APPENDIX A

WHO MADE JOSE RIZAL OUR

FOREMOST NATIONAL HERO,
AND WHY?
By Esteban A. de Ocampo*
Dr. Jose Rizal Mercado y Alonso, or simply Jose Rizal (1861-
our
1896), is unquestionably the greatest hero and martyr
nation. The day of his birth and the day of his execution are
of
fittingly commemorated by all classes of our people throughout
the length and breadth of this country and even by Filipinos
and their friends abroad. His name is a byword in every Filipino
home while his picture adorns the postage stamp and paper
money of widest circulation. No other Filipino hero can surpass
Rizal in the number of monuments erected in his honor; in the
number of towns, barrios, and streets named after him; in the
number of educational institutions, societies, and trade names
that bear his name; in the number of persons, both Filipinos
and foreigners, who were named "Rizal" or "Rizalina" because
of their parents' admiration for the Great Malayan; and in the
number of laws, Executive Orders and Proclamations of the
Chief Executive, and bulletins, memoranda, and circulars of both
the bureaus of public and private schools. Who is the Filipino
writer and thinker whose teachings and noble thoughts have
been frequently invoked and quoted by authors and public speak-
is
ers on almost all occasions? None but Rizal. And why this
SO? Because, as biographer Rafael Palma said, "The doctrines
of Rizal are not for one epoch but for all epochs. They are as
vaiid today as they were yesterday. It cannot be said that because
the political ideals of Rizal have been achieved, because of the
Change of institutions, the wisdom of his counsels or the value
of his doctrines have ceased to be opportune. They have not".

Knight Commander, Knights of Rizal, and President, Philippine Historical

Asociation.
, The Pride of the Malay Race, 1949, p. 366.

