Two copies of the Rizal Edition of Morga — The friars persecute the Rizal family — Conflict with the Calamba Estate — Proposed solution of the problem — More lavish reception for the friar provincials than for the governor general — Another letter lost — Failure to capture bandits in the environs — Epidemic of insanity — Rizal’s sister Narcisa, a victim — Paciano has no need for money, will send all to Rizal — The friars brought in a new lawyer.
* * *.
27 May 1890
DEAR BROTHER:
Since February I have not received the packages of Le Matin. I don’t know if the post office does not send them along for lack of a wrapper or if you have stopped sending them. I have received two copies of Morga’s Sucesos. Antonino took one and the other is at home. Professor Blumentritt has already told me about this work in one of his letters, extolling the importance of your notes, and although I have read them hurriedly, I share his opinion.
Your last letter we have received here is the one in which you said that you were informed about our brother-in-law’s exile and you proposed a plan for the security of our family. I didn’t answer you because Maneng had already done so. Before your first departure from here, I entertained the same idea, but I gave it up and did not even tell anybody about it, because fiction is discovered sooner or later and after that it will no longer be useful to anybody, considering the attitude of the friars who do not spare widows and orphans just because they belong to our family. For this reason, it is better not to think of it any more.
In one of your former letters, you tell me that in the opinion of the justices of the Supreme Court, we should refuse to pay to the Estate (Hacienda) in order that the case will be appealed to it. Many here have anticipated that opinion, not for the same purpose, but because they have no more money with which to pay. For this reason, the Estate presented to the justice of the peace a petition to evict the tenants. At the beginning we had hopes of a favorable verdict in view of the fact that the laws of the Indies were on our side and in accordance with an affidavit of ’86 or ’87 signed by some persons and released by the Court but whose contents they did not even consider. But now we know better. The amount mentioned in the case of eviction is less than that provided in the L. of C. C., because they claim immemorial possession, as if the silence of the ignorant, exploited tenants had given the exploiters a right over the property. Lastly, it is probable that in the courts of first and second instance we may lose the case, for the judges fear the intrigues of our opponents. In the trial twice I proved to be useful for having asserted the rights of the tenants and proved the spurious claim of the Estate. In spite of this, I’m not hoping for anything good to come out of it; there [Spain] perhaps one can still hope for something. My stand will probably cost me dearly, for the friars of the Estate told some Biñan residents that I don’t consider or pity our parents who are already very old. The Governor told Gobernadorcillo Eusebio to try to win the case, for otherwise the friars might make trouble in the province. At present there are bands of highway robbers in the environs of this town and neighboring ones, and the lieutenant of the civil guard of this town [Calamba] told Eusebio confidentially that it was I who furnished arms to the bandits, and the worse thing of all was that the one who said this was a gentleman officer and Eusebio warned me that he would deny all that he has said, as it was told to him confidentially.
I have been told rather vaguely that Father Nozaleda and others, through a third party, have made a proposal to del Pilar which he has rejected. If the Estate of Calamba is included in the proposal, I will tell you the opinion of the majority of the people. The people do not wish to own this Estate because it was ceded to the Corporation [of the friars] about 18… by Asanza, but they know also that the original property did not have its present area that they claim now. The most just and equitable settlement of this case is to define the boundaries of the Estate, so that all the land not included in the original sale or cession, can be declared free from the payment of rent, and the amount of rent unjustly collected for it be returned. This is what should be done for the sake of justice, although it leaves much to be desired with respect to the tranquility of both sides. So long as the relations of the two parties continue, bad faith or misery on one hand and abuse and influence on the other, could upset their peaceful relations. The settlement should be based on something more enduring, such as the separation of their land-holdings through compensation. In this way both parties will gain, for then, there would be no more curates who would have to jump out of their posts to give way to others who are as disagreeable; nor gobernadorcillos and other municipal officials replaced by others in whom the people have less confidence; nor provincial governors (it is said) who tremble in their posts solely for not favoring certain whims; nor will the prestige (if any) of the priests suffer from the poverty which is alien to their mission; and lastly the people, who are denounced as a ferocious beast, could devote themselves peacefully to their agricultural work. The sacrifice that this arrangement will require need not be unbearable, for the friars will continue to be rich as always and the people poor as always. If the proposed settlement will not hurt your cause there, you may suggest it in order to put a respite to the unbearable situation of the people; otherwise I think secondary interests should always be postponed.
