Week 9-10

Objective: The students have been enabled to:

1. Describe the social, political, and economic conditions of unites states, London and Paris.

(13) RIZAL’S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES (1888)

• April 28, 1888- the steamer Belgic, with Rizal on board, docked at San Francisco on Saturday morning 

• May 4, 1888- Friday afternoon, the day Rizal was permitted to go ashore 

• Palace Hotel- Rizal registered here which was then considered a first-class hotel in the city 

• Rizal stayed in San Francisco for two days—May 4 to 6, 1888 

• May 6, 1888-Sunday, 4:30PM, Rizal left San Francisco for Oakland 

• May 13, 1888-Sunday morning, Rizal reached New York, thus ending his trip across the American continent 

• Rizal stayed three days in this city, which he called the “big town.” 

• May 16, 1888- Rizal left New York for Liverpool on board the City of Rome. According to Rizal, this steamer
was “the second largest ship in the world, the largest being the Great Eastern” 

• Rizal had good and bad impressions of the United States. The good impressions were (1) the material
progress of the country as shown in the great cities, huge farms, flourishing industries and busy factories (2)
the drive and energy of the American people (3) the natural beauty of the land (4) the high standard of living (5)
the opportunities for better life offered to poor immigrants 

• One bad impression Rizal had of America was the lack of racial equality: “America is the land par excellence
of freedom but only for the whites” 

(14) RIZAL IN LONDON (1888-1889)

After visiting the United States, Rizal lived in London from May, 1888 to March, 1889 for three reasons:
(1) to improve his knowledge of the English language (2) to study and annotate Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas, a rare copy of which he heard to be available in the British Museum (3) London was a safe place for
him to carry on his fight against Spanish tyranny 

TRIP ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 

• The trans-Atlantic voyage of Rizal from New York to Liverpool was a pleasant one. 

• Rizal entertained the American and European passengers with his marvelous skills with the yo-yo as an
offensive weapon. 

• Yoyo-is a small wooden disc attached to a string from the finger. 

• May 24, 1888-Rizal arrived at Liverpool, England 

• Adelphi Hotel-Rizal spend the night here while staying for one day in this port city 

• According to Rizal, “Liverpool is a big and beautiful city and its celebrated port is worthy of its great fame. The
entrance is magnificent and the customhouse is quite good.” 

LIFE IN LONDON 

• May 25, 1888- a day after docking at Liverpool, Rizal went to London 
• Rizal stayed as guest at the home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, an exile of 1872 and a practicing lawyer in
London. By the end of May, Rizal found a modest boarding place at No. 37 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill 

• Dr. Reinhold Rozt- librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an authority on Malayan languages and
customs -He was impressed by Rizal’s learning and character and he gladly recommended him to the
authorities of the British Museum. He called Rizal “a pearl of a man” (una perla de hombre) 

• Both good and bad news from home reached Rizal in London. Of the bad news, were the injustices
committed by the Spanish authorities on the Filipino people and the Rizal Family 

• The greatest achievement of Rizal in London was the annotating of Morga’s book, Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas (Historical Events of the Philippine Islands), which was published in Mexico, 1609. 

• September 1888- Rizal visited Paris for a week in order to search for more historical materials in the
Bibliotheque Nationale 

• Rizal was entertained in this gay French metropolis by Juan Luna and his wife (Pas Pardo de Tavera), who
proudly showed him their little son Andres (nickname Luling) 

• December 11, 1888-Rizal went to Spain, visiting Madrid and Barcelona 

• Rizal met, for the first time, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, two titans of the Propaganda Movement 

• December 24, 1888-Rizal returned to London and spent Christmas and New Year’s Day with the Becketts 

• Rizal sent as Christmas gift to Blumentritt a bust of Emperador Augustus and a bust of Julius Caesar to
another friend, Dr. Carlos Czepelak (Polish scholar) 

• The Life and Adventures of Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist-a Christmas gift from Rizal’s landlady, Mrs
Beckett.

RIZAL BECOMES LEADER OF FILIPINOS IN EUROPE 

• Asociacion La Solidaridad (Solidaridad Association)- a patriotic society, which cooperate in the crusade fro
reforms, was inaugurated on December 31, 1888, with the following officers: Galicano Apacible (president);
Graciano Lopez Jaena (vice-president); Manuel Santa Maria (secretary); Mariano Ponce (treasurer) and Jose
Ma. Panganiban (accountant) 

• By unanimous vote of all members, Rizal was chosen honorary president 

• January 28, 1889- Rizal wrote a letter addressed to the members of the Asociacion La Solidaridad 

RIZAL AND THE LA SOLIDARIDAD NEWSPAPER 

• February 15, 1889- Graciano Lopez Jaena founded the patriotic newspaper called La Solidaridad in
Barcelona 

• La Solidadridad-fortnightly periodical which served as the organ of the Propaganda Movement 

