MISFOTUNES IN

MADRID
(1890-1891)
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 17 MISFORTUNES IN MADRID (1890-1891)
Early in August, 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid. He tried all legal means to seek justice for his family and
the Calamba tenants, but to no avail. Disappoinment after disappointment piled on him,until the cross he
bore seemed insuperable to carry. He almost fought two duels- one with Antonio Luna and the other with
Wennceslao E. Retana. On top of his misfortunes, Leonor Rivera married a
British engineer. The infedelity of the girl, with whom he was engaged for eleven years, broke his heart.
With resilient strength of character, he survived the bitter pangs of love’s disillusionment and continued his
mission to redeem his oppressed people.
Failure to get Justice for Family. Upon arrival in Madrid, Rizal immediately sought the help of the
Filipino colony, the association Hispano-Filipina, and the liberal Spanish newspapers (La Justicia, E Globo,
La Republica, El Resumen, etc.) in securing justice for the oppressed Calamba tenants, including his family.
Together with M.H. DEl Pilar (who acted as his lawyer) and Dr. Dominador Gomez (secretay
of the Associacion Hispano-Filipina), he called on the Minister of Colonies (Seńor Fabie) in order to protest
the injustices committed by Governor General Valeriano Weyler and the Dominicans against the Calamba
folks.
CHAPTER 17 MISFORTUNES IN MADRID (1890-1891)
Nothing came out of Rizal’s interview with Minister Fabie. As El Resume, a Madrid newspaper which
sympathized with the Filipino cause, said: “To cover the ears, open the purse, and fold the arms- this is the
Spanish colonial policy”.

More tangiblenews reached Rizal in Madrid as he was waging a futile fight for justice. From his brother-
in-law, Sylvestre Ubaldo, he received a copy of the ejectment order bybthe Dominicans against Francisco
Rizal and other Calamba tenants. From his sister, Saturnina, he learned of the deportation of Pacianon
(Rizal), Antonino (Loopez), Silvestre (Ubaldo), Teong (Mateo Elejorde), and Dandoy (Dr.Rizal’s relative) to
Mindoro; the unfortunate deportees were arrested in Calamba and were
shipped out of Manila on September 6, 1890. he further learned from Saturnina’s letter that their parents had
been forcibly ejected from their home and were then living in the house of Narcisa
(Antonino’s wife).
CHAPTER 17 MISFORTUNES IN MADRID (1890-1891)
In his desperation, Rizal sought the aid of the liberal Spanish statesmen, who were former members of the
Ministry, including Becerra and Maura. Again, he was disappointed, for these statesmen merely gave him
honeyed words of sympathy, and nothing else.
Blumentritt in Leitmeritz hearing of his friend’s plight, eurged him to see Queen Regent Maria Cristina
(then ruler of Spain during the minority of Alfonso XIII). but how could he see? Her majesty? He had
neither powerful friends to bring him to the queen’s prsence nor gold to grease the palms of influential
courtiers.
Rizal’s Eulogy to Panganiban. Barely had rizal settled down in Madrid, when he experienced another
disappointment. This was the doleful news that his friend Jose Ma. Panganiban, his talented co-worker in
the Propaganda Movement, died in Barcelona on August 19, 1890, after a lingering illness. He deeply
mourned the passing of this Bicol hero.
CHAPTER 17 MISFORTUNES IN MADRID (1890-1891)
With a sorrowing heart, Rizal took up his pen and wrote a great eulogy to Panganiban as
follows:
Panganiban, that excellent companion of labor and difficulty, that amiable friend and countryman
beloved, has just described to the tomb at the early age of 27 years. We just caught his last whisper, saw him
expire in our arms, as it were, and it seems as if we are listening to his phrases saturated with energetic
patriotism, inspired by the purest love of his native land. He was a desperation to die far, very far from the
native soil, separated from his family, from his deepest affections, and in the flower of his youth, in his
rosiest illusions and hopes, when a rosy future was in sight.
That is why his last words were of loving rememrance of his iidolized Fatherland, were a heartfelt
farewell to the Philippines. And if we still take into account certain events of his life consecrated to a most
vehement love of his native land, we understand the sorrow his heart must have felt to see buried with him
legitimate hopes, ardent desires, and just aspirations.
CHAPTER 17 MISFORTUNES IN MADRID (1890-1891)

August 19, 1890, was a day of mourning to numerous Filipinos in Europe. And what a fatal coincidence
on the same month and day of the year just passed we had to deplore the death of another friend and
ciuntryman, Feliciano Gonzales Timbang.
A sad fate! Panganiban, endowed with uncommon talent with privileged intelligence, and with
indefatigable industry, was one of the sacred, legitimate hopes of his unfortunate country. That head has
been buried in the dust, that vigorous intelligence has been prematurely ended. Filipinas, how unfortune
thou art.

