--From a public address at Fargo, N.D., on April
7th. 1903, by the President of the United States. José Rizal in life voiced the aspirations of his countrymen and as
the different elements in his divided native land recognized that
these were the essentials upon which all were agreed and that their
points of difference among themselves were not vital, dissension
disappeared and there came an united Philippines. I am writing for other
ages. If this could read me, they would burn my books, the
work of my whole life. On the other hand, the generation which
interprets these writings will be an educated generation; they
will understand me and say: 'Not all were asleep in the night-time
of our grandparents'." --The Philosopher Tasio, in Noli Me Tangere. "The old situation is no longer possible of maintenance, with the
changed conditions of the present time. In the long run, the Spanish system cannot
prevail over the American. The Philippines will so much the less escape
the influence of the two great neighboring empires, since neither
the islands nor their metropolis are in a condition of stable
equilibrium. So great endurance reached its climax with the insults, and the
lethargic spirit woke to life. Such is an outline of their past. Now, what
will their future be? Will the Philippine Islands continue to be a Spanish colony, and if
so, what kind of colony? And to reach this stage, what kind of sacrifices
will have to be made? II. Now, then, are the Philippines in the same condition they were three
centuries ago? On the other hand, the present situation seems to be gilded and
rosy--as we might say, a beautiful morning compared to the vexed and
stormy night of the past. True it is that neither were the natives of that time
such as we are now: three centuries of brutalization and obscurantism
have necessarily had some influence upon us, the most beautiful work
of divinity in the hands of certain artisans may finally be converted
into a caricature. If
they wrote, they did so in defense of the rights of the native and
made his cry reach even to the distant steps of the Throne. All this has passed away. The people no longer has confidence
in its former protectors, now its exploiters and executioners. True it is that the Penal Code has come like a drop of balm to such
bitterness. It may indeed be a suicidal attempt--but then,
what? So they all
failed. Perhaps, but it is a very dangerous means. Moreover,
when there are wealth and abundance, there is less discontent, less
complaint, and the government, itself wealthier, has more means for
sustaining itself. On the other hand, there occurs in a poor country
what happens in a house where bread is wanting. And further, of what
use to the mother country would a poor and lean colony be? In short, then, the advancement and ethical progress of the Philippines
are inevitable, are decreed by fate. For new men,
a new social order. The Philippines, then, will remain under Spanish domination, but
with more law and greater liberty, or they will declare themselves
independent, after steeping themselves and the mother country in blood. III. But notwithstanding all that have been ordered
up to the present time, they have produced scanty results, for the
government as well as for the country. All the reforms of our liberal ministers were, have been, are, and
will be good--when carried out. When we think of them, we are reminded of the dieting of Sancho
Panza in his Barataria Island. The dish removed, Sancho was as hungry as ever. True it is
that the despotic Pedro Rezio gave reasons, which seem to have been
written by Cervantes especially for the colonial administrations:
"You must not eat, Mr. Governor, except according to the usage and
custom of other islands where there are governors." A government that rules a country from a great distance is the one that
has the most need for a free press, more so even than the government
of the home country, if it wishes to rule rightly and fitly. To govern
in any other way may also be called governing, but it is to govern
badly. A nation acquires respect, not by abetting
and concealing abuses, but by rebuking and punishing them. Moreover,
to this prestige is applicable what Napoleon said about great men and
their valets. One of three things:
either that they will prove unruly, become political trimmers, or
act properly. And would not this be better than the discontent that
ferments and expands in the secrecy of the home, in the huts and in
the fields? Frankly,
it is a great compliment to the separatists to fear them in the midst
of the Cortes of the nation. They would be a few more favorable
votes, and the government could laugh openly at the separatists,
if any there be. Law has no skin, nor reason nostrils. Every country gets the fate it deserves,
and the government can say that it has done its duty. With no cause
for discontent, how then attempt to stir up the masses of the people? They are the very ones who
most need it. It
subdues the barbarous nations, while injustice arouses the weakest. Then, if the native does not shake
off his indolence he can not complain when he sees all the offices
filled by Castilas. The native
is, moreover, very fond of peace and prefers an humble present to
a brilliant future. For
the present we are satisfied with the outlines, and no one can say
that we ask too much. When the book was
published these things were looked upon as dreams, impossibilities,
that is, Utopianism. The
press there also is free. Only Spain, which in the sixteenth century
was the model nation in civilization, lags far behind. The Philippines in the early days
had theirs, who conferred with the King and the Pope on the needs
of the country. All this,
and more, is true, but it is pure sentimentality, and in the arena
of politics stern necessity and interests prevail. The noble Spanish people, so jealous of its rights
and liberties, can not bid the Filipinos renounce theirs. IV. One of the two had to yield and succumb. One of the longest dominations was that of the Moors in Spain, which
lasted seven centuries. Necessity is the most powerful divinity the world knows,
and necessity is the resultant of physical forces set in operation
by ethical forces. One of the peoples must succumb. He has the intrepidity
of his bull. Furthermore, there
exist in the United Kingdom tendencies and opinions to the effect
that she already has too many colonies, that they are harmful, that
they greatly weaken the sovereign country. Thus we see her attitude, as much in
the Pacific as in Africa, is confined to conquering easy territory
that belongs to nobody. France loves glory, but the glory and laurels that
grow on the battlefields of Europe. The echo from battlefields in the
Far East hardly satisfies her craving for renown, for it reaches her
quite faintly. She has also other obligations, both internally and
on the continent. Holland
proceeds with great caution in Sumatra and Borneo, from fear of
losing everything. The same is true of Japan. True it is
that she has an excess of population, but Korea attracts her more
than the Philippines and is, also, easier to seize. North
America would be quite a troublesome rival, if she should once get
into the business. Furthermore, this is contrary to her traditions. But the most logical prognostication, the prophecy based
on the best probabilities, may err through remote and insignificant
causes. Fortunately, peoples as well as governments are subject
to it. "From the very beginning, when I first had notice of what
was being planned, I opposed it, and demonstrated its absolute
impossibility. This is the fact, and witnesses to my words are now
living. I was convinced that the scheme was utterly absurd, and,
what was worse, would bring great suffering. "I did even more. This equally
is of record. I
have recommended in my writings the study of civic virtues, without
which there is no redemption. "Return, then, to your homes, and may God pardon those who have worked
in bad faith. José Rizal. "Fort Santiago, December 15th, 1896. "For Rizal the question is of opportuneness, not of principles nor of
aims. "So far from being conducive to peace, it could advance in the
future the spirit of rebellion. "Manila, December 19th, 1896." It said--"If you persist in your idea of
going to Cuba, etc." How is he chief who when he says no, they say yes? Eighthly.--If it was reorganized nine months afterwards by other
persons, as now is said, I was ignorant of the fact. I think not. Why was not an acquaintance sent,
in whom I would have had more confidence? Fort Santiago, Dec. 26, 1896. JOSE RIZAL. RESPECTING THE REBELLION. The
manuscript is now in the possession of Sr. Eduardo Lete, of
Saragossa, Spain. I had no notice at all of what was being planned until the first or
second of July, in 1896, when Pio Valenzuela came to see me, saying
that an uprising was being arranged. I told him that it was absurd,
etc., etc. I advised
him that they should have patience, etc., etc. "Besides, said I, don't consider me but our country which
is the one that will suffer." From "Mi Piden Versos" (1882),
verses from Madrid for his mother. From "A Mi Musa" (1884),
requested by a young lady of Madrid. [4] Cervantes' "Don Quijote," Part II, chapter 47. End of Project Gutenberg's The Philippines A Century Hence, by Jose Rizal