Rizal’s Second Sojourn in Paris

and the Universal Exposition

of 1889
CHAPTER 15

BY:
Renz Emiel A. Silverio
RIZAL’S SECOND SOJOURN IN PARIS
Janelle Kaye Borabo
Rose Shean Balbalosa
AND THE UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION OF
1889
CHAPTER 15
 INTRODUCTION
Paris in the spring of 1889 was bursting with gaiety and
excitement because of the Universal Exposition. Thousands of visitors
from all corners of the world crowded every hotel, inn, and boarding
house. Everywhere in the metropolis, the hotel rates and house rents
were soaring sky high, Rizal, fresh from London, was caught in the whirl
of gay Parisian life. Despite the social parties and the glittering lights of
the city, he continued his fruitful artistic, literary, and patriotic labors. He
published his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos; founded three
Filipino societies and wrote Por Telefono, a satire against Fr. Salvador
Front.
 DIFFICULTY OF FINDING QUARTERS

 During the exposition, Rizal lived in the house of his friend

VALENTIN VENTURA, at No. 45 Rue Maubeuge.
 He transferred several times.
 Finally, he lived in a little room, together with two other Filipinos
– Capitan Justo Trinidad former gobernadorcillo of Sta. Ana
Manila, and a refugee from Spanish tyranny, and Jose Albert, a
young student from Manila.

VALENTIN VENTURA
LIFE IN PARIS

 Mostly at Bibliotheque Nationale (Natinal Bookstore) checking up

historical annotations on Morga’s book.
 Writing letters to his family and friends
 At the gymnasium for his daily exercise
 Visiting his friends
 Would dine at the homes of his friends:
- Pardo de Taveras ( Dr. Trinidad a physician & philologist, Dr.
Felix a phusician & an artist/sculptor, and Paz wife of Juan Luna.
- Venturas
- Lunas
Bibliotheque Nationale
-
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, Juan
Luna, 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 de
Tavera both obtained the third prize. Rizal’s entry
(a bust which he modelled) got no prize. PARIS 1889
KIDLAT CLUB

 Organized by Rizal on March 19, 1889

 Members: Antonio & Juan Luna, Gregorio
Aguilera, Fernando Canon, Lauro Dimayuga,
Julio Lllorente, Guillermo Puatu and Baldomero
Roxas
 Rizal to bring together young Filipinos in the
French capital so that they could enjoy their
sojourn in the city during the duration of the
Universal Exposition
 Why kidlat club? It will also disappear like
lightning
INDIOS BRAVOS

• Rizal and the members of the Kidlat Club were

amazed to see the Buffalo Bull show which
featured the American Indians
• These Red skinned Indians were proudly riding
their sturdy ponies, elegantly dressed in their
native attire and wearing their war feathers and
paints.
Rizal told his friends:
Let us be proud of the name Indio and make our Spanish enemies
revise their conception of the term
We shall be Indios Bravos
The Indios Bravos (brave Indians) replaced the ephemeral Kidlat
Club.
RDLM SOCIETY
 Another society founded by Rizal in Paris during the Universal Exposition
of 1889
 Rizal was inspired by a famous book entitled Max Havelaar written by
Multatuli

 Dr. Leoncio Lopez-Rizal (grandnephew)

- To have freedom of action to attain the aims of R.D.L.M which means
the Redemption of the Malay Race
 Novemeber 23, 1892 – Rizal’s writing to Blumentritt from Hongkong >>>
revealed his intention to be a leader of FREEDOM, if not in the Philippines,
then in other lands (Borneo)
ANNOTATED EDITION OF MORGA
PUBLISHED
 Rizal’s outstanding achievement in Paris (1980)
 wrote in the British Museum
 printed by Garnier Freres
 Professor Blumentritt – wrote the Prologue
Rizal errors:
- Rizal commits the error of many historians in appraising the events
of the past in the light of present standards
- Rizal’s attacks on the church were unfair and unjustified because
the abuses of the friars should not be construed to mean that
Catholicism is bad.
 Dedicated new edition of Morga to the Filipino people >> to know
their glorious past : TO THE FILIPINOS
•Proved that Filipinos were already civilized before the advent of Spain
COMMENT ON MORGA’S
PUBLICATION DATE
 “Paris, Libreria de Garnier Hermanos, 1890” – title page of Rizal’s annotated edition of Morga,
 Documentary evidence to show that Rizal’s edition of Morga must have come off the press in
1889 – not 1890.
• October 12, 1889 – Blumentritt received the edition (Leitmeritz)
• December 28, 1889 – Rizal sent copies to Dr. Baldomero Roxas from Paris to Lipa
• December 31, 1889 – Mariano Ponce received the book

 Incontrovertible proofs that Morga’s Sucesos came off 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 knowledge of foreign languages enabled Rizal to read
historical documents:
-Pigafetta’s famous First Voyage Around the World (Italian)
-Works of Marsden, Raffles, Lord Stanley, and Wallace (English)
-Writings of Blumentritt, Jagor, and Virchow (German)
 By his extensive reading of archival sources and books in foreign
countries, he acquired wide knowledge not only of Philippines
history, but also the history of European colonization in Asia.
THE PHILIPPINES WITHIN A
CENTURY
 In this article, Rizal expressed his views on the Spanish
colonization in the Philippines and predicted with 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 described their 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 if she 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 in the country brought about a
decline in economic activities because the Filipinos abandoned
their pre-Spanish industries and worked less than their ancestor
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
FILIPINOLOGISTS
Universal Exposition of 1889 (Paris).
Letter to Blumentritt – January 14, 1889
Prospectus: aim of the association – “to study the Philippines from
the scientific and historical point of view”
Their inaugural 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
HONGKONG
 This College aims to train and educate men of good family and
financial means in accordance with the demands of modern times and
circumstances.
 A rich Filipino resident in Paris, Mr. Mariano Cunanan, from Mexico,
Pampanga, promised to help him raise 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
 In fall of 1889, Rizal wrote satirical work as a reply to another slander
of Fr. Salvador Font.
 Por Telefono was published in boklet from Barcelona
 He used the pen name “Dimas Alang”
 Telephone conversation between Fr. Font (Madrid) and the father
provincial (San Agustin Convent in Manila)
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 reasons were: To check up his
annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesos with the original copy
in the British Museum 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
 DIFFICULTY OF FINDING QUARTERS

 It was difficult for a visitor to find a living quarter in Paris because

Universal Exposition was approaching and it attracted thousands of
tourists.
 For a short time, Rizal lived with Valentin Ventura at No. 45 Rue Maubeuge
where he polished his annotated edition of Morga’s book.
 Finally, he lived in a little room with: Capitan Justo Trinidad and Jose
Albert.
THANK YOU!!!