271
 there are still
some Filipino
Who
evok such favorable and unfavorable comments from friends
however, "made-to-order and foes alike as did Rizal's Noli.
Unfortunately, Rizal is a uona
that our
in this case
entertain
the belief m a n u t a c t u r e r
the Typical of the encomiums that the hero
and that the
maker o r William Howard
Taft. received for his
hero, Civil
Governor
avel were those he received from Antonio Maria
Regidor and
Americans,
particularly
in the following
allegedly
manner:
Deaf. Ferdinand Blumentritt. Regidor, a Filipino exile of 1872
This was done
must have a
national hero
ro London, said that "the book was superior" and that "if Don
gentlemen, you
"And now. addressed by Governor Ouijote has made 1ts autnor immortal because he
he world the sufferings of Spain, your Noli Me exposedwill
words to
to be the
These w e r e supposed and Luzurriaga
Pardo de
Tavera, Legarda,
Commission, of which bring you equal glory Tangere
Taft to Messrs.
of the Philippine
."Blumentritt, after reading Riza>'s
Filipino members was further
reported that "in the Noli, wrote and congratulated its author, saying
among other
Chairman. It
Taft was the
which the rival merits of
the shings: "Your work, as we Germans say, has been written with
discussion in
subsequent Pilar, Graciano Lonez the blood of the heart.. Your work has
revolutionary heroes
(Marcelo H. del exceeded my hopes
General Antonjo Luna,
Emilio Jacinto. and I consider myself happy to have been honored with your
Jaena, Jose Rizal, friendship. Not only I, but also your country, may feel happy
were considered, the final
and Andres Bonifacio-0.) wise one
for having in you a patriotic and loyal son. If you continue so,
a was
-
choicenow universally acclaimed
2 you will be to your people one of those great men who will
Rizal. And so history was made.
.
exercise a determinative influence over the progress of their
This article will attempt to answer two questions: (1) Who spiritual life.*4
hero of the Philippines? and
made Rizal the foremost national
hero? Before proceeding If Rizal's friends and admirers praised with justifiable pride
(2) Why is Rizal our greatest nationalbetter if we first know the the Noli and its author, his enemies were equally loud and bitter
to answer these queries, it will be
meaning of the term hero. Acording to Webster's New Interna. in attacking and condemning the same. Perhaps no other work
tional Dictionary of the English language, a hero is "a prominent or writing of another Filipino author has, up to this day, aroused
or central personage taking an admirable part in any remarkable as much acrimonius debate not only among our people but also
action or event". Also, "a person of distinguished valor or
among the reactionary foreigners as the Noli of Rizal. In the
enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering." And finally, he
is a man honored after death by public worship, because of Philippines the hero's novel was attacked and condemned by a
exceptional service to mankind." Faculty Committee of a Manila university and by the Permanent
Why is Rizal a hero, nay, our foremost national hero? He
Censorship Commission in 1887. The Committee said that it
found the book "heretical, impious, and scandalous to the religi-
is our greatest hero because, as a
towering figure in the Prop- Ous order, and unpatriotic and subversive to public order, libelous
aganda Campaign, he took an "admirable part" in that movement to the Government of Spain and to its political policies in these
which roughly covered the
period from 1882 to 1896. If we were
asked to pick out a single work Islands", while the Commission recommended "that the impor
era which, more than
by a Filipino writer during this tation, reproduction, and circulation of this pernicious book in
any other writing, contributed tremendously
to the formation of the Islands be absolutely prohibited."" Coming down to our time,
tion in
Filipino nationality, we shall have no hesita
choosing Rizal's Noli Me
true that Pedro A. Paterno Tangere (Berlin, 1887). It 5 during the Congressional discussions and hearings on the Rizal
of the
in 1885; Marcelo H. del published his novel, Ninay, in Madria
(or Noli-Fili) bill in 1956, the proponents and opponents
Pilar, his La Soberania Monacal m Dill also engaged themselves in a bitter and long-drawn-out
Barcelona in 1889; Graciano
Articulos Varios, also in Lopez Jaena, his Discursos
Barcelona in
his Impresiones in
Madrid in 1893, but 1891; and Antonio Lund 3. Eptstolarlo Rizalino, Tomo Segundo.
none of these books hau
4. tbid., Tomo Primero.
2.
Philippines Free Press, Dec. 28, 1946. 281-306.
5. Austin Craig. Rizal's Polltical Wrtings, pp.
272 273
 the
enactment
of a comprom
mise country. He could have
been whatever he wished to
resulted in be,
debate that finally Act No.
1425. considering his natural endowments; he could have earned
now
known as
Republic
not only confinaa
considerable sums of money from his profession; he could
measure,
novel
were
d have lived relatively rich,
Rizal's first
anish capital.
Span the happy, prosperous, had he not
The attacks
on
also staged
in dedicated himselt to public matters. But in him the voice
lippines but ex-General) ILuis
were
in the Deputy (and of the species was stronger than the voice of
Fernando Vida,
Mateo Sagasta were amOn ress or of private fortune, and he
personal prog-
There, Senator Praxedes preferred to live far from
and Premier criticized Rizal and his Dli his family.and to sacrifice his
M. de Pando, lambasted and
personal affections for an ideal
Cortes in 1888 and 1880g6
he had dreamed of. He heeded not his brother, not even
those who unjustly
chambers of the
Spanish his parents, beings whom he respected and venerated so
in the two however,
that about thirteen veare
to learn, Wisconsin delivered much, in order to follow the road his conscience had traced
It is comforting Cooper of for him.
later, Congressman
Henry Allen Ultimo Pen.
even
recited the martyr's
an eulogy of Rizal and States House of Represen- He did not have great means at his disposal to carry
United
the floor of the out his campaign, but that did not discourage him: he
samiento on
of the Filipinos for self-goy.
the capacity contented himself with what he had. He suffered the ngors
tatives in order to prove if American
"It has been said that, of the cold winter of Europe, he suffered hunger.
ernment. He said in part: furnish to the world the privation
institutions had done nothing else than and misery; but when he raised his eyes to heaven and saw
that alone would entitle them his ideal, his hope was reborn. He complained of his coun
character of George
Washington,
to all those who denounce trymen, he complained of some of those who had promised
mankind. So, Sir, I say
to the respect of and savages, without him help and did not help him, until at times, profoundly
as barbarians
the Filipinos indiscriminately this despised race proved disillusioned, he wanted to renounce his campaign forever,
civilized future, that
possibility of a and to the respect of
mankind giving up everything. But such moments were evanescent
itself entitled to their respect Jose Rizal."7 he soon felt comforted and resumed the task of bearing
the
world the character of
when it furnished to the was the cross of his suffering."8
of Representative Cooper
The result of this appeal of Rizal,
known as the Philippine Bill
of 1902. Dr. Frank C. Laubach, an American biographer
approval of what is popularly of the hero's courage in the following
words:
shown that by the Noli alone spoke
The preceding paragraphs have moral
was the secret of his
had become the most promi His consuming life purpose
Rizal, amnong his contemporaries, Movement. it is true, was one of his
inherited
nent or the central figure of the Propaganda courage. Physical courage, murderers.
to die loving his
become the traits. But that high courage It
did Rizal cannot be inherited.
Again, we ask the question: Why which he at last achieved,- that
in this writer's humble opinion, the fires of suttering and temptation.
greatest Filipino hero? Because Rizal must be forged out in
how the moral
no Filipino has yet been born who
could equal or surpass his life. we can see
or As we read through faced new perils
as "a person of distinguished valor
or enterprise in danger,
Sinew and fiber grew year
by year as he courage
us See fcarful decisions. It required
fortitude in suffering." Of these traits of our hero, let and was forced to make that no other
novels, teling nothing
what a Filipino and an American biographer said: to write his two great
before, standing
almost alone
to say and in
man had ventured
"What is most admirable in Rizal," wrote Rafael Palma interests in his country
against the most
powerful would strike
"is his complete self-denial, his complete abandonment of full well that
despotism
heroism
his Spain, and knowing plateau of
his personal interests in order to think only of those of reached
another loftier
back. He had
361-262.
Malay Rice, p.
6. Retana, Vida y Escritos del Dr. Jose Rizal, pp. 131-133. Pride of the
8. Palma, The 275
7. Osias, Jose Rizal, His Life and Times, p. 444.
274
 " l o be opened
Bicolano Dr. Tomás Aréjola wrote Rizal in
"Your moral influence over us Madrid, February
Hongkong.
in
those letters without 1891, saying:
when he wrote

