CHAPTER 15

RIZAL’S SECOND SOJURN IN PARISAND THE UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION OF 1889

Sojurn - a temporary stayUniversal Exposition - a large international
exhibition designed to showcase achievements of nations
•
Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a world’s fair held in Paris from May 6
to October 31, 1889
•
It was held during the year of the 100th anniversary of the storming of the
Bastille, an eventconsidered symbolic of the beginning of the French
Revolution.But despite the social parties he continued his fruitful artistic,
literary and patriotic labors. Rizal:(a)Published annotated edition of
Morga’s Sucesos(b)Founded three Filipino societies (the Kidlat club,
the Indios Bravos, and the RDLM) ( c ) W r o t e   P o r   T e l e f o n o
DIFFICULTY OF FINDING QUARTERS
•
It was difficult for a visitor to find a living quarter in Paris because Universal
Exposition wasapproaching and it attracted thousands of tourists
•
For a short time, Rizal lived with Valentin Ventura at No. 45 Rue Maubeuge
where he polished hisannotated edition of Morga’s book
•
Finally, he lived in a little room with: Capitan Justo Trinidad and Jose Albert
LIFE IN PARIS
•
Rizal spent most of hos time at Bibliotheque Nationale (National Library)
•
In spare hours, he dined at the homes of the Pardo de Taveras, Venturas,
Bousteads and Lunas
•
Rizal was a good friend to the three Pardo de Taveras who were children of
Don Joaquin Pardo deTavera, an exiled of 1872 who escaped from Marianas
and lived in France. These were:(1)Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera -
physician by vocation and philologist by avocation(2)Felix Pardo de Tavera -
physician by vocation and artist and sculptor by avocation(3)Paz Pardo
de Tavera - wife of Juan Luna
•
On June 24 1889, a baby girl was born to Juan Luna & Paz Pardo de Tavera.
•
Her baptismal godfather, Rizal, named her Maria de la Paz, Blanca,
Laureana, Hermenegilda JuanaLuna y Pardo de Tavera
RIZAL AND THE PARIS EXPOSITION OF 1889
•
Opened on May 6, 1889
•
Greatest attraction of the Exposition: Eiffel Tower built by Alexander Eiffel
(984 feet high)
•
Rizal attended the ribbon cutting and saw President Sadi Canon of the Third
French Republic
•
Daily, the exposition drew a vast crowd of 20,000 people or more
•
One of the features of the exposition: International Art Competition where
Felix R. Hidalgo, JuanLuna, Felix Pardo de Tavera and Jose Rizal
himself participated
•
Hidalgo’s painting was awarded second prize and the paintings of Juan Luna
and Felix Pardo deTavera both obtained the third prize. Rizal’s entry (a
bust which he modelled) got no prize.
Organized by Rizal on March 19, 1889
•
Members: Antonio & Juan Luna, Gregorio Aguilera, Fernando Canon, Lauro
Dimayuga, JulioLllorente, Guillermo Puatu and Baldomero Roxas
•
Temporary social society which aims to bring together young Filipinos in
French capital to enjoy theUniversal Exposition
•
Why kidlat club? It will also disappear like lightning
INDIOS BRAVOS
•
Rizal and his compatriots were amazed by the Buffalo Bull which featured
the American Indians
•
A new society, Indios Bravos “Brave Indians” replaced Kidlat Club
•
The members pledged to excel in intellectual and physical prowess to win
admiration of foreigners
•
They practiced the use of sword and pistol
•
Rizal also taught them how to judo, an Asian art of self-defense which he
learned in Japan
RDLM SOCIETY
•
Another society founded by Rizal during the Universal Exposition of 1889
•
This secret society was mentioned in only 2 letters: (1) Rizal’s letter to Jose
Maria Basa, Paris,September 21, 1889 (2) Rizal’s Letter to Marcelo H. Del
Pilar, Paris, November 4, 1889
•
Members: Gregorio Aguilera, Jose Ma. Basa, Julio Llorente, Marcelo H. Del
Pilar, Mariano Ponce,Baldomero Roxas, Father Jose Maria Changco, Gregorio
Aguilera, Jose Ma. Basa, Marcelo H. DelPilar and Mariano Ponce
•
According to Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal, grand nephew of the hero, the
society has a symbol orcountersign represented by a circle divided into three
parts by two semi circles having in the centerthe interlocked letters I and B
meaning Indios Bravos and the letters RDLM placed outside the upper,lower,
left and right sides of the circle
•
The letters RDLM are believed to be initials of the society “Redencion de los
Malayos”
•
Patterned after freemasonry
•
Aim: Propagation of all useful knowledge in the Philippines and Redemption
of the Malay race
•
Rizal was inspired by a famous book Max Havelaar (1860) written by
Multatuli (pseudonym of E.D.Dekker, Dutch author) which exposed the
miserable conditions of the oppressed Malay inhabitants ofthe Netherlands
East Indies under Dutch rule
•
On a ketter to Blumentritt, from Rizal on February 23, 1892 he revealed his
intention to be a leader offreedom, if not in the Philippines, then in other
lands “In Borneo”
ANNOTATED EDITION OF MORGA PUBLISHED
•
Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris was the publication in 1890 of his
annotated edition ofMorga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
•
It was printed by Garnier Freres
•
The Prologue was written by Professor Blumentritt
•
Two things which reveals Rizal’s error: appraising the events of the past in
the light of presentstandards and attack on the catholicism
•
He dedicated this new edition to the Filipino people so that they would know
of their glorious past.
•
His dedication is as follows: “Born and reared in ignorance of our past like
almost all of you: withoutvoice nor authority to speak of what we have not
seen nor studied, I deemed it necessary to invokethe testimony of an
Illostrious Spaniards who controlled the destinies of the Philippines at
thebeginning of it’s new era and personally witnessed the last days of our
ancient nationality”
•
In this historical work, Rizal proved that the Filipinos were already civilized
before the advent of Spain