• Its aims were as follows: (1) to work peacefully for political and social reforms (2) to portray the deplorable
conditions of the Philippines so that Spain may remedy them (3) to oppose the evil forces of reaction and
medievalism (4) to advocate liberal ideas and progress (5) to champion the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino
people to life, democracy and happiness 

• Los Agricultores Filipinos (The Filipino Farmers)- Rizal’s first article which appeared in La Solidaridad which
is published on March 25, 1889, six days after he left London for Paris 

ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN LA SOLIDARIDAD -Rizal wrote articles for La Solidaridad in defense of his
oppressed people and to point out the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines 
1. “A La Defensa” (To La Defensa), April 30, 1889- this was a reply to an anti-Filipino writing of a Spanish
author Patricio de la Escosura which was published by La Defensa on March 30, 1889 

2. “La Verdad Para Todos” (The Truth For All), May 31, 1889- Rizal’s defense against the Spanish charges
that the native local officials were ignorant and depraved 

3. “Vicente Barrantes’ Teatro Tagalo”, June 15, 1889- in this article, Rizal exposes Barrabtes’ ignorance on the
Tagalog theatrical art 

4.“Una Profanacion” (A Profanation), July 31, 1889- a bitter attack against the friars for denying Christian burial
to Mariano Herbosa in Calamba because he was a brother-in-law of Rizal. Herbosa, husband of lucia died of
cholera on May 23, 1889 

5. “Verdades Nuevas” (New Truths), July 31, 1889- a reply to Vicente Belloc Sanchez’ letter published in La
Patria, Madrid newspaper, on July 4, 1889, which asserted that the granting of reforms in the Philippines would
ruin the “peaceful and maternal rule” of the friars 

6. “Crueldad” (Cruelty), August 15, 1889- a brilliant defense of Blumentritt from the scutrillous attack of his
enemies 7. “Diferencias’ (Differences), September 15, 1889- a reply to a biased article entitled “Old Truths”
published in La Patria on August 14, 1889, which ridiculed those Filipinos who asked for reforms 

8.“Inconsequencias” (Inconsequences), November 30, 1889- a defense of Antonio Luna against the attack of
Pablo Mir Deas in the Barcelona newspaper El Puieblo Soberano 

9. “Llanto y Risas” (Tears and Laughter), November 30, 1889- a denunciation of Spanish racial prejudice
against brown Filipinos 

10. “Ingratitudes” (Ingratitude), January 15, 1890- a reply to Governor General Valeriano Weyler who, while
visiting Calamba, told the people that they “should not allow themselves to be deceived by the vain promises of
their ungrateful sons.” 

• Simultaneous with Rizal retirement from the Propaganda Movement, Rizal ceased writing articles for La
Solidaridad 

• August 7, 1891- M.H. del Pilar wrote to Rizal begging forgiveness for any resentment and requesting Rizal to
resume writing for the La Solidaridad 

• Rizal stopped writing for La Solidaridad, it was because of several reasons: (1) Rizal need to work on his
book (2) He wanted other Filipinos to work also (3) Rizal considered it very important to the party that there be
unity in the work (4) Marcelo H. del Pilar is already at the top and Rizal also have his own ideas, it is better to
leave del Pilar alone to direct the policy 

WRITINGS IN LONDON 

• While busy in research studies at the British Museum, Rizal received news on Fray Rodriguez’ unabated
attack on his Noli 

• La Vision del Fray Rodriguez (The Vision of Fray Rodriguez)-pamphlet wrote by Rizal which published in
Barcelona under his nom-de-plume Dimas Alang in order to defense his novel

-In La Vision del Fray Rodriguez, Rizal demonstrated two things: (1) his profound knowledge of religion (2) his
biting satire 

• Letter to the Young Women of Malolos- a famous letter wrote by Rizal on February 22, 1889 in Tagalog -this
letter is to praise the young ladies of Malolos for their courage to establish a school where they could learn
Spanish, despite the opposition of Fr. Felipe Garcia, a Spanish parish priest of Malolos 

• The main points of this letter were: (1) a Filipino mother should teach her children love of God, fatherland,
and mankind (2) the Filipino mother should be glad, like the Spartan mother, to offer her sons in the defense of
the fatherland (3) a Filipino woman should know how to preserve her dignity and honor (4) a Filipino woman
should educate herself, aside from retaining her good racial virtues (5) Faith is not merely reciting long prayers
and wearing religious pictures, but rather it is living the real Christian way, with good morals and good
manners 

• Dr Reinhold Rost, editor of Trubner’s Record, a journal devoted to Asian studies, request Rizal to contribute
some articles. In response to his request, the latter prepared two articles—(1) Specimens of Tagal Folklore,
which published in the journal in May, 1889 (2) Two Eastern Fables, published in June, 1889 

• March 19, 1889- Rizal bade goodbye to the kind Beckett Family and left London for Paris 

(15) RIZAL’S SECOND SOJOURN IN PARIS AND THE UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION IN 1889

In March, 1889, it was extremely difficult for a visitor to find living quarters in Paris 

