14 August 1891

Europe

Concerning the chief of the Filipino colony in Madrid and the administration of La Solidaridad – Rizal explain his attitude from a lofty level – Everything is settled with his retirement from the colony – His admirable spirit of sacrifice – His patriotic moral discipline – His abnegation and disinterestedness tested – He submits to the will of the Propaganda Committee of Manila.

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Europe, 14 August 1891

MR. A. TEULUZ [ZULUETA][1]

Manila

MY DEAR BROTHER,

In reply to your letter of 5th April, received three days ago through the kindness of Brother Carmelo [Marcelo H. del Pilar], in which you tell me about the question raised concerning the chief of the Filipino colony in Madrid and the administration of La Solidaridad, I have the honor to inform you of the following:

That everything is settled with my withdrawal from the Filipino colony of Madrid and the election of the same editor of the newspaper to the post of chief of the colony.

That it was never my intention to provoke conflicts; that the idea did not come from me but from other persons; that I never had the desire to place under my direction either La Solidaridad or its editor. I understood only that if I were to be the responsible chief of the acts of the colony in political as well in moral affairs, it was natural that I should also have powers to prevent any act which might involve the peace of the colony, and in this sense I understood that the Solidaridad, being its organ, should be under the colony with regard to its policy. Friend Carmelo then told me that La Solidaridad was a private enterprise and for this reason I submitted the question to your supreme decision. It is useless to continue talking about remembrances that are painful to me and are immaterial to you. Let it be on record that between Brother Carmelo and my humble person there has never been serious conflict. I do not know if he has complaints against me; on my part, I can only say that if I have resented something it was the distrust he showed in my intervention in the political administration of La Solidaridad, but I understand it very well that since the moment you appointed him, he has no right to cede the smallest portion of his powers without consulting you. Thus, everything has vanished.

I have learned from other sources that in that center my attitude has been criticized and someone there has said that I was disuniting the colony. If this is true, I regret it indeed, but I forego explaining and justifying myself. My conscience tells me that I can rest in peace about the matter. What was united before my intervention? Who was united before my intervention? Who is the power in the colony that I wanted to overthrow? During the entire election period, I had always wished to withdraw my candidacy and I did not stop until I withdrew and nevertheless I had the majority vote. Is this to disunite? In view of this then, and it is not enough that one has good intentions and good will to be free from accusations, I believe that I am taking the prudent step of withdrawing from politics so that, buried in oblivion, I would not be a shadow on our party. La Solidaridad is getting along very well; I will work alone, drawing inspiration from the general progress of the campaign and the needs of the country, for I want to be everything except to be a disturber of the union which since childhood I have wished for my countrymen. The evidence is my whole past, witnesses for my writings.

I beg the Propaganda to accept my proposition, because I need to enjoy some peace in order to think calmly of the interests of the Philippines without being blinded by the impressions of the moment. I have enough enemies outside and I do not want to have them inside. And as my ambition is not to have honors or hold positions but to see that the just, the exact, the convenient is done in political matters, and as the attacks of friends hurt me more than the entire force of the enemies, it is clear that if I expose myself to such risks, I expose myself also to lose my little serenity.

I will conclude this letter giving thanks to the Propaganda for its kindness and courtesy to me, wishing it genuine success, assuring it always for my complete submission to its will that I wish to interpret as the will of my country. I have the satisfaction to remember that at this epoch, fatal for personalities, mine the most diminutive and the one who has done the least, is the most happy because he still retains your sympathy. And in order to erase somewhat bitter memories, I am going to tell you that Bismarck, after founding and unifying an empire, powerful like none, is now abandoned and forgotten; why? For nothing. Parnell, the one who unified the Irish is now discredited and starts a civil war, why? For a woman. Boulanger, after nearly getting an Imperial crown and spending fourteen million lives here in obscurity and forgotten. Why? For having been too prudent. On the other hand, I who have not created more than a Father Damaso and a Capitan Tiago, who, beside the German Empire, the Irish League, the imperial crown of France of Belvedere, are less than dwarfs, and the Apollo and I have escaped from this torment and I am happy with the friendship you bestow on me.

I beg you then to present my respects to the Director to the Propaganda whose commands I always await; and trusting that shortly we are going to meet, I send you the kiss of peace.

Dimas Alang

[JOSE RIZAL]

03-641 [Reformists]