Chapter 15: Rizals Second Sojourn

in Paris and the

Universal Exposition of 1889





Rizal as Historian

Rizals research studies in the British
Museum (London) and in the
Bibliotheque Nationale (Paris) enriched
his historical knowledge.
A historian ought to be rigorously
imparted... I never assert anything on
my own authority. I cite texts and when I
do, I have them before me. This
statement of Rizal to Isabelo de los
Reyes proves that he is familiar with the
basic principles of historiography.

The British Museum
Bibiotheque
Nationale
Isabelo De los Reyes
His knowledge of foreign
languages enabled Rizal to read
historical documents and books
in the languages in which they
were originally written. Some of
them were Pigafettas First
Voyage Around the World in
Italian, the writings of
Blumentritt, Jagor, and Virchow
in German, the books of M.
Jacquet, J. Mallat, and A.
Marche in French, etc.

Rizal also wrote other books which
qualify him to be a real historian.
Two historical commentaries written
in London- Ma-yi (December 6,
1888) and Tawalisi of Ibn Batuta
(January 7, 1889)
Filipinas dentro de Cien Anos (The
Philippines Within a Century),
published in La Solidaridad in four
issues on September 30, October
31, December 15, 1889 and
February 15, 1890.






The Philippines Within a Century

In this article, Rizal expressed
his views on Spanish
colonization in the Philippines
and predicted with amazing
accuracy the tragic end of
Spains sovereignty in Asia.
He pointed out the glorious past
of the Filipinos, described their
economic stagnation and
unhappiness under the harsh
Spanish regime.
The Philippines will remain
Spanish if they enter upon the life of
law and civilization, if the rights of
their inhabitants are respected, if
the other rights due them are
granted, if the liberal policy of the
government is carried out without
trickery or meanness, without
subterfuges or false
interpretations.
Very likely, the Philippines will
defend with inexpressible valor the
liberty secured at the price of so
much blood and sacrifice.

Towards the end of the
article, Rizal warned Spain of
what would happen to her
colonial empire in Asia if she
would not adopt a more
liberal and enlightened policy
toward the Philippines.

The Indolence of The Filipinos

This essay by Rizal is an
able defense of the alleged
indolence of the Filipinos.
Rizal made a critical study of
the causes why his people
did not work hard during the
Spanish regime. His main
thesis was that the Filipinos
are not by nature indolent.

The Spanish conquest of the country
brought about a decline in economic
activities because the Filipinos had
abandoned their pre-Spanish
industries and worked less than their
ancestors. Such decline was due to
certain causes:
The native revolts and other internal
disorders which followed the
establishment of Spanish rule.
The wars which the Filipinos fought
for Spain against the Dutch,
Portuguese, English, and other
enemies.

The frightful raids on the coastal
towns and village of Christian
Philippines by the Muslim pirates of
Mindanao and Sulu.
The forced labor which compelled
thousands of Filipino labourers to
work in shipyards, roads, bridges,
and other public works, resulting in
the abandonment of industry,
commerce, and agriculture.
Lack of stimulus to work harder
because the people could not enjoy
the fruits of their labor.

Government neglect and
indifference to agriculture,
industry, and commerce.
The bad example shown by the
Spaniards in despising manual
labor.
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 when they die.

Encouragement and
propagation of gambling by the
Spanish authorities.
System of Spanish education
did not promote economic
enterprise and activity, for, as
Rizal asserted, the education of
the native was from his birth
until he sinks into his grave... is
brutalizing, depressive and anti-
human and deprives him of
dignity.
Rizal admits that the Filipinos
are easy-going and do not work
so hard because they are wise
enough to adjust themselves to
their warm, tropical climate.
They do not have to kill
themselves working hard in
order to live because nature
gives them abundant harvests
by working less than those in
temperate and arid countries.








International Association of
Filipinologists

Universal Exposition of 1889,
Paris
Rizal proposed to establish an
International Association of
Filipinologists and have its
inaugural convention in the
French capital.
He first submitted the idea to
Blumentritt in a letter dated
January 14, 1889 and the latter
gladly supported him.

