6 January 1889

Paris

6 January 1889

Valentin Ventura

Mr. Jose Rizal

London

Dear Friend,

On hand is your New Year greeting card and I give you a million thanks for it.

Purposely I have not sent you mine because I was thinking of writing you to wish you all kinds of happiness for the New Year, and if it is possible, may it be more favorable to your undertakings than the year 1888, however much it seems to me that you cannot complain of it, for your campaign in the Philippines has not been in vain altogether. You may have the satisfaction to know that all that had happened and is happening in our country is the consequence of your active and indefatigable campaign.

One of the victims of the reaction today in the Philippines has arrived here by the last mail boat and he is the gobernadorcillo of Sta. Ana,[1] author of the petition of long ago – he is one of those who signed it – but he has had better luck than his compatriots for he has succeeded to him himself until now. He comes under an assumed name and it seems he will continue using it in order not to embarrass the firm that gives him his pension, as well as for the purposes that he is resolved to carry out. Please keep it secret then.

I suppose you must have learned of the death of our simpatico Payo.[2] May God forgive him for the evil he had done in the Philippines.

Enclosed is a letter of Antonio Luna. Tell me what you think, should I answer the portion referring to my person?

My opinion is that we should not accept any position in that association[3] for the following reasons:

Because they propose that we join it when already it has a past, so that in accepting a post, we shall become collectively responsible for its past and certainly I do not approve of many things it has done.

Many of its members are Castilas, beginning with the president who is Mr. Morayta, who, though he is honorable and worthy and has given proofs of liking our country, he does not cease to be a Castila and as such his policy will be to keep the Philippines for Spain as long as possible.

According to what we have already talked about and agreed upon the last time you were here, the campaign should be waged in Manila and not in Spain, because all that is done here is wasted, for it is proven that they do not want to listen to us.

This is my opinion, nevertheless you form your own for I may be mistaken in my judgement.

Concerning Luna’s request that I talk to the rest of the Filipinos here, I shall do it without saying anything for or against. Each one may act in conformity with his opinion. I believe I shall not get any adhesion, because the Filipinos who are here are precisely of the style of R……. and E……… that is to say, they do not want to hear about the Philippines or anything referring to the Philippines, whether for disappointment or fear…..

Among the cards that I have received on the occasion of the New Year is one from Mr. Pedro Alejandro Paterno. I intend to write him one of these days at Vigo, where he is at present.

Enclosed are five bills of one hundred francs each; we shall adjust our accounts when we meet.

These five hundred francs are the value of the order that you endorsed to me from Manila, which remained uncollected for two years.

News from the Philippines are every time worse. It seems that the brute[4] that we now have there is a second copy of Primo de Rivera. He does nothing but distribute the best posts among the members of his coterie, and according to what they write me he seems to countenance gambling houses at the rate of P200 daily.

Until the next, regards from Elisa, and receive a close embrace of your good friend,

V. Ventura

Did you receive the letter from the Philippines that I sent you? Return to me Luna’s letter.

03-345 [Reformists]