COMMENT ON MORGA’S PUBLICATION DATE

•
The title page of Rizal’s annotated edition of Morga reads “Paris, Liberia de
Garnier Hermanos, 1890”
•
From this printed date, all biographers of Rizal came to assert that this was
published in 1890
•
However, there’s a documentary evidence that Rizal’s edition of Morga came
of the press in 1889
•
On Octover 12, 1889, Blumentritt wrote ro Rizal from Leitmeritz that he had
just received hismagnificent edition of Morga
•
Rizal himself, in his letter to Dr. Baldomero Roxas from Paris on December
31, 1889 stated “Today Isent to Lipa four copies of Morga. Later I will send
you more”
•
From Barcelona, Mariano Ponce wrote to Rizal on December 31, 1889 saying
“I received the book”
•
The three letters above thus, serve as a proof that Rizal’s edition of Morga
came of the press in 1889
RIZAL AS A HISTORIAN
•
Rizal’s research studies in the British Museum (London) and in the
Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris)enriched his historical knowledge.
•
His splendid annotations to Morga’s book showed his familiarity with the
basic principles ofhistoriography.
•
As he once told Isabelo de los Reyes: “A historian ought to be rigorously
imparted... I never assertanything on my own authority. I cite texts and
when I do, I have them before me. “
•
His knowledge of foreign languages enabled Rizal to read historical
documents and books in thelanguages in which they were originally written.
For instance, he read;
-
Pigafetta’s “First Voyage Around the World” in Italian
-
The historical works of Marsden, Raffles, Lord Stanley, and Wallace in
English
-
“The writings of blumentritt, Jagor, and Virchrow” in German
-
“The books of M. Jaquet, J. Mallat, and A. Marche” in French
-
“The works of T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Pedro A. Paterno, Miguel Morayta, and
Pi y Margall in Spanish
 
