Rednaxela Terrace, Hong Kong
Rizal, having returned from Borneo, answers Blumentritt – A former Dominican professor of Rizal made a statement in his favor, defending his books and the people of Kalamba – The rector of the University and even the archbishop disapprove of the Kalamba atrocities.
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21 Rednaxela Terrace, Hong Kong
20 April 1892
Jose Rizal
My Brother,
On my arrival here returning from North Borneo, I found your two letters which have given us so much joy and satisfaction. I translated them and read them to my family who felt very happy. Whenever the mail arrives, they ask me for your letters and I have to explain to them that not every mail comes from Europe.
I am very grateful to Mrs. Labhart,[1] and if sometime I return to Europe, I will surely pay her a visit and verbally express to her my gratitude. The Filipino people keeps good remembrances of this family. If I could write her, I would send her a letter through your kindness, but I have to content myself of availing of you to express to her my gratitude.
What happens between the Dominicans and me is similar to what happened to you. It is said that one of my few Dominican professors recently made some statements favorable to me. It is said that he wanted to defend the people of Kalamba and my books against the whole order; nay, he said that what happened was a cruel barbarity and the one who ordered such a thing was a madman and did not know what he was doing. The Dominicans were very much excited against him and the discussion would have had fatal consequences for him if he were not at the same time rector of the University. In addition, even the archbishop disapproved of what happened, saying that he had nothing to do with the affair and that the orders for such act had come from the convent(!). Yes, let them wash their hands.
“Here is the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand!….”[2]
Wash your hands!
Whenever I hear the sad story of the poor peasants whom the Dominicans despoiled of all that they had – their houses, their rice, their household utensils – leaving the mothers and children to cry and wail for the despoliation of their only belongings; when I think of a poor native woman named Estanislawa, who was, sick as she was, with four small children and the husband absent, had to fight with a friar, the soldiers, and a Spaniard, and as a result of this had to stay in bed four days, and her whole body was mangled for defending her house and the rice for her children… oh, I despair!
The translation of the Noli continues, but I have already given up the idea of writing the third part in Tagalog, for it would not be appropriate to write a work in two languages as they would be like the sermons of the friars. So I am writing it now in Spanish.
Three Taaleños are here on a visit. They are all your admirers, as you can easily imagine. You are the favorite of all the Filipinos, and if I did not have more patriotism than ambition, I would certainly be jealous. But, my innermost desire, my most vehement desire, is to see myself relegated to second place by other greater Filipinos. When one day many Pilar and Lete emerge to eclipse Rizal completely, then I shall sleep [in] peace. The fate of my country will be assured, and I can go down the grave smiling. My name, my little fame, my tranquility, everything. I would give for it. Oh, I am always waiting for the grand pleiad of young Filipinos!
Now, I am going to satisfy your desire. I shall write again for La Solidaridad, but not on politics. If after our long desire for assimilation and Hispanization, they reply with the destruction of Kalamba, a serious man ought not to write one word more. For the same reason I cannot write on separation, at least in La Solidaridad, I have to content myself with writing on indifferent things. I am no longer interested in them that I abandon politics and the Spaniards will believe it likewise. But my silence will give them much to think about. Well, for your sake I shall dare everything.
My family and I greet you and your family.
Yours,
Rizal
04-728 [Misc.]
[1] The wife of Konrad Labhar t , consul of Austria-Hungary at Manila. Mr. Labhart died in the Philippines and was buried in San Pedro Makati.
[2] Shakespeare’s Macbeth: From Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy.