Charles Lincoln Phifer

“ Rizal was expressing her opinