily. annul the cédula of 10 September 1861. Only a week later, an explanatory royal order The governor of Mindanao, Gov. José arrived, dated 20 June 1862, in response to Lemery, ignored the concerns of the vicar questions raised by Lemery. capitular and ordered the implementation of ___________________________________ the cédula in spite of his objections. The text Antipolo, “The Pearl of the Parishes” of the royal order was terribly vague and left open the question of how it should be carried Antipolo was destined to constitute the main out. Peláez's letter sought to silence those contention between the secular clergy of the who had always justified their expeditious diocese and the Recollect province of San measures by alluding to the ill preparedness Nicolás de Tolentino. Even if the archbishop of the native clergy. respected the contents of the royal orders, he was opposed to the cession of Antipolo. The most outstanding feature of the cabildo's Gaínza feared that Peláez would letter was the eloquent and impassioned compromise the Archbishop if he were to defense of the capabilities of the secular reveal his uncle's involvement. Guillermo clergy. Montero y Vidal's Historia de Filipinas Agudo's objective was to pressure the (1895, 3:313) describes the polvareda Direccion de Ultramar to obtain guarantees espantosa as "dreadful pulverizing" that for the parish property. Father Peláez planned in 1862. The letter was signed by practically all members of the The former governor of the Philippines cabildo—Spaniards, creoles, natives and declined to involve himself in the issue. mestizos. The strategy established by Agudo secured a statement from both Peláez connected somehow with a certain Estrada brothers denouncing the actions of tradition of the cabildo. the archbishop. Antipolo was one of the richest parishes in the Philippines. The The government would seize the opportunity parish generated abundant alms and income to introduce changes in the hope that no one to whoever managed it. "If all the native would object. Even if both situations were priests were killed, and not the natives settled through dispositions partial to themselves, it would not be felt as much as monastic corporations, they were the best the taking of Antipolo and Santa Cruz," precedents. Father Peláez's plan was someone from the Direccion de Ultramar had similar to that of Father Burgos and the realized. Propaganda Movement. However, his plan contained some differentiating elements and Even with the opposing opinion of the Royal a very distinctive significance. It has Audiencia, Pedro Peláez decided to move implications for the development of Filipino ahead against all odds. Antipolo could not be nationalism as well as its notable subsequent turned over to the Recollects for the vacancy influences. Governor Lemery was shocked to of Santa Isabel de Basilan. "My, aren't they learn about the latest events. crazy!" exclaimed Agudo when he found out about their obstinacy. Guillermo Agudo Fearful of the turn of events and of the worked with great tenacity for Antipolo to be cabildo's opposition to the cédula, he returned to the secular clergy. He used the preferred to relieve himself of the problem. same arguments wielded by Peláez and All proceedings were sent to Madrid for a Campmas in their case. With this strategy he resolution. The archbishop of Manila, achieved a royal order on 19 May 1864 Gregorio Meliton Martínez y Santa Cruz, took regarding the property in Antipolo. over the ecclesiastical see on 27 May. The ___________________________________ archbishop of Manila in the 18th century. The Bishops’ Proposal on Amovilidad Ad Manuel Peláez wrote a series of works that Nutum were favorable to the cause of the secular clergy. Above all, he defended the legitimacy Guillermo Agudo worked with great tenacity and ability of the native clergy to work in for Antipolo to be returned to the secular parishes. A month after the earthquake, clergy. He used the same arguments wielded Lecaros had printed around 1,900 copies of by Peláez and Campmas in their case. With Documentos importantes. this strategy he achieved a royal order on 19 May 1864 regarding the property in Antipolo. A month later, Father Peláez sent the On 25 February 1863, the three bishops manuscript to his agents in Madrid. The first signed an exposition written by Gaínza. copies appeared in Manila posthumously at the end of October. Peláez's manuscript was The document proposed to cancel the royal sent to the nuncio in Madrid on 22 May, or order of 1795 regarding the tenure of secular twelve days before his death, entitled Breves clergy. It also called for the summary removal apuntes sobre la cuestión de curatos en of regular parish priests whose tenure had Filipinas. been established by Benedict XIV. Franciscans, Augustinians, and Recollects His real motivation, according to what can be opted not to take part in the debate. The deduced, was to avoid the native clergy's presence of various unacceptable sentences loss of almost all of their parishes. In the in the text was especially unfortunate. spring of 1863, the exposition of the bishops was studied in an atmosphere of growing The fear that if it prospered, it would uneasiness. Two private individuals eventuate in the dreaded secularization of produced papers on this issue. On 3 June, a parishes. In March 1863, the exposition by strong earthquake shook all the concrete the bishops of the Philippines was completed buildings in Manila. and handed over to the Superior ___________________________________ Government. Some thought the moment of Pelaez: “Oracle” of the Filipino Clergy change and of reforms had come; others Those who had not dared denounce Peláez thought of guaranteeing the status quo. For in life because of the great respect he everyone, religious and secular, it was living commanded—“oracle” of the clergy, as he a crucial moment in the defense of their was called at one time by the archbishop— respective rights. Prior to the Administrative took advantage of his death by censuring him Council's adoption of its report, the friars and publicly and publicizing all types of unjustified secular clergy sought to influence the council accusations impugning his loyalty. members. T For instance, an anonymous pamphlet he Recollect denounced the proposal on entitled Un verdadero español affirmed that, summary removal as an attack on the had Peláez not died in the earthquake, he monastic communities themselves. Peláez would have led on that day, together with mobilized his agents in Madrid and used members of the cabildo, an insurrection them to mobilize support for reform. Peláez against Spain. His efforts to preserve some was deeply alienated from the religious parishes for Filipino clergy were seen as orders and, in particular, from the essentially anti religious and anti-Spanish by Augustinians, with whom he had maintained many in the diocese. cordial relations. The secular clergy tried to influence the council members through a 12 votes against and two in favor of the printed leaflet, which would later be bishops' exposition were from Spanish published by agents of the secular clergy. advocates and those supportive of it were Basilio Sancho de Santa Justa y Rufina was from the Filipinos Calvo and Padilla. In spite of this, the following year the procurators of the Recollects and Augustinians, Agudo and Mayordomo, attacked the archbishop in newspapers. With Peláez dead, others, like the Spaniard Manuel Peralta, continued his campaign, but not with efficacy or conviction. Gregorio Meliton saw how the whittling down of the parishes of the secular clergy was increasing class antagonism and anti- Spanish sentiments. Peláez was a gust of fresh air in the hermetic Filipino Hispanic church. His conscience and actions made evident the need to introduce changes in the church of the islands. After he passed from the scene, Peláez would become a force to emulate. --- end ---