Barcelona
Work of the Filipino colony of Barcelona in favor of Kalamba – Reply of the ministers of colonies – Send letter to the unfortunate exiles – “I make noise here . . . .” – Jaena wants to edit a newspaper affiliated with the Progressive Party – A fortnightly is useless – His financial problem – He is asking Deputies Muro and Ballesteros to initerpellate the Government on the events in Kalamba.
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Barcelona, 6 January 1892
MR. JOSE RIZAL
Hong Kong
MY DEAR RIZAL,
I received your letter on 2 December last.
Here is the work done until now by the Filipino Colony of this city in favor of Kalamba. In La Publicidad is published the text of the telegram to the Minister of Colonies. I am sending you a copy of his reply. I have written an article on the affair for La Publicidad and when it is published I will send you a clipping of it by the next mail.
See to it that the enclosed letter reaches the hands of the unfortunate ones who are groaning in exile.
I make a lot of noise here and if I could go to Madrid, I would make much noise there too. The colony here has planned to collect funds to send me to Madrid, but nothing can be done as all are out of funds.
Because of these events, an association has been organized here whose aims I will describe to you in detail in the next mail.
In spite of the fact that I have received the fifty pesos that the Filipino colony in Hong Kong has kindly sent me and the forty pesos that the new committee has sent me, I am nevertheless in a bad financial condition, full of debts, for you know how one lives here. And as they have already suspended by pension since two months ago, I am here suffering privations atrociously. So I have already asked Mr. Pepe Basa for passage-money to return to that port. Here I have nothing more to do on account of the scarcity of my resources nor can I realize my personal aspirations.
As to the proposal that I edit a fortnightly, I cannot accept it. Considering my position in the Progressive Republican Party, to edit a fortnightly is ridiculous, in addition to the fact that such a review cannot lead to anything useful. I like to edit a daily or bi-weekly that is eminently political, affiliated with the Progressive Parity in order that we, the Filipinos, can utilize it in favor of the chiefs, deputies, and senators of the party. This is my project, described in a plan in the possession of Luzuriaga; you may read it. It is a shame to offer a fortnightly to a political party.
You know well the great expense that a daily, or even a bi-weekly, entails, so that if the Filipinos like to deposit the sum stated in my prospectus, I will establish and edit the newspaper.
Because of the unbecoming treatment that the old committee has dealt me, I have lost faith and confidence in committees. For this reason and also because my situation is becoming worse from day to day, I want to leave this place and go to that port.
You know me already and I believe that you will know how to appreciate my resolution. I have endured nine year of misery; but now, considering my rank in the Revolutionary Party, it is no longer possible for me to endure poverty. You know what it is to live in Spain.
Today I am writing to Deputies Muro and Ballesteros to interpellate the Government on the events in Kalamba. I will give you an account of the result in the next mail.
Regards to all,
Yours,
GRACIANO
03-689 [Reformists]