• Valentin Ventura- a friend of Rizal where he lived—No. 45 Rue Maubeuge, where he polished his annotated
edition of Morga’s book 

• Rizal used most of his time in the reading room of the Bibliotheque Nationale (National Library) checking up
his historical annotations on Morga’s book 

• Rizal was a good friend of the three Pardo de Taveras—Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, a physician by
vocation and philologist by avocation, Dr. Felix Pardo de Tavera, also physician by vocation and an artist and
sculptor by avocation, and Paz Pardo de Tavera, wife of Juan Luna 

• June 24, 1889- a baby girl was born to Juan Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera, she was their second child 

• Her baptismal godfather was Rizal, who chose her name “Maria de la Paz, Blanca, Laureana, Hermenegilda
Juana Luna y Pardo de Tavera” 

• May 6, 1889- opening of Universal Exposition of Paris 

• The greatest attraction of this exposition was the Eiffel Tower, 984 feet high, which was built by Alexander
Eiffel, celebrated French engineer 

KIDLAT CLUB• March 19, 1889-the same day when he arrived in Paris from London, Rizal organized his
paisanos 

(compatriots) into a society called Kidlat Club 

• Kidlat Club-purely a social society of a temporary nature -founded by Rizal simply to bring together young
Filipinos in the French capital so that they could enjoy their sojourn in the city during the duration of the
Universal Exposition 

INDIOS BRAVOS 

• Rizal was enchanted by the dignified and proud bearing of the American Indians in a Buffalo Bull show 

• Indios Bravos (Brave Indians)- replaced the ephemeral Kidlat Club -its members pledged to excel in
intellectual and physical prowess in order to win the admiration of the foreigners -practised with great
enthusiasm the use of the sword and pistol and Rizal taught them judo, an Asian art of self- defense, that he
learned in Japan 

R.D.L.M SOCIETY 
• Sociedad R.D.L.M. (R.D.L.M Society)- a mysterious society founded by Rizal in Paris during the Universal
Exposition of 1889 -its existence and role in the crusade reforms are really enigmatic -Of numerous letters
written by Rizal and his fellow propagandists, only two mentioned this secret society, as follows (1) Rizal’s
Letter to Jose Maria Basa, Paris, September 21, 1889 (2) Rizal’s Letter to Marcelo H. del Pilar, Paris,
November 4, 1889 

• According to Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal, grandnephew of the hero, the society has a symbol or countersign
represented by a circle divided into three parts by two semi-circles having in the center the intwerlocked letters
I and B meaning Indios Bravos and the letter R.D.L.M. placed outside an upper, lower, left and right sides of
the circle 

• The letters R.D.L.M. are believed to be the initials of the society’s secret name Redencion de los Malayos
(Redemption of the Malays)—Redemption of the Malay Race 

• It was patterned after Freemasonry. It had various degrees of membership, “with the members not knowing
each other.” 

• The aim of the secret society, as stated by Rizal, was “the propagation of all useful knowledge—scientific,
artistic, and literary, etc.—in the Philippines. Evidently, there was another aim that is, the redemption of the
Malay race 

• It must be noted that Rizal was inspired by a famous book entitled Max Havelaar (1860) written by Multatuli
(pseudonym of E.D. Dekker, Dutch author) 

ANNOTATED EDITION OF MORGA PUBLISHED 

• Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris was the publication in 1890 of his annotated edition of Morga’s
Sucesos, which he wrote in the British Museum. It was printed by Garnier Freres. The prologue was written by
Professor Blumentritt upon the request of Rizal 

• Rizal dedicated his new edition of Morga to the Filipino people so that they would know of their glorious past 

• The title page of Rizal’s annotated edition of Morga reads: “Paris, Liberia de Garnier Hermanos, 1890” 

• The Philippines Within a Century-article written by Rizal which he expressed his views on the Spanish
colonization in the Philippines and predicted with amazing accuracy the tragic end of Spain’s sovereignty in
Asia 

• The Indolence of the Filipinos- other essay of Rizal is also a prestigious work of historical scholarship. It is an
able defense of the alleged indolence of the Filipinos -Rizal made a critical study of the causes why his people
did not work hard during the Spanish regime. His main thesis was that the Filipinos are not by nature indolent 

• International Association of Filipinologists-association proposed by Rizal to establish taking advantage of

• Project for Filipino College in Hong Kong- another magnificent project of Rizal in Paris which also fizzled out
was his plan to establish a modern college in Hong Kong 

• Por Telefono-another satirical work as a reply to another slanderer, Fr. Salvador Font, who masterminded the
banning of his Noli, in the fall of 1889 -it was published in booklet form in Barcelona, 1889, this satirical
pamphlet under the authorship of “Dimas Alang” is a witty satire which ridicules Father Font 

• Shortly after New Year, Rizal made a brief visit to London. It may be due to two reasons: (1) to check up his
annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos with the original copy in the British Museum (2) to see Gertrude Beckett
for the last time.