and sailed
into the "trap
w h e n he
in Manila

was tempted
9, is
And Guillermo Puatu of Bulacan wrote this tribute to Rizal, indisputable."2
after my death," exile,
illusions. Then in his Dapitan but hundreds of times say a quien se le puede (llamar) con razon, cabeza
any "No", not
once

to escape,
and said
and when,
on the way
to Cuba, Pedro eutelar de los filipinos, aunque la comparacion parezca algo
for four long years, of Singapore ridicula, porque posee la virtud de atraer consigo enconadas
oft the boat
him to step
pleaded with i n n e r struggle
Roxas
British territory
and s a v e his
life, what
o v e r again,
yoluntades, zanjar las discordias y enemistades rencorosas, reunir "2
upon
have caused
him to a n s w e r
o v e r and
en fiestas a hombres que no querian verse ni en la calle.. .
it must of death and the fateful
When the s e n t e n c e Among the foreigners who recognized Rizal as the leading
"No, no, no!" the final test, December
brought
Filipino of his time were Blumentritt, Napoleon M. Kheil, Dr.
execution
morning of his to the firing line as
with perfect calm
30, 1896, he walked
own choice,
the only heroic figure in that Reinhold Rost, and Vicente Barrantes, Prof. Blumentritt told
though by his
sordid scene.
Dr. Maximo Viola in May, 1887 that "Rizal was the greatest
product of the Philippines and that his coming to the worid
was

in SpainPhilippines,
and in the of wbose brilliance
To the bigoted Spaniards and most danger-
ike the appearance a rare comet, rare appears
most courageous, M. Kheil of Prague,
Rizal was the most intelligent,
he only every other century."" Napoleon
reactionaries and the tyrants; therefore, to Rizal and said: "admiro en Vd. á un noble
ous enemy of the Austria, wrote
order to serve as an example and a colonial."3a Dr. Rost, distinguished
should be shot publicly in representante de la España
kind. This was the r e a s o n why Rizal, Librarian of the India Office in London, called
warning to those of his to death and made to
Malayologist and
Vicente Barrantes
sentenced while Don
after a brief mock trial, was
Rizal "una perla de hombre","
in first among the Filipinos".
face the firing squad Bagumbayan Field, now the Luneta,
at had to admit that Rizal was "the
the early morning of December 30, 1896.
the Revolution against Spain
Even before the outbreak of
that his counurymen
And for the third and last time, we repeat the question: in 1896, many instances can be cited to prove

is Rizal the greatest Filipino hero that ever lived?