When the General came last year, he was welcomed with arches of curled bamboos in the streets, and months afterward when two provincials of the Dominicans and Recollects came, they were received with more beautiful arches, with more cloth and paintings. In honor of the Dominicans the bells were rung; for the other who arrived minutes afterward, not one was rung. A stranger who might have observed this and gauged the importance of men by arches and bell-ringing, would naturally say that a general is worth less than a provincial, because the arches erected in honor of the provincial are worth more than those of the general, and that the Dominican is more of a prelate than the Recollect for the bell-ringing, and the Dominicans will cite this as proof of their supposed prestige among the people. The fact was that a Recollect… of Sto. Tomás and Eusebio’s friend advised him [Eusebio] that the General was coming and to do everything possible to receive him better than the first time. Eusebio made the preparations without any order of his chief; but instead of the General, the two provincials came: a pious deceit.
Concerning the bell-ringing, the curate seems to be more enthusiastic about the Dominicans than any other corporation, because, if he could allege ignorance of his arrival, he could not say the same thing about his departure, and nevertheless the poor man left like an ordinary mortal. They say that the favored one was secretly glad of the despair of the other and he smiled seeing the bad turn of the Estate [Hacienda] of his competitor. How they love one another!
In your last letter, I noted that you have not received a letter I sent you at the beginning of November. I consider it lost and I’m sorry, for it contained some things of a certain importance. The ease with which letters are being lost and my little liking for letter-writing are the reasons why I write letters only now and then.
On the afternoon of the 25th of this month, the gobernadorcillo received a warning that there is a band of armed bandits in Sitio Anlog within the jurisdiction of this town, about 6 kilometers away. Immediately the rural guards were assembled and the lieutenant of the civil guard, the head of the town’s and forces, was informed, who in turn asked the Cabuyao guards to join him lest his own men would not be sufficient for the undertaking. Those of Cabuyao arrived at about 8 or 9 the same night, and at last the civil and rural guards left, spending the night at Sitio Punta and leaving this place in the following morning for Sitio Anlog, two kilometers distant, more or less, where they found nothing, perhaps because the bandits were smart or did not have the patience to wait so long. Formerly the force was prepared more promptly and secretly and flew, let us say, to the place indicated and quite often found the bandits and caught them. Quantum mutatus ab illo! [How changed from what it once was!]
After the fever which wrought havoc here and still continues paralyzing in a certain way the farm work for lack of workmen, now we have a worse sickness, insanity, which, although it does not have the proportions of an epidemic, already has claimed a number of victims. Albino, Cuné, our sister Narcisa, and several poor ones are victims of it. Our sister is being treated with mustard plasters and at present seems to be improving. If this is not effective, we are going to resort to hydrotherapentic treatment.
I have no funds and our parents hardly give me enough to maintain the work in Bay. As soon as I have money, I’m going to send it to you, for you know already that personally I have little need for money, and above all with the life here I do not have much need for it.
A lawyer of Biñang has been invited by the Estate to transfer his residence to this town, promising him land and the post of justice of the peace here. The lawyer has already rented a house, despite the fact that the gobernadorcillo has recommended another person who is not yet residing here, while the regulation makes residence a requirement. It seems that he will be a useful man to the Estate, because he tells Openg, the acting justice, that he, Badiola, will render the decision on the eviction cases gratis. Moreover, he belongs to the modern school with regard to landholding, saying that he has no hesitation in accepting land from the Estate as it will not be taken directly from the evicted tenants.
This is all.
Your brother,
PACIANO R.
03-532 [Reformists]