CHAPTER 15

RIZAL’S SECOND SOJOURN

IN PARIS AND THE
UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION OF
1889
UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION 1889

• World’s Fair held in Paris, France

• Thousands of visitors from all the world
crowded every hotel, inn and boarding house.

• He published his annotated edition of Morga’s

Sucesos; founded 3 Filipino societies, the Kidlat
Club, Indios Bravos and the R.D.L.M. and wrote
Por Telefono, a satire against Fr. Salvador Font
UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION 1889
DIFFICULTY OF FINDING
QUARTERS
• For a short time, Rizal lived in the house of
his friend Valentin Ventura at No. 45 Rue
Maubeuge, where he polished his amotated
edition of Mor ga’s book.

• He lived in a little room together with 2 other

Filipinos,Captain Justo Trinidad a former
gobernadorcillo of Santa Ana and a refugee
from Spanish tyranny, and Jose Albert, a
young student from Manila.
LIFE IN PARIS

• He used most his time in the reading room of

the Bibliotheque(National Library) checking up
his historical annotations on Morga’s book
• June 24, 1889
In his spare hours Rizal used to dine at the
a baby girl was born to Juan Luna and
•
homes of his friends, such as the Pardo de Paz de Tavera.She was their second
Taveras, the Bousteads, the Lunas, etc. child, the first was a boy named Andres,
whose pet name wa Luling and Rizal
Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, a physician by was her baptismal godfather(ninong),
vocation and philologist by a vocation. Dr.Felix who chose her name “Maria de la Paz,
Pardo de Tavera, also physician by vocation an Blanca, Laureana,
artist and sculptor by avocation. And Paz Pardo Hermenegilda Juana Luna y Pardo de
de Tavera, wife of Juan Luna. Pardo de Taveras Tavera
were the children of Don Joaquin Pardo de Tavera
an exile of 1872 who escaped from the Marianas
and lived in France.
RIZAL AND PARIS EXPOSITION OF 1889
Rizal was fascinated by the Universal Exposition of Paris
which openen on May 6, 1889. The greatest attraction if
this exposition was the Eiffel Tower, 984 feet high which
built by Alexander Eiffel, French engineer. Alexander Gustave Eiffel
President Sadi Carnot
Rizal and his friend attended the opening ceremonies
and saw the cutting of ribbon by President Sadi Carnot
of the Third Frech Republic.

One of the features of the Exposition was the

international art competition in which Felix R. Hidalgo,
Juan Luna, Felix Pardo de Tavera, and Rizal participated.
Felix R. Hidalgo Juan Luna
HIDALGO’s- awarded the 2nd prize.
The paintings of Juan Luna and F. Padro de Tavera each
obtained the 3rd prize, while Rizal’s entry (a burst which
he modelled got no prize. This burst was quite good to
qualify for the exhibition, but no good enough to win an
international prize.

Felix Pardo de Tavera Rizal

THREE FILIPINO SOCIETIES RIZAL FOUNDED

KIDLAT CLUB ( March 19, 1889)

the same day when Rizal arrived in Paris from
London and he organized his paisanos
( compatriots) into a society called Kidlat Club.
Among the members were Antonio and Juan
Luna, Gregorio Aguilera, Fernando Canon, Lauro
Dimayuga, Julio Llorente, Guillermo Puatu and
Baldomero Roxas.

Kidlat( lightning) club was a purely a social

society of temporary nature. It was founded by
Rizal simply to bring together the young Filipino in
the French Capital.
For the same reasons this club will last only
during Exposition, it formed in one hour and will
disappear also like a lightning.
THREE FILIPINO SOCIETIES RIZAL FOUNDED

INDIOS BRAVOS( Brave Indians)

Its members pledged to excel in intellectual and
physical prowess in order to win the admiration of
the foreigners, particularly the Spaniards.

They practised with the great enthusiasm the use

of the swrod and pistol.

