Dapitan
Rizal requests his transfer to Spain — In order to restore his broken health — The departure of Sitges contributes to this resolution — Sitges does not consider him anti-Spaniard — The government should not deny him the opportunity to earn his livelihood.
* * *
MOST EXCELLENT RAMON BLANCO Y ERENAS
Governor General of the Philippines
MOST EXCELLENT SIR,
Since Your Excellency had the kindness to promise me my transfer to Ilocos or La Union, many months have passed and your silence has allowed me to believe that serious difficulties have been encountered in the fulfillment of your promise. Then, in order to remedy my precarious situation and attend to my future, I requested Your Excellency two months ago for permission to open an agricultural colony near the gulf of Sindangan;[1] but as I did not receive either a direct or indirect reply and as the favorable season to till the soil has passed, I renounced resignedly this idea and I see that no alternative remains to me but to accept what Your Excellency had deigned to propose to me when you were here on board the Castilla, which is my passport to the Peninsula to restore my broken health.
The departure of Mr. Sitges, Commander of this district, contributes also to this resolution of mine. He is a person for whom I have nothing but praise because of his uprightness and activity, for while he was here he tried to remedy as much as possible the precarious situation of the district, beautifying it and putting in order the public services. Undoubtedly his successor whom you will appoint will be as worthy and as gentlemanly as he, but I do not know if I shall have the same luck of being understood by him and of inspiring him with the same confidence. Mr. Sitges already knows that I am not anti-Spaniard as my enemies wish to portray. I rejoice like any one else when I meet an honorable Spaniard, an active administrator, and a just official.
In a place then less poor than this one I could earn what is sufficient to maintain me and perhaps save for the future. The Government, in depriving me of my liberty, cannot deny me the right to earn my livelihood, and if some day it returns me to my home, as Your excellency the idea of delivering to society a poor man, sick, needy, instead of what it took – a young man, full of hope, and in good health. In the Peninsula, since it cannot be in the Philippines, at least I can find health if not fortune.
I accept then gratefully my transfer to the Peninsula,[2][3]and I hope that Your Excellency will order it as soon as possible, for this humanitarian act proper to the lofty sentiments of Your Excellency. God, etc.
Dapitan, Philippine Islands
8 May 1895
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From Musa (Ambrosio Flores) to the Venerable Master of the Modestia Lodge
Manila, 31 January 1895
VENERABLE MASTER: GREETINGS
Our very dear brother Dimas Alang Jose [Jose Rizal] who, as you know is expiating in Dapitan offences that he has not committed, has an authorization to change his residence so long as it in any place in Spain and not in the Philippines. Together with this news we have also received the information that the said brother lacks absolutely means to undertake such a long trip.
Well now; can we remain indifferent before such needs and allow the generous Dimas to continue as an exile in Dapitan? Knowing your enlightenment and upright conscience I need not invoke the reasons to militate in favor of our brother, the reasons that impose upon us the capable duty of sharing his sorrows and his joys; but even if there were no other reasons, the highest reason of our convenience should suffice to us, for it is known that so long as Dimas Alang remains in the Philippines and despite his extreme prudence in not communicating with us, nor has he ever communicated with us, we shall always have hanging and menacing over our heads the sword of Damocles, inasmuch as our enemies have adopted the Machiavellian procedure of mixing his name in and attributing to him every iniquitous plot, any imaginary disturbance that they want to impute to us.
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[According to Retana the letter ends by soliciting contributions for Rizal to take care of his subsistence until he is indefinitely established in some place and he can devote himself to the practice of his profession.]
(Signed) MUZA (AMBROSIO FLORES)
Grand President
01-852 [Family]
[1] Permission was granted about three months later. See following letter of General Blanco.
[2] The following letter of M uza (Ambrosio Flores) to the mas ter of the Modestia Lodge advises him that Rizal has an authorization to transfer to Spain to restore his broken health and requests the fellow members for contributions for the trip and subsistence of the illustrious exile.
[3]