Leitmeritz, Bohemia, Austria
Blumentritt is very busy agitating for the overthrow of the present municipal government because of its nepotism – Great effect of Filipinas dentro de cien años – The liberal group in Spain now looks at the Philippines with different eyes – Meyer ordinarily cautious in his praises, speaks with admiration of Rizal
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Leitmeritz, Bohemia, Austria
17 February 1890
Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt
My Brother,
I am glad that you have finished your reply to Diwata Barrantes. I have not yet begun mine because I have been at Dresden, then I was overwhelmed with the pressure of the work of the end of the semester, and I have joined fully the agitation to overthrow the present municipal government because of its nepotism. At present I am writing for the local newspapers similar to those I write for La Solidaridad. If our councilors could kill me, they would do it with the greatest pleasure.
I shall not be able to begin my counter reply in less than two days. I am very glad because of Barrantes’ stupidities which furnish me with magnificent weapons with which to attack him. Your Filipinas dentro de cien años has had a great effect. In general terms, the liberal group in Spain now looks with wholly different eyes at the Philippines and Barrantes himself is making concessions that would have seemed incredible a year ago. The fear of the friars must be very great. Father Fernandez has written me for the second time, because I have not sent him the letter I promised him. I will answer stating that I will deal with the friars lengthily in my reply to Barrantes which will be published in La Solidaridad and I shall send him the issue.
The short trip to Dresden tired me greatly. My lecture was received in a friendly spirit. There was much laughter when I stated that the reactionaries in Spain and in the Philippines consider me an agent of Bismarck. Hofrath Meyer spoke of you with admiration which made me proud, because he is very skeptical and cautious in praising and condemning.
Today I have read he bulletin of the bookstore of Mariano Murillo located at No. 7, Alcala Street, Madrid, in which people outside of Europe look for the advertisements of Spanish books and their prices, but did not find in it your Morga, It is necessary that you advertise.
Affectionate regards from all of us.
An embrace from
Your brother,
Blumentritt
03-506 [Reformists]