Rizal taught them “judo” an Asian art of self-

defense, that learned in Japan.
THREE FILIPINO SOCIETIES RIZAL FOUNDED

R.D.L.M SOCIETY
Redencion de los Malayos( Redemption of the Malays)
It was a mysterious sociedad(society) and only 2 men he
mentioned in this secret society: Jose Maria Basa,Paris,
September 21,1889 and Marcelo H. del Pilar,Paris,November
4,1889

According to the grandnephew of Rizal, Dr. Lopez-Rizal, the

society has a symbol or countersign represented by a circle
divided into 3 parts by two semi-circle having center interlocked
letters I and B means Indios Bravos and R.D.L.M.Redencion de
los Malayos
( Redemption of the Malays)
THREE FILIPINO SOCIETIES RIZAL FOUNDED

Only a few trusted friends of Rizal became members: Gregorio

Aguilera, Jose Ma. Basa, Julio Llorente, Marcelo Hdel Pilar,
Mariano Ponce, Baldomero Roxas and Father JoseMaria
Changco (Filipino priest).

The aim of it was “ the propagation of all useful knowledge-

scientific, artistic,literary, etc.- in the Philippines and the
Redemption of the Malay Race”
ANNOTATED EDITION OF MORGA
PUBLISHED

 Rizal’s outstanding achievement in

Paris (1980) of his annotated edition
of Morga’s Sucesos
 He wrote in the British Museum
 It was printed by Garnier Freres
 Professor Blumentritt- wrote the
Prologue
 Rizal’s errors
 Rizal published Morga’s Sucesos
 Dedicated his new edition of Morga to
the Filipino people.
 Comment on Morga’s Publication October 12, 1889
Date
 The title page of Rizal’ s annotated  Wrote to Rizal from Leitmeritz saying
edition of Moga’s read: “Paris Libreria de “I have just received your magnif icent
Garnier Hermanos, 1890”. From this edition of Morga. This edition with
printed date, all biographers of Rizal your erudite notes will glorify your
came to assert that his edition of Morga name.
was published in 1890.

Blumentritt December 28, 1889

 The documentary evidence to show  Rizal sent copies to Dr. Baldomero

the Rizal’s edition of Morga must have Roxas from Paris, stated: “ Today I
come off in the 1889 not 1890 . sent to Lipa four copies of Morga.
Later I will send some more”.
 December 31, 1889
 Mariano Ponce wrote to Rizal from Barcelona, saying:  Pigafetta’s famous f ir st Voyage around the
“ I received the book Sucesus. Many thanks. I have world in Italian
read only Blumentritt’s prologue. Truly excellent.  The historical works of Marsden, Raf fles, Lord
Please send me immediately about ten copies that I Stanley, and Wallace in English.
can send to the Philippines by the f irst mail that is  The writings in Blumentritt, Jagor and Virchow
going there”. in German.
 The books of M. Jacquet, J. Mallet and A.
Marche in French.
Rizal as Historian  The works of T.H Pardo de Tavera, Perdro A.
Paterno, Miguel Morayta, and Pi y Margall in
 Rizal’s research studies in British Museum (London ) Spanish.
and in the Biliotheque Nationale (Paris) enriched his
historical knowledge. His splendid annotations to
Morga’s book showed his familiarity with the basic
principles of historiography. As he once told Isabelo
de Los Reyes: “ A historian outh to be rigorously
impar ted. I never asser t anything on my own
authority. I cite text and when I do, I have them
before me”.
 HISTORICAL COMMENTARIES
December 6, 1888 – London
Ma-yi
January 7, 1889 – Tawalisi of Ibn Batuta
September 30, October 31, December 15, 1889 and February 15, 1890 –
published in La Solidaridad in four issues.
July 15, July 31, August 1, August 31, and September 1, 1890 – Sobre La
Indolencia de los Filipinos ( The indolence of the Filipinos), published in La
Solidaridad in five successive issues.
La Politica Colonial on Filipinas ( Colonial Policy in the Philippines), no date:
Manila en el mes de Diciembre, 1872 ( Manila in the Month of December, 1872
), no date: Historia de la Familia Rizal de Calamba ( History of Rizal family of
Calamba); no date and Los Pueblos del Archipielago Indico ( The peoples of
the Indian Archipelago), no date.
 Significant passage in this historical essay as follow:

To recapitulate: the Philippines will remain Spanish if they enter upon the life of law and
civilization, if the rights of their inhabitants are respected, if the other eights due them are
granted, if the liberal policy of the government is carried out without trickery of meanness,
without subterfuges or false interpretations.


Otherwise, if an attempt is made to see in the Islands a lode to be exploited, a resource to
satisfy ambitions. Shutting its ears to all cries of reason, then however great may be the
loyalty of the Filipinos, it will be impossible to hinder the operations of the inexorable laws
of history. Colonies established to sub-serve the policy and commerce of the sovereign
country, all eventually become independent.