Because Rizal's leadership. In the early part
Why here and abroad recognized
worship, because elected lona
by the Filipino in BarceSome
he is a man honored after death by public of 1889 he was unanimously
La Solidaridad.
honorary president of the became chief of the
betore
of exceptional service to mankind". We can say that even and Madrid as
and
his execution. Rizal was already acclaimed by both Filipinos and months later, in Paris,
he organized
foreigners the foremost leader of his people. Writing from 1891, Rizal was again unanimousty
as
ndios Bravos. In January, Associanon.
Barcelona to the Great Malayan on March 10, 1889, Marcelo chosen Responsable (Chief) ofthe Spanish-Filipino
in the founding of
H. del Pilar said: "Rizal no tiene aún derecho á morir: su nombre was also the
founder and moving spirit
ie July 3, 1892.
constituye la más pura é inmaculada bandera de aspiraciones y the Liga Filipina in
Manila on

Plaridel y los suyos no son otra cosa más

que unos voluntario
que militan bajo esa bandera."l" Fernando Acevedo, who callea
Rizal his *distinguido amigo, 12. Ibid,. Tomo Tercero, p. 159
compañero y paisano", wrote tn Jose Rizal
latter from Zaragoza, Travels with
Spain, on October 25, 1889: "I see in you 13. Maximo Viola: My
the model
Filipino; your application to study and your ta 13a. Epistolarko
Rizellno, Tomo
Cuatra

have placed on a
height which I revere and admire."" 14. tbid.. Tomo Cuetro.

9. Laubach, Rizal, Man and 15. Ibd

Martyr, pp. 402-403. 17. Laubach, op. ct., p.
132.
10.
Epistolario Rizalino, Tomo Segundo.
11. bid., Tomo 18. Wbld., pp. 197-199
Segundo, p. 233.
276
 Professor of S a n s k i r t
in the Univer.
One Hero of hispeople? Nothing could be farther from the
of Berlin;
Dr. H. Kern,
celebrated
authority
on Malay affairs.
ruth. In the preceding pages, we have shown beyond the shadow
of Leiden and krench linguist and f adoubt that the Great Malayan, by his own efforts
sity a
distinguished and
Dr. J.
Montano.
author of a
Memoria on
the Philippines.
eacrifices for his oppressed countrymen, had projected himself
anthropologist
and
of the Univesity
of Vienna and as the foremost leader of the Philippines until the moment of
Professor
Dr. F. Mueller, w o m a n who signed

a noted
Dutch literary his immolation, and this fact was
spontaneously acknowledged
a great philologist; and conscientious not only by his own people but also by the elite of ather lands
author of a touching
Wittich, writer of Leipzio.
H. D. Teenk Willink,
Manfred who intimately knew his patriotic labors. We have likewise shown
of Rizal: Herr
biography leader; Dr. Boettger, a noted that immediately after his execution, his own people had justly
Dr. Betances. Cuban political fauna of the
author of works on the acclaimed him as their foremost hero and martyr. The intellectual
German naturalist and
Director of the Museum of
Philippines:Dr. A. B. Meyer,
eminent Filipinologist; M.
and scientific world, as we have also demonstrated, was not slow
Dresden and in according him signal honors as a hero of humanity and as an
Ethnography of a newspaper
Director of L'Express, Apostole of Freedom.
Odekerchen of Leige,
wrote articles; Dr. Ed. Seler, translator
wherein Dr. Rizal
Last Farewell; Mr. H. W. Bray,
Mr. Taft, as Chaiman of the Second Philippine Commission.
in German of Rizal's My
writer; Mr. John Foreman, author arrived in the Philippines in June, 1900. This Commission began
a distinguished English
Herr C. M. Heller, a German functions 1Ist of the same year. On
September
of works on the Philippines; its legislative on
Commission approved
naturalist: Dr. H. Stolpe, a Swedish savant who spoke and June 11 of the ensuing year the Philippine
district of
published on the Philippines and Rizal; Mr. Armand Lehin- Act No. 137, which organized "the politico-military
ant, Austrian engneer and writer;
Dr. J. M. Podhovsky, a Morong" into the "Province of Rizal". This was the FIRST
Commission to honor o u r
notable Czech writer, author of works on the Philippines OFFICIAL STEP taken by the Taft
and Dr. Rizal.3 It should be borne in mind that SIX
greatest hero and martyr. the Taft Commission
the of Act No. 137,
DAYS before passage
Among the scientific necrological services held especially
to
for the purpose of organizing
held a at the town of Pasig
meeting
honor Rizal, the one sponsored by the Anthropological Society attended by the leading citizens
of Berlin on November 20, 1897 at the initiative of Dr. Rudolph the province. In that meeting to combine
a plan was presented
of both Manila and Morong,
Virchow, its President, was the most important and significant. but this proposal met with determined
Dr. Ed Seer recited the German translation of Rizal's "My Last the two districts into one,
the leaders of Morong.
Farewell" on that occasion.20 and objection from
vigorous
of Proceedings of
The newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals througn reads the 'Minutes
"At this point," the Federal Party,
"Dr. Tavera, of
out the civilized world-in Germany, Austria, France, Hollana, the Taft
Commission,
asked that he might
London. the United States, Japan, Hongkong, Macao, Singa who accompanied
the Commission, of
union
to the proposed
with reference
pore, Switzerland,
and in Latin American countries-published
accounts of Rizal's martyrdom in order to render homage to no
make a suggestion
Manila and Morong
provinces. It was his opinion
that in

