Note 29 — ANDA AND THE ENGLISH INVASION, 1762–1764

[The archbishop’s letters have no effect and fail of their purpose when events prove that he does quite the contrary to what he writes and preaches and counsels. Experience shows that he is making use of apparently virtuous means to deliver the islands over to Calvinism and Lutheranism; and that would inevitably have happened had not Anda instituted a vigorous defense, aided by the bishops and other pious and loyal Spaniards and natives, all of whom recognize the legitimacy of his government and deny all the authority of the archbishop and Orendain. Anda is sorry for the plight in which Villacorta is, and would aid him if he could, but if such aid must be at the expense of the islands, then he will not move in his defense—which he would not do for anyone, not even his own parents. He will take full vengeance for it later. However, he believes that the English are but making use of the archbishop in order to secure a suspension of hostilities. Besides, he can do nothing toward bringing about peace if he is a declared traitor and rebel, and even if the enemy recognize him as true governor, he cannot have anything to do with such proposals unless they are made to him in writing and in due form. This matter of Villacorta is only a pretext to make Anda hated by the people, and a scheme by which the English can gain possession of the provinces. In all their machinations they have made use of the archbishop to aid them to gain their ends. When the fort of Santiago was surrendered to the British, a verbal agreement was made with General Draper by the archbishop “that the persons, wealth, and possessions of all the persons in said fort were to be free, as were also the wealth and possessions of those in the city, with the sole difference that the latter were to be prisoners; that the practice of religion and the exercise of its tribunals were also to continue in the same manner as before the capture of the city, commerce also being free, etc.” The British have, however, not kept this agreement, and the archbishop justly treated them at that time as robbers and pirates. But if that was so in October how can the archbishop now aid or abet them in the ruin of the islands, and draining the treasury, city, churches, and pious funds, besides giving warrants for two million pesos on the king—and all this without any opposition. With the sack and the capture of the “Santisima Trinidad,” a sum greater than the four million pesos unjustly demanded has been raised. How can they expect Villacorta to keep his word of honor, which it was unnecessary for him to give as he was in the fort? If he gave such word it was under compulsion. All this should be represented by the archbishop to the judges who condemned Villacorta. Anda earnestly entreats the latter to reform in his manner of living, and to cease his excesses.29]