•
By his extensive reading of archival sources and books in foreign countries,
he acquired wideknowledge not only of Philippines history, but also
the history of European colonization in Asia.
•
Aside from his excellence annotations in Morga’s, Rizal wrote other works
which qualify him to be realhistorian. Among them were:
THE PHILIPPINES WITHIN A CENTURY
•
In this article, Rizal expressed his views on the Spanish colonization in the
Philippines and predictedwith amazing accurancy the tragic end of Spain’s
sovereignity in Asia.
•
He portrayed at the beginning of his article the glorious past of the Filipino
people then describedtheir economic stagnation and unhappiness under the
harsh bugling Spanish rule.
•
Towards the last paragraphs, he warned Spain of what would happen to her
colonial empire in Asia ifshe would not adopt a more liberal and enlightened
policy towards the Philippines
THE INDOLENCE OF THE FILIPINOS
•
La Indolencia de los Filipinos - more popularly known in its English version
•
An essay written to explain the alleged idleness of his people during the
Spanish colonization
•
A critical study of the causes why the people did not work hard during the
Spanish regime
•
The main thesis was that the Filipinos are not by nature indolent
•
Rizal explained that the Filipinos used to be industrious and hard working but
the Spanish conquest inthe country brought about a decline in economic
activities because the Filipinos abandoned their pre-Spanish industries and
worked less than their ancestor.

Such decline in economic life was due to certain causes:

(1)Native revolts and other internal disorders which followed the
establishment of Spanish rule(2)The wars which the Filipinos fought for
Spain’s enemies(3)Frightful raids on the coastal towns and village of
Christian Philippines by Muslim pirates of Mindanao & Sulu(4)Forced labor
which compelled thousands of Filipino laborers to work in public works
resulting in theabandonment of their personal works(5)Lack of stimulus
to work harder because the people could not enjoy the fruits of their
labor(6)Government neglect and indifference to agriculture, industry, and
commerce(7)The bad example shown by the Spaniards in despising manual
labor(8)The teaching of Spanish missionaries that it is easier for a poor man
to enter heaven than for a rich man,hence the Filipinos prefer not to work
and be poor so that they could easily enter heaven after they
die(9)Encouragement and propagation of gambling by the Spanish
authorities(10) System of Spanish education did not promote economic
enterprise and activity
•
Filipinos are easy going and don’t work so hard because they’re wise enough
to adjust themselves totheir warm, tropical climate. They don’t have to kill
themselves working hard in order to live becausenature gives them
abundant harvests by working less than those in temperate & arid countries.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FILIPINOLOGISTS
•
The aim of the association is to study the Philippines from the scientific and
historical point of view
•
Their inaugural convention did not materialize because the French
government discouraged theholding of conferences by private organizations
during the period of the international exposition.
PROJECT FOR FILIPINO COLLEGE IN HONGKONG
•
This College aims to “train and educate men of good family and financial
means in accordance withthe demands of modern times and circumstances”
•
A rich Filipino resident in Paris, Mr. Mariano Cunanan, from Mexico,
Pampanga, promised to help himraise P40,000 as initial capital for the
college.
•
This project of Rizal to establish a modern college in Hong Kong did not
materialize
POR TELEFONO
•
This satirical pamphlet under the authorship of “Dimas Alang” is a witty
satire which ridicules Fr. Font
•
It describes in comical vein a telephone conversation between Fr. Font who
was in Madrid and thefather provincial of the San Agustin Convent in Manila.
•
Published in a booklet form in Barcelona, 1889
•
Rizal received the printed copies from Mariano Ponce as revealed in his letter
dated August 13, 1889
•
Rizal predicted much ahead of his times that people could carry on overseas
telephonicconversations, 12 years after the publication of Rizal’s “Por
Telefono.”
CHRISTMAS IN PARIS
•
Rizal and Jose Albert were living frigally in a small room occupied by Capitan
Justo Trinidad
•
They planned to have a sumptuous Christmas dinner: fried chicken, rice, and
vegetables
•
This was Rizal’s last Christmas dinner in Paris
•
After New Year Rizal had brief visit to London for an unknown purpose but
two theoretical reasonswere: To check up his annotated edition of Morga’s
Sucesos with the original copy in the BritishMuseum and To see
Gertrude Beckett for the last time
•
In the middle of January 1890 he went back to Paris
•
That time, an epidemic influenza was raging in Europe. Fortunately, he
wasn’t stricken by the flu.