21 September 1889

Paris

Inconvenience of printing the signature of Isaac Fernando de los Rios on articles written by Filipinos – A society for the propagation of useful information – Watchwords for letters or packages between Barcelona and Hong Kong – Cost of education in Europe – Plaridel in Paris – Transfer of La Solidaridad to Madrid and its conversion into a weekly.

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45 Rue de Maubeuge, Paris

21 September 1889

[Mr. Jose Ma. Basa]

Hong Kong

MY DISTINGUISHED FRIEND AND COMPATRIOT,

We have received your letter and the papers May God Punish the Wicked and Here there are no Filibusteros and we have read them with pleasant surprise. They are very well written and we agree with the ideas expressed in them. They are the best that have been published there.[1] The only thing that displeased us, especially Plaridel and me, is that they are signed by Isaac Fernando de los Rios[2] and here are the inconveniences of following that policy:

It is not right for us to use false names, for it is desirable that what we say and write be serious and defensible.

If we use these wiles, our enemies can do the same to us and publish articles purporting to be signed by me or by Plaridel and then we shall have no right to complain and protest. 3

That the name of Isaac Fernando is very much discredited and our ideas lose their force when they appear under his name.

That we do not need either his authority or his name to give lustre to what we uphold, nor do we need to make him quarrel with the friars, for we do not want him in our party. We would consider ourselves dishonored by entertaining the same ideas as he does.

That our ideas dignify him in the eyes of our countrymen and he can thereby acquire prestige and thus we are ruined. Those who do not know him will take him for a great patriot and later he will utilize this reputation to hurt us, and those who know him will regard us as low and knavish as he is, which is nothing pleasant.

And lastly, that I am always in favor of a noble and open policy, for our cause is so and does not need to employ such methods to triumph. With a noble and courageous policy, each article coming out signed by the true name of its author, we shall raise the spirit of our timid countrymen who will see that we are not afraid but that we have confidence in our success. Thus our enemies will become afraid upon encountering resolute and devoted men.

This is with reference to those publication. Well now inspired by your zeal and activity, we have decided to establish a society whose only purpose is the diffusion in the Philippines of all useful knowledge, be it scientific, artistic, literary, etc. It imposes no other obligation on the members except to favor one another when it concerns the propagation of a useful knowledge. For example: If you receive a package, a book or a letter, on which you read the initials Rd. L. M., this is enough for you to take special care that it reaches its destination, because it is highly important: A box, for example, on which you will read these characters out to reach its destination through the safest and quickest way possible. When these initials are thus Rd. L. M., then it means importance. We make you our correspondent and you will continue acting as you have done until now, endeavoring to have at your command Chinese, sailors, servants, etc. to further the purposes of our society which are the diffusion of education in our country. Neither religion nor politics has anything to do with it. You will be the Hong Kong correspondent just as we are yours. When you write something to Barcelona or to Madrid, ball with B in the middle, as sketched above. This is enough for your letter to receive special attention or our order to be carried out. You can write thus to Llorente in Madrid, Aguilera, Roxas, Del Pilar, Ponce, etc. Henceforth, any letter or writing from Hong Kong without the initials Rd. L. M. will be considered invalid. Neither quota nor contribution is required. Once you have read this letter, burn it and do not communicate its contents even to your subordinates, for only the principals in each department and persons who can be trusted ought to know this countersign.

With regard to schools I will tell you that in England and France, one can stay in them P60 a month; in Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium 35 or 40 duros. For business courses, no other country is better than England; for science, Germany and France. Do not send to Spain.

Plaridel is here now. La Solidaridad will transfer to Madrid and next year it will be a weekly. Henceforth it will carry the initials.

You may depend on the members of Sociedad R. D. L. M.

JOSE RIZAL

05-440 [100 Letters]