n o r Manila ought
name of Morong
neither the
greatness. case of union
stated the
c u s t o m which prevailed
He then important
to be retained. countries of naming
Did the Americans, other
especially Governor William H. 1at in the United States and
of some
illustrious
citizen

really choose Rizal out of several Filipino as the districts in memory

that the
united
patriots Nun localities or
In line with
this he suggested
and in honor of
the
ot the country.
'Rizal"', in
memory the
be named illustrious Tagalog
provitces most
25. Osias, op. cit. pp. 446-447. and the H. Taft
illustrious Filipno President
(William
26. Retan, op. dh, p. 439.
most known. The
Stands had ever
281
27. bid, pp. 438-439.
280
 Commission,
not less than the hero
of his people, still we can
say that what the Commission
stated that the of Rizal, and did was rely to confirm a
a fait sort of
-

O.)
proud to do
honor to
the name

provinces, it that Jose Rizal had already been acclaimed

accompli, and that
Filipinos, felt decided to
unite the was
by his
if, after
consideration, it
met the desires of the wthe scientific world as the foremost hero and countrymen
pleasure, if
such action 28 martyr of the
would have
the n e w province
the n a m e of Rizal"
nd of his birth. Nay, we can go even farther and concur with
people, in giving Prof. Blumentritt, who said in 1897:
(ltalics supplied)
of naming the district of Not only is Rizal THE MOST PROMINENT MAN
that the idea
It is obvious then Pardo de 'Tavera, a Filipin OF HIS OWN PEOPLE but THE GREATEST MAN THE
c a m e from
Dr.
Morong after Rizal lt is interesting to kno
American.
MALAYAN RACE HAS PRODUCED. His memory will
and not from Judge Taft, an
A. Malcolm never perish in his fatherland, and future generations of
of Mr. Taft- Justice George
that two countrymen
Laubach- who both
resided in the Philippines Spaniards will yet learn to utter his name with respect and
and Dr. Frank C.
familiar with the history and
reverence." (Capitalization supplied)
who were very
for many years and to the view that Jose Perhaps the following quotation from the late William Came
Filipinos- do not subscribe
lives of great
American-made heto.
Jusice Malcolm had this to say: ron Forbes, an ardent admirer of Rizal and the Governor-General
Rizal is an of Rizal Mausoleum
American occupation of the Philippines during the construction the
In those early days (of the is appropriate at this point. He said:
about that the
Americans had 'made' on the Luneta,
O.). it was bruited become
Rizal a hero to serve their purposes. That was indeed a It is eminently proper that Rizal should have
sinister interpretation of voluntary
American action designed the acknowledged national hero of the Philippine people
assistance to this
to pay tribute to a great man. The American administration has lent every
setting aside the anniversary of his death to be
is follows: recognition,
Dr. Laubach's view about the question as
a day of observance, placing
his picture on the postage stamp
The tradition that every American
hears when he most commonly used in
the Islands, and on the currency.
the site of his school
cooperating with the Filipinos making
reaches the Philippne Islands is that William Howard Taft, in
encouraging the erection
the needed a hero, made one out of in Dapitan a national park,
and
feeling that Filipinos in his honor on the
Rizal. We trust that this book (Rizal: Man and Martyr- of a monument
by public subscription the met his death.
O.) will serve to show how empty that statement is. It Luneta in Manila near place where he
streets in Manila
free from racial important
One of the longest and
most
speaks well for Taft that he was sufficiently Rizal Avenue. The
prejudice to appreciate in some measure the stature ofa named in his memory
has. been and towns have
erected m o n u m e n t s
great Filipino. It was a Spaniard who did more than any Filipinos in many
cities
Islands the public schools
other to save Rizal for posterity - Retana, whose work
to his name, and
throughout the the greatest
memory as
revere his
y Escritos del Dr. Jose Rizal, Madrid, 1907- O.) is
to
(Vida teach the young Filipinos
by far the most complete and scholarly that we have (in (ltalics supplied)
of Filipino patriots." Filipinos who
venture
1936- O.). Like Rizal, he lost all his money in the cause across some
we come Rizal, deserves
of the Filipinos, and died a poor Now and then not Jose
man." Andres
Bonifacio, and
national hero.
the opinion that as our first
Granting for the sake of argument that the Taft Commissiorn acknowledged and canonized
nfle, or a
sword
be a
chose Rizal out of several great Filipinos as the Number To that Rizal
never held a gun,
maintain
hey

