"Astounding is the number of the initiated; in Manila and its province
alone they exceed 14,000, and in the provinces of Cavite, Batangas,
Laguna and Nueva Ecija there are no less than 20,000. Adding to
this number those of the remainder of Luzon, the total will ascend
to an enormous mass of "illusioned" who bowed in obedience to an
inquisitous schemer. It must be recognized, however, that Bonifacio
is not a common man; of active character, energetic and bold, gifted
with a facility of expression in his language which suggested itself
to his countrymen; of a criterion clear but badly cultivated by the
reading of books of an elevated style and a pernicious character [11]
and possessed of an unfathomable ambition--such was the warehouse
porter who had charge of the store house of the foreign commercial
house of Fressel and Co. in Calle Nueva, Binondo [12].
"His proclamations, pamphlets, and circulars although not a model of
literature were possessed of a certain amount of culture.
"In Calle Clavel, in the dwelling house of Alejandro Santiago, the
Katipunan possessed a secret printing establishment, in which were
prepared many most injurious and insulting publications. There also was
edited and published the paper Kalayaan (Liberty) (93) which only twice
saw the light and which was supposed to have been printed in Yokohama,
(it bearing the name of that town as the place of publication) and
was published over the signature of Marcelo H. del Pilar. This was
all false, all studied out for the purpose of throwing dust in the
eyes of the local authorities. The paper was edited by Bonifacio, his
brother-in-law Teodoro Plata and the secretary of the Supreme Council,
Emilio Jacinto, a young student of law, of no scanty intelligence.
"On the 19th of August last (1896) the conspiracy was denounced and
a great number of imprisonments were made by this Corps. Bonifacio
and those more closely connected with him in his schemes, fled aghast
to the neighboring pueblo of Caloocan and there remained hidden in
the house of the Capitan Municipal (a native) and in that of the
Capitán Pasado (also a native) Adriano de J, father-in-law to Andrés
Bonifacio. On the 23rd Bonifacio set out for the barrio of Balintauac,
followed by some 200 inhabitants of Caloocan; on the 24th they were
combatted by the Civil Guard in the fields of the said pueblo and
fled to their former hiding place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account