Aborted Duel with Antonio Luna.

Towards the end of August, 1890, Rizal attended a social reunion of the Filipinos in Madrid. As was
customary in these weekly reunions of the paisanos, wine
was served. After drinking so many glasses, the guests became more loquacious and the conversation flowed
freely. One of them, Antonio Luna, became drunk.
Aborted Duel With Antonio Luna

At that time, Luna was bitter because of his frustrated romance with Nelie Boustead. Deep in his heart,
he was blaming Rizal for his failure to win her, although Rizal had previously explained to him that he had
nothing to do about it. In a fit of jealousy, which his alcohol-befogged mind could not control. Luna uttered
certain unsavory remarks about Nellie.
Rizal heard him. His high sense of chivalry could not tolerate any slur against the honor of any woman.
Angered by the slanderous remarks, he challenged Luna, his friend, to a duel.
Rizal was a better pistol shot than Luna. But the latter was his superior as a swordsman. Luna, as the
challenged party, had the choice of weapons. Logically, he would have to choose the sword; in which case,
Rizal’s life would be in jeopardy.
The Filipinos were shocked by the incident. They tried to pacify Rizal and Luna, pointing out to both that
such a duel would damage their cause in Spain.
Fortunately, Luna, when he became sober, realized that he had made a fool of himself during his drunken
state. He apologized for his bad remarks about the girl. Rizal immediately accepted hisapology, and
the two became good friends again.
Rizal challenges Retana to Duel

Because he believed that discretion is the better part of valor, and more so to save his own skin, Retana at
once published a retraction and an apology in the newspapers. His seconds had warned him that he had no
chance whatsover against Rizal on a field of honor, for Rizal was his superior in both pistol and sword.
The incident silenced Retana’s pen against Rizal. He developed a great admiration for the latter, and
years afterward he wrote the first book-lenght biography of the greatest Filipino hero, whoose talents he
came to recognize and whose martyrdom he glorified.

Infidelity of leonor Rivera

In the autumn of 1890 Rizal was feeling bitter at so many

disappointments he encountered in Madrid. One night he and some friends attended a play at Teatro Apolo,
and there he lost hs gold watch chain with a locket containing the picture of Leonor Rivera, his beloved
sweetheart.
Infidelity of Leonor Rivera

Three months later, Blumentritt sent another comforting letter saying: “I am grieved with all my heart
that you have lost the girl to whom you were engaged, but if she was able to renounce a Rizal, she did not
possess the nobility of your spirit. She is like a child who cast away a diamond to seize a pebble. In other
words, she is not the woman for Rizal.

Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry

Toward the closing days of 1890 there arose an unfortunate rivalry

between Rizal and M.H del Pilar for supremacy. Rizal, the most talented Filipino of his time, was until then
the undisputed leader of the Filipinos in Europe. On the other hand, Del Pilar, the fearless
lawyer_x0002_journalist, was gaining prestige in Madrid for his vigorous editorials in La Solidarida, which
he came to own. He had purchased this fortnightly periodical from Pablo Rianzares, its first proprietor, and
had
replaced Graciano Lopez Jaena as its editor.
Infidelity of Leonor Rivera

The loss of the locket proved to be a bad omen. Early in December 1890, with the cold winds of winter
sweeping across the shivering city, Rizal received a letter from Leonor, announcing her coming marriage to
an Englishman (the choice of her mother) and asking his forgiveness. This letter was a great blow to him. He
was stunned, his eyes dimmed with tears, and his heart broke.
Several agonizing weeks passed before he could confide to his best friend Blumentritt. In his reply to
Rizal dated February 15, 1891, Blumentritt consoled him, saying: “Your last letter filled us with sadness;
after all the misfortunes that have befallen you, now your beloved has abandoned you. My wife cannot
understand how a woman whom a Rizal has honored with his girl. I myself feel it deeply,
but only on your account for I know how your heart is pained; but you are one of the heroes who conquer
pain from higher ends. You have a courageous heart, and you are in love with a nobler woman, the
Motherland. Filipinas is like one of those enchanted princesses in the German legends, who is a captive of a
horrid dragon, until she is freed by a valiant knight.
Rizal challenges Retana to Duel