If the Philippines secure their independence after heroic and stubborn conf lict, they can
rest assured that neither England nor Germany, nor France, and still less Holland will dare
to take up what Spain has been unable to hold.
1. The native revolts and other internal disorders which followed the establishment.

2. The wars which the Filipinos fought for Spain against the Dutch, Portuguese, English, and other enemies.

3. The frightful raids on the coastal towns and village of Christian Philippines by the Muslim pirates of Mindanao
and Sulu.

4. The forced labour which compelled thousands of Filipino laborers to work in shipyards, roads, bridges, and
other public works, resulting in the abandonment of industry, commerce, and agriculture.

5. Lack of stimulus t work harder because the people could not enjoy the fruits of their labor.

6. Government neglect and indifference to agriculture, industries, and commerce.

7. The bad example shown by the Spaniards is despising manual labor.

8. The teaching of Spanish missionaries that it is easier for a poor to enter heaven that for a rich man, hence the
Filipinos prefer not to work and be poor so that they could easily enter the heaven after their die.

9. Encouragement and propagation of gambling by the Spanish authorities and;

10. System of Spanish education did not promote economic enterprise and activity for as Rizal asserted, the
education of the native was “ from his birth until he sinks into grave brutalizing, depressive and anti- human”
and deprives him of his dignity”.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FILIPINOLOGISTS
 Taking advantage of the world attention which was then
focused at the universal exposition of 1889 in Paris, Rizal
proposed to established an “International Association of
Filipinologists” and have its inaugural convention in the
French capital. He f irst submitted this idea to Blumentritt
in a letter dated January 14, 1889, and the latter gladly
su p p or t e d h i m . H e w r ot e t h e p r osp e ct u s of t h i s
international association. According to his prospectus, the
aim of the association is to “ study the Philippine from the
scientific and historical point of view”
President: Dr. Ferdinand Counsellor: Dr. Antonio
Blumentritt (Austrian) Ma. Regidor (Filipino-
Spanish)

Counsellor: Dr. Reinhold

Rost (Anglo-German)

Vice President: Mr. Secretary: Dr. Jose Rizal

Edmund Plauchut (Filipino)
(French)
 August 1889

 Rizal schedule the holding of the inaugural convention of the

International Association of Filipinologists in Paris. He prepared
the agenda and invited renowned scholars in Europe, such as
Dr. Reinhold Rost, Sir Henry Yule, Dr. Feodor Jagor, Dr. A.B.
Meyer, Dr. H. Kern, and Dr. Czepelak, to take part in the
proceedings.
 He wrote to his friend, Jose Maria Basa, about
this matter. According to Rizal, this college
aims “ to train and educate men of good family
and f in ancial means in accordance with the
demands of modern times and circumstances”.
A rich Filipino resident in Paris , Mr. Mariano
Cunanan, from Mexico Pampanga, promised
promise to help him raise P40,000 as initial
capital for the college.
 The curriculum consisted of the following subjects:

Study of Natural Civil Hygiene

Ethics Deportment
Religion Law Law

Physics Political
Natural
Mathematics and Geography
History Economy
Chemistry

Universal Philippine
History History Logic, Rhetoric, and Poetics

Chines Tagalog
Spanish English French German
e

Gymnastic Fencing Swimming, Music, Drawing and

Equitation
s Dancing
 “ Por Telefono”
 We have mentioned before that Rizal defended his Noli
from the slanderous attack of Fray Jose Rodriguez by
penning a satirical booklet entitled La Vision del Fray
Rodriguez. In the fall of 1889 he wrote another satirical
work entitled Por Telefono as a reply to another slander,
Fr. Salvador Font, Who masterminded the banning of
his Noli.

 Was published in booklet from in Barcelona, 1889 ,

Rizal received the printed copies from Mariano Ponce,
as revealed by his letter to the latter, dated Paris,
August 13, 1889.
Christmas in Paris
 December 25, 1889 was a wintry day in Paris. Rizal
and Jose Albert, who were living frugally in a small
room occupied by Capitan Justo Trinidad, planned
to have a sumptuous Christmas dinner. They
scraped enough money to celebrate Yuletide. They
prepared a Christmas dinner with fried chicken,
rice and vegetable. This dinner proved to be Rizal’s
last Christmas dinner in Paris.
1. To check up his annotated edition of Morga’s Sucesus with the original copy
in the British Museum.
2. To see Gertrude Beckett for the last time.