26 June 1888

Madrid

Rizal’s impressions are not surprising after his visit to his country – Only time and the efforts of those called to regenerate her can overthrow the secular power, transforming little by little her way of life – First the ideological ground should be won for cultivation – Our country is where our affection lies – The whip and the muzzle will increase the ranks of the awakened ones – Few see the true danger of the friars – “A known evil is better than unknown good.”

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Madrid, 26 June 1888

Dear Friend:

I felt very happy when I received your letter dated the 21st of June. Not many days ago I came to know that you are in that capital, after having heard of your trip to Japan and San Francisco. Welcome! my friend. Now that you are once more in Europe, it will not be long nor difficult to be able to embrace you here in Madrid, if you are coming as I heard.

Ah! My dear friend, I am not surprised at your impressions after visiting our country; I am not surprised at the truth of what is unfortunately happening there; I was expecting your bitter complaints, your disenchantment, the precursor of terrible discouragement! But no, my friend: Don’t ask for the impossible; do not expect expansion within the narrow regime; do not demand lofty ideas, daring manifestations, resolute attitude, reckless courage, open fight, imposing clamor amidst the state of things, that special situation, the product of time and the institutions in which an entire people have been educated, without experimenting even. What do I say? Without even a glimpse of the excellence of a better government, of another more advantageous system to substitute for the existing one.

Time alone, and with time the patience and constant work of those called upon to carry out the regeneration of that people, beginning with ideas, enlightening their minds, showing them new horizons, awakening in their hearts and minds the true ideals, can demolish the secular work, change and improve gradually their way of living. This must disappear, that condition should be changed, we should combat it with all our strength, we who have been able to escape its pernicious influence; and once we have attained this (in which struggle the enemies themselves shall provide us with weapons to strike them, and here and there we shall not fail to find men of good faith to help us) then we can expect, before deciding to fight, that our unhappy brothers would begin shaking the yoke; if this were possible, if we could accomplish this, there is nothing to be done, the fight would be useless. First fight and fight in all spheres and little by little in each sphere and on appropriate ground, as the occasion demands. We are in the sphere of ideas; we have to win the fight in order to scatter the seed; then we enter into the sphere of reforms, and we start gathering the fruits, and thus successively. There is still a mother country, Veremundo! Yes, there is, my friend, and it is there where you left it. It is not the country, no; it is the religious element who hates light and loves to scatter and to have around them darkness so that they can reign despotically; it is not the official element, military or civil, who produce nothing good, but do exploit, regardless of the means, seconding the religious element and completing its calamitous work; people are not the selfish ones, children of the Golden Calf (Chinese or otherwise) incapable of seeing beyond their noses and of aspiring to nothing noble or lofty; the people are not even the ungrateful sons who, though knowing the common welfare, instead of devoting their efforts to it, they deserved them for the service of foreign interest, injuring those of the community with their aloofness or with factions and divisions which they create among themselves with unjustifiable reasons. Not that at all. Don’t look for the country anywhere else except where our affections are, there where our hearts lead us fatally and necessarily. Our hearts are the best guide in our wearisome path, they are the ones which will take us, if not to the end, at least nearer to our goal. There is the country; the country is that beloved piece of land, saturated with sacred memories, sowed with sweet affections, watered with the tears of our ancestors, blessed by the love of many generations—that is the country where so many profane footprints leave us not an inch of soil which we can kiss with our lips, where we have the right to live in peace because it is the legacy of our fathers. That is the country, my friend, you know it and you feel it; and it is enough that it exists, so that we may not fail in our efforts. That people, courageous though ignorant, shall be even more so when properly educated considering that an enlightened mind has an advantage, instinct. The truth is that much is still lacking for that people to be called educated; and we cannot demand civic virtues from a few who are not in a position to fight against greater forces on one hand, and the indifference of some elements on the other. This is the question, in my opinion, and I hope you will agree with me, if you will study it carefully. That that country is not yet ready, that is what I say. How explain otherwise, my poor friend, that your family should suffer the consequences of the publication of your work? Why be surprised that a few would secretly visit you and praise your novel, while no enemy is listening? Among a mature people who enjoy all their rights, that thing cannot happen. There is no doubt that their own errors, the whip, and the muzzle, will contribute to increase the number of the enlightened ones, which though deplorable, are as good as any other means. But don’t be surprised at the atrocities that are said in the Cortes and in the press regarding some matters there; and much less should the conduct of a Salamanca[1] surprise anyone, who even here is discredited and capable of selling himself to the friars. As everywhere, here everybody sees the phantom of peril endangering the integrity of the nation, as there are still few who are convinced of how harmful are the friars there. As the popular adage says—and it does not hurt them even if it is a fact—a known evil is better than unknown good. With reference to that people, they are more inclined to agree with everything rather than change the existing order of things. And not finding anything to hold on in that statement against the friars, they maintain that it is also against the Archbishop, who is a dignitary in the Archipelago, and contempt has been committed according to the laws, which is true, legally speaking. All in all you are the most injured. Patience, my dear friend, you have won the right to be done justice in due time.

Until the next, dear, I now conclude this letter. Leonor appreciates your regards and she is returning them affectionately.

I will greet your other friends in your behalf. Wishing you good health, command your affectionate friend and countryman,

Cauit

P.S.

If you do not know the newspaper La Paz of Mr. La Serna, I am going to send you some issues, and enclosed are the Dominicales.

03-305 [Reformists]