«In January 1890 the «Asociacion Hispano-Filipina,» [4] the delegation,
and the paper La Solidaridad were installed in Madrid. Morayta
accepted the presidency of the Association and became proprietor of
the newspaper from which such good results were expected, it counting
with an increased output to supply enforced subscriptions among masons
and their associates at the rate of a peso a head.
«From that moment Morayta was made the idol of the turbulent indians,
who considered him as their redeemer; no one is ignorant of the
labors undertaken by the said personage in Spain, both in the realms
of journalism and around and about the powers that be, on behalf of
the securing representation in the Cortes, the liberty of association
(35) and that of the press, municipal autonomy and even under a hidden
guise, of that of the colony; in the memory of all is preserved
the remembrance of the banquet given by the Filipinos inspired by
Morayta, to Sr. Labra, the autonomist deputy for Cuba, and no one has
forgotten the proposition presented to the Congress by Sr. Junoy, the
republican deputy, also inspired by the Association and the delegation
presided over and protected by Morayta. And who finally, does not
feel indignation upon calling to mind the articles published in La
Solidaridad by the Filipinos Kalipulako (M. Ponce), Jaena (G. Lopez),
Dimas-Alang (José Rizal), Eduardo Lete, Taga-Ilog (Antonio Luna),
Juan Totoo (J. Zulueta) and Kupang or Maitalagá (M. del Pilar)?
«What Spaniard is not fired to anger, upon reading the books and
pamphlets written by Rizal, Luna and Lopez and the infinite number of
printed libels which circulate here full of falsities and loathsome
calumnies against the most sacred and venerated, the Fatherland? Have
we forgotten, perhaps, Dr. Blumentritt (36) who repaid our most
generous hospitality by making common cause with our enemies? Do
we not call to mind, peradventure, that all the filipino colony in
Spain and a good portion of that here resident, sympathised with that
ungrateful man, conferring upon him the honor of banqueting him and
extending to him their congratulations?
«Fortunately these labors obtained no practical result in the peninsula
(37), but they caused the native element of some amount of culture
to harbor imaginary ills and want of confidence in the Metropolis,
covert discontent with the authorities of the islands (38), and
finally, sowed the seed of aspirations which could never be realized
[5]. but a seed which is to-day, unfortunately, bearing fruit.
«A casino of recreation known as the Centro Filipino, was also
organized in Madrid: a revolutionary club was the only thing to
which that center could be compared. There Spain was discussed,
criticized and slandered under the shelter of the law of association
which prevails in the Peninsula, and shielded by the hypocrisy and
deception so proper of cowards.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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