28. Report of the Philippine Commission, p. 202. 66. Vol. 1, p.

55.
29. Malcolm, Americen Colonial 31. Craig. op. cit., p. lstends,
Careerist, p. 78. Robertson,
The Philippine
30. Laubach, op. ch., p. 383. 32. Blair and 283

282
 ascholars are men of peace; they bear no arms; but their tongues
of con

and
independence
our
untry in
in fighting
for the liberty assert
that while the foremo are sharper than the sword; their pens carry further and give a

the
battlefiekd. They
further
countries
are
soldier-generals
, ike louder report than thunder. aI had rather stand in the shock of
national
heroes
United
of other
States of Am merica, Napoled a basilisk than in the fury of merciless pen". And finally, let
from Bulwer: "Take
35

of the B o l i v a r of Venezuela us quote away the sword; states can be

George
Washington Simon Jose
Joan of Arc
of France, B e r n a r d o O'Hig liggins of Chile, saved without it; bring the pen!"36
I and
Martin of Argentina, greatest hero was a pacifist For those who may still doubt and question the fact that
de San Our gre
Jimmu Tenno
of Japan, etc., However, o u r neon Rizal is greater, far greater than Bonifacio, or any other Filipino
was his quill.
and a civilian
whose weapon
sense, independent judgment,
and hero, the following observation made by Retana will be sufficient:
in exercising
their good examples of other
followed the Todos los países tienen su ídolo mas ninguno tiene uun
have not
umsual discernment, a military leader for their mayor idolo; que Filipinas. Antes desaparecerá de los
and acknowledging
nations in selecting well stated the case of Estados Unidos iY ya es decir! la memoria de
Rafael Palma has very
greatest hero. Wáshington, que de ilipinas la memoria de RIZAL. No
in these words:
Rizal v e r s u s Bonifacio fué RIZAL, como médico, un Mariani, ni como dibujante
source of pride
and satisfaction to the ni como
It should be a un Gustavo Dore, ni como poeta un Goethe,
their national heroes one of such
Filipinos to have among antropólogo un Virchow, ni como etnógrafo un Ratzel, ni
merits which may be equalled but historiador
excellent qualities and como filipinista un Blumentritt, ni como un

surpassed by any other man. Whereas generally the ni como pensador un Hervás, ni como malayólogo
not Macaulay,
are warriors and generals who ni como novelista
heroes of occidental nations un Kern, ni como filósofo un Descartes,
and tears;
servetheir cause with the sword, distilling blood un Zola, ni como literato un Menéndez y Pelayo, ni comno
the hero of the Filipinos served his cause with the pen, Reclus, ni como
escultor un Querol, ni como geógrafo un
demonstrating that the pen is as mighty as the sword
to
tirador un Pini. Distinguióse en muchas disciplinas; pero
redeem a people from their politicat slavery. It is true that que asegura
in our case the sword of Bonifacio was after all needed to
en ninguna de ellas alcanzó ese grado supremo
mártir del amor á su país.
la inmortalidad. Fué patriota; fué
shake off the yoke of a foreign power; but the revolution otros filipinos; y en qué
Pero en el caso de RIZAL hay
prepared by Bonifacio was only the effect, the consequence cudos sobre todos ellos?
consiste que RIZAL está á miles de
,