Aim of the Association: To study the
Philippines from the scientific and
historical point of view.
The officers were as follows:
President: Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt
(Australian)
Vice President: Mr. Edmund Plauchut
(French)
Counsellor: Dr. Reinhold Rost (Anglo-
German)
Counsellor: Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor
(Filipino-Spanish)
Secretary: Dr. Jose Rizal (Filipino)

Ferdinand Blumentritt
Antonio Ma.
Regidor
The inaugural convention was
scheduled by Rizal in August
1889, Paris and invited
renowned scholars in Europe.
Unfortunately, the convention
did not materialize because the
French government
discouraged the holding of
conferences by private
organizations during the period
of the international exposition.

Project for Filipino College in
Hong Kong

A project by Rizal in Paris was to
establish a modern college in Hong
Kong
Rizal wrote to his friend, Jose Maria
Basa, about this matter.
Aim of the college: To train and
educate men of good family and
financial means in accordance with
the demands of modern times and
circumstances.

Mr. Mario Cunanan- a rich Filipino
resident in Paris, from Mexico,
Pampanga, promised to help Rizal raise
P40,000 as initial capital for the college.
Some subjects in the curriculum were:
Ethics, Religion, Natural Law, Civil Law,
Deportment, Hygiene, Mathematics,
Physics and Chemistry, Geography,
Political Economy, Philippine History,
Logic, Poetics, Spanish, English,
French, German, Chinese, Tagalog,
Gymnastics, Dancing, Drawing,
Fencing, etc.

Unfortunately, this project did
not materialize. However, years
later, during his exile in Dapitan,
he actually founded a school for
boys, in which he put into
practice some of his splendid
pedagogical concepts.

Jose Maria
Basa
Por Telefono

A satirical work written by Rizal as a
reply to another Slanderer, Fr.
Salvador Font, who masterminded
the banning of his Noli.
Was published in booklet form in
Barcelona in 1889
Rizal received the printed copies
from Mariano Ponce, as revealed
by his letter to the latter, dated
August 13, 1889, Paris

This work was under the authorship
of Dimas Alang (one of Rizals
pen names)
A witty satire which ridicules Fr.
Font. It describes a telephone
conversation between Fr. Font who
was in Madrid and the father
provincial of the San Agustin
Convent in Manila.
Por Telefono demonstrates not only
Rizals sparkling wit but also his
prophetic insight.

In the year 1900 the Philippines for
the first time was connected to the
Metropolis. (Madrid---Z) by means of
the telephone laid out by an Anglo-
Catalan company called The Trans-
Oceanic Telephone Company, so
well-known in its time for its truly bold
ideas.
Rizal predicted that people could
carry on overseas telephonic
conversations. History shows that the
first radio-telegraph signal received by
Marconi across the Atlantic was in
1901, 12 years after the publication of
Rizals Por Telefono.

Christmas in Paris

December 25, 1889- Rizals last Christmas
dinner in Paris.
Rizal was living with Jose Albert in a frugally
small room occupied by Capitan Justo
Trinidad.
Shortly after New Year, Rizal made a brief visit
to London. According to biographers, purpose
of the visit were unknown but it may be due to
2 reasons:
To check up his annotated edition of Morgas
Sucesos with the original copy in the British
museum and;
To see Gertrude Beckett for the last time.


Jose
Alberto
Gertrude
Beckett
By the middle of January,
1890, he was back in Paris.
At that time, an epidemic of
influenza was raging in
Europe. Although Rizal
complained of a terrible
headache, fortunately, he
was not stricken with flu.

Reference
Zaide, G. F., Zaide, S. M., &
Rizal, J. (1999). Chapter 15:
Rizal's second sojourn in Paris
and the Universal Exposition of
1889. In Jose Rizal: Life, works
and writings of a genius , writer,
scientist and national hero
(2nd ed., pp. 160-166). Quezon
City [Philippines: All-Nations
Pub. Co.