Rizal was by nature neither hot-tempered nor pugnacious. But when the honor of his people, family,
women, or friends was besmirched, he never hesitated to fight even if he were risking his own life. On
another occasion, he challenged another man to a duel_x0002_Wenceslao E. Retana, his bitter enemy of the
pen.
Retana, a talented Spanish scholar, was then a press agent of the friars in Spain. He used to attack the
Filipinos, including Rizal, in various newspapers in Madrid and other cities in Spain. One day he
imprudently wrote an article in La Epoca, an anti-Filipino newspaper in Madris, asserting that the family
and friends of Rizal had not paid their rents so that they were ejected from their lands in Calamba by the
Dominicans.
Such an insult stirred Rizal to action. Immediately, he sent his seconds to Retana with his challenge to a
duel. Only Retana’s blood or his apology could vindicate the good name of Rizal’s family and friends.
Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry

As leader, Rizal tried to imbue his compatriots with his own idealism for he believed that to gain prestige
for the Propaganda Movement and to win the respect of the Spanish people they must possess high
standards of morality, dignity and spirit of sacrifice. Unfortunately, his idealism was not shared by certain
frivolous countrymen, who loved wine, women, and cards. Consequently, Rizal’s leadership declined. Some
of his former admirers, who supported his leadership turned against him
because they resented his interference in their private lives. They became supporters of Del Pilar.
The editorial policy of La Solidaridad under Del Pilar’s management enhanced the cleavage between
Rizal and Del Pilar. Rizal and his close friends objected to the periodical’s editorial policy which was
occasionally contrary to Rizal’s political views.
To avert the break-up between Rizal and M.H Del Pilar, the Filipinos in Madrid, numbering about ninety
met on January 1, 1891, New Year’s Day, to patch up their differences and to intensify the campaign for
reform. It was decided in this meeting that a leader called Responsable, be chosen to direct the affairs of the
Filipino community and to determine the editorial policy of La Solidaridad.
Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry

Del Pilar opposed the proposition that the periodical be placed under the control of the Responsable on
the ground that it was a private enterprise; however, he was willing to publish articles that would express the
aspirations and demands of the Filipino people.
Owing to Del Pilar’s opposition, the proposition to place La solidaridad under the control of the
Responsable was abandoned. The meeting proceeded to the business of electing the Responsable. It was
agreed that the Responsable should be elected by a two-thirds vote of the Filipino community.

Rizal Abdicates His Leadership

The election took place during the first week of February, 1891. The Filipinos were divided into two
hostile camps- the Rizalistas and the Pilaristas.
Passion ran high, inflaming animosity and disunity in the ranks of the compatriots. From the very
beginning, on the first day of the voting, Rizal was wining, but he could not obtain the required two-thirds
vote to be proclaimed Responsable. On the second day of balloting, the result was again indecisive - Rizal
won but the votes cast for him did not reach the required two-thirds.
Rizal Abdicates His Leadership

The situation was becoming explosive and critical. On the third day, Mariano Ponce appealed to his
countrymen with stirring eloquence to vote for Rizal. Some PIlaristas, evidently, heeded his plea. For the
voting that day resulted in Rizal’s victory. Having obtained the necessary two-thirds vote, he became the
Responsable.
But Rizal graciously declined the coveted position. He was a man of honor and dignity, with a high sense
of delicadeza, which many politicians in all countries and in all ages, seldom posses, so that he did not relish
being a leader of a divided people. He knew that some of his compatriots who supported Del Pilar despised
or disliked him. So he preferred to abdicate his leadership rather than be the cause of disunity and bitterness
among his countrymen.

Adios, Madrid

Rizal wrote a brief note thanking his compatriots for electing him as Responsable. Sadly, he packed up
his bags, paid his bills, and boarded a train leaving for Biarritz.
As his train pulled out of the railway station, he gazed through its window at the city of Madrid, where he
was happy during his first sojourn (1882-1885) but unhappy on his second visit (1890-1891). it was the last
time he saw Madrid. His agonizing heart bade goodbye to the metropolis, of which he had written years ago:
Adios, Madrid

Madrid is one of the gayest cities of the world which combines the spirit of Europe and the East, which
has adopted the orderliness, the convenience, the bon ton of civilized Europe without disdaining, without
repelling, the brilliant colors, the ardent passions, the primitive customs of the African tribes, of the
chivalrous Arabs whose traces are still recognizable everywhere, in the look, feelings, and prejudices of the
people, and even in their laws.