of the spiritual redemption wrought by the pen of Rizal. finura exquisita de su espíritu, en la
Sencillamente, en la
su psicología toda,
Hence, not only in
chronological order but also in point of nobleza quijotesca de sú corazón,
en
sin-
importance the previous work of Rizal seems to us superior buena, adorable, psicología que
romántica, soñadora,
to that of Bonifacio, because de un pueblo
although that of Bonifacio was
of immediate results, that of Rizal telizó todos los sentimientos y aspiraciones
oprobioso.
will have more durable viéndose víctima de un régimen
. .

and permanent effects.33 que sufría, se juzga por este

solo
El espíritu de la Revolución tagala
And let us note further sabido, el brazo armado de aquel
es
what other great men said about hecho: Fué, como hombre que dió
the pen being Bonifacio; hé ahí el
mightier and more powerful than the sword movimiento Andres
la tirania, el que
acaudilló las primeras
Napoleon I himself, who wasa
great conqueror and ruler, aid: el primer grito contra
la brecha.
Y á ese hombre
"There are only two huestes, el que
murió en
powers in the world, the sword and e recuerda; no se
le ha eregido ningún
pen, and in the end the apenas se le Mien-
former is no le han
cantado.
latter".The following statement of always conquered by
.
.

monumento; los
vates populares calificó
Revolución, que
applicable to the role played by RizalSir Thomas Browne 1s enemigo de la
tras que á RIZAL,
in our libertarian
33.
strugE
Palma, op. cit., p.367. 35. Ibid., pp. 456-457.
34. Tyron Eduards, The New 36. Loc. cit.
Dictionery of
Theughts, p. 458. 285
284
 de salvaje y deshonrosa, le glorifica el pueblo hasta
dcilicarle. No se ve en esto un pueblo emínentemente
Cspiritual, que tuvo en RIZAL un resumen viviente? Todo
filipino lleva dentro de sí todo lo más que puede de RIZAL;
raro es, en cambio, el que lleva dentro de sí algo del
demagogo Bonifacio.
La inmortalidad de RIZAL está asegurada de cien
maneras. Pero como más asegurada está es porque los
millones de filipinos de hoy, de mañana y de siempre beben
y beberán espíritu de RIZAL; no se nutren de otra cosa.37
In the preceding pages we have tried to show that Rizal
was not only a great hero but the greatest among the Filipinos.
As a matter of fact, the Austrian savant Prof. Blumentritt
him as "the most judged
prominent man
of his own people" and "the
greatest man the has race
Malayan produced". We have also
shown that even
during his lifetime, Rizal was already acclaimed
by both Filipinos and foreigners as the foremost
leader of his
people and that this admiration for him has increased with the
passing of time since his dramatic death on the Luneta
fateful morning of December that
30, 1896. Likewise, we
to disprove the claim
made by some attempted
quarters that Rizal is an
American-made hero, and we also tried to
greater than any other Filipino hero, explain why Rizal is
including Andres Bonifacio.
Who made Rizal the
foremost hero of the
answer is: no single
person or
groups of
Philippines? The
persons were
for making the Greatest
Malayan the Number One Hero responsible
people. Rizal himsclf, his own people, and the of his
together contributed to make him the foreigners all
of his people. No amount
of adulation and
greatest hero and martyr
Filipinos and foreigners could convert Rizal canonization by both
he did not into a great hero if
possess in himself what Palma calls
and merits" or what Retana "excellent qualities
la
spoke of "la finura exquisita de su
espiritu, . . nobleza
quijotesca
psicologla toda, romántica, soñadora, de su corazón,.
.Su
psicología que sintetizó todos los buena, adorable,
un pueblo sentimientos y aspiraciones de
que ufría, viéndose
oprobios0. . . víctima de su regimen

37. Retana, op. cit., pp. 450-451.