Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-28
TREASURED DEEDS OF RIAL
HOnOrs to the Memory of Libsrty'S Marty
in the Philippines.
IDEAL TYPE OF NATIVE MANHOOD
Memory Of Man Condemned and shot
by spanish Authorities Vindicated
and Revered by the Amer
tcnn Administration.

tory OF spanish rule IN tne fHlllpllueS 10
the trial by a drumhead court-martial and
execution OF Jose Rial, the Jefferson Of
the Filipino people. who sought by peace
full means to break the chains of tyranny.
The anniversary of his birth forty-four
years ago, falls on June 1s, and is OBJ
served with commemorative exercises in
all public schools on the Islands. A sketch
Of the life of Rial in the Philippine
Teacher. from the pen Of Austin Craig, Will
interest lovers of liberty everywhere Mr..
Craig writes:
Jose Rial, whom the sapnish govern
ment in the Philippines called criminal
and shot to death as a warning to others,
under the American administration is held
out to his countrymen as an ideal type of
manhood. His picture appears upon the
most commonly used form OF the paper cur
rency, a like distinction will be given 1t in
the new series of postage stamps soon to
appear. and the day of his death has been
set apart as a holiday that the lessons OF
his life may not be forgotten, while large
sum OF money is awaiting sufficient in
crease to erect in Manila memorial which
shall EXCEL all other monuments in the
Philippines by as much as the authorities
believe his services exceed the efforts of
any other one man for the good of the
people of the archipelago
Early Life and Training.
"Of almost pure Tagalog ancestry, he was
born in Calamba, on the southern shore OF
the Laguna de Bay, Luzon island, on June
10, 1861. His family were in comfortable
circumstances and in his boyhood he was
! taught by a wise and learned Filinipo prist
Padre Leontio. Soon he entered the Jesuit
college at Manila, where he carried off all
the honors. At 1S. besides many odes, he
had written melodrama in verse which
was successfully played in Manila. This
play named "Junto al Pasig," tells of
children who are supposed to be saved from
| the snares of satan by the Virgin of An
tisolo.
AT 20. Rial went to Madrid TO study,
and later to Germany, Austria France
! and England, learning the languages OF
each and acquaintIng himself with the 1T
| erature and progress of these countries.
! All this made him realize the more how his
/ homeland had suffered from Spanish neg
| lect and misrule To call attention to these
abuses of government he wrote a novel,
| 'Noi me tongere,' which faithfully de-
scribed the intolerable conditions in the
I Philippines but of course such book
! could not come into these islands then for
! the Spaniards would not permit any criti-
| cism of themselves and their ways. It
was printed in Germany, but secretly many
| copies got into these islands and were
! eagerly read by the people who recognized
how true to life was his story. Now he
! had been away from home for five years, so
he returned. only to find himself in danger
when he tried to get justice for his towns
people in a law suit over land which they
were having with some powerful neigh
bors. Next he went to Japan. and after
a short stay crossed over to America, and
thence to England, where he edited in
! Spanish Morga's "Sucesos de las Islas Fill
ipinas." an important work which the
! Spanish had neglected. although an Eng
lish edition had been published
Futile Appeals.
After publishing this work in Paris Rizal
| returned TO Spain in 1890, and through a
series of pleas for the Philippines published
in the Solidaridad, a liberal journal of Bar
celona and later Madrid, tried, but in vain,
to secure the sympathy of Spain Disap-
pointed but not discouraged, he withdrew
to Belgium and there wrote his second
novel 'El Filibusterismo.' which seeks to
point out the remedies for his country's
wrongs.
Then he returned to the Soldardad and
in a series of powerful articles prophesied
the downfall of Spain in the Philippines
and with education no longer restricted,
the advancement Of the people.
Again he returned to the orient and from
Hongkong offered his services to the Phil
ippine government toward checking the
discomfort which then, in 1884, had grown
into a revolt in Calamba. But the Spanish
governor general broke his word, for upon
Rizals arrival he was arrested on a charge
| of stirring up treason and though nothing
could be proved against him he was ban
ished to Dapidan, on the island Of Min
danao. Here he spent four years beloved
by the people, teaching them agriculture
treating their sick (the poor without
charge), improving their schools and Wis
tied from time TO time by patients from
abroad. for he was famed as an eye doctor
+, During this time he prepared in English an
, explanation of Tagalog verbs. some think
with the hope that Americas growing In,
terest in Cuban wrongs might bring as Il
finally did, another government TO the
Philippines and one which believed in the
{ general education of the people in theil
t own language.
Trapped and Executed.
with the breaking out of the Philippine
, rebellion of 1896 Rizal obtained permission
to go to Cuba as an army surgeon and go
Q as far as Barcelona, in Spain, but was re
2 turned from there TO Manila as a prisoner
e in answer TO kilograms charging him Will
; stirring up treason and rebellion. Thougl
Il was impossible that he could be guilty
he was convicted by the eourt-martial, oi
military court before which he was tried
and sentenced TO death, The day befor
the execution he was married in prison L
n a young Irish woman, the adopted daughte
l. Of an American who had been one OF hi
a patients while he was In Mndanao. on tn
e morning OF December 80 1896. after re
d ceiving from a Jesuit priest the last rite
y. of his church, an hour before the time Sc
lest the growing multitude Of spectator
T should rescue him, he was marched unde
escort of a regiment to Bagumbayan hel
u and there shot. His body was afterward
removed from where IL was first buried I
Is the Paco cemetery. where a simple whit
J. cross with the date Dec. 30, 1896 mark
= his grave.
, "Other men have sought and are seekin
II TO be leaders of the Filipino people, bu
only he who cares more for hts countr
than for himself is worthy TO be a country
le man Of RiZal. Wealth, position. honors fc
&c himself none Of these tempted him, but b
d sought enlightenment and justice for n
-e humblest OF mis- people and In this oauE
&c gave up his life. Were he alive today h
history makes II beyond doubt that h
~ ! would be found a sincere supporter OF n