diced b Jos e S. Arc a, - non

28 October in a telegram sent via London by the Overseas Minister. Afterconsultation with the competent organizations, Jose de la Gandara, Governorof the Spanish colony, decided to maintain the status quo, lest the occurenceof possible public disorders endanger the security of the Islands. In thebeginning, the events in Spain were kept secret, but since it was impossible tohide them from the public for a long time, an announcement on 23 Novemberpublicized what had happened, and asked for the cooperation of everyone tokeep calm as long as no concrete orders arrived from Madrid.'Meanwhile, what had happened to the Franciscans residing in theircolleges in Spain? Information trickled slowly to the Provincial in Manila.The convent of Puerto de Santa Maria had been closed and the friars had beenforced by the revolutionaries to evacuate it within 48 hours. The same thing,was about to happen to the College of Consuegra, although neither the priestsnor the students were molested. These exemptions were due to the efforts ofFrs. Vicente del Moral and Victoriano Condado, and the lay brother, FrayPascual Adeva, who was the Province Econome for Spain.Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the friars lived in tense calm watching theevents whose direction no one could foretell. To prepare for any eventuality,the Provincial and the friars we mentioned—to whom we could add thenames of Fray Gregorio Aguirre and Fray Joaquin de Coria—sought toobtain the help of influential persons in the current political set-up of Spain.We know this was done by, among others, Joaquin Aguirre, the Minister ofGrace and Justice and President of the Revolutionary Junta; Rafael deEchagiie y Berminghan, former Governor of the Philippines; VicenteBarrantes, former secretary of the' Governor of the Philippines; RafaelNacamo Bravo."Thanks to these efforts, the discretion of the revolutionary government,and a few other factors we need not mention, peace was quickly restored tothe convents in Manila, secure that things were going to continue with nomajor changes. The government continued the support of the colleges ofPastrana and Consuegra, and authorized the departure and travel expenses ofnew groups of missionaries for the Philippines. This situation will continuefor the rest of the period we are considering. But what relations existedbetween the Franciscans and the three governors general who ruled thedestinies of the Archipelago for more than three years?2. The Franciscans and the Government of Jose de la GindaraThe Provincial at the time, Fray Benito Romero de Madridejos, made apositive evaluation of the actuation of Gandara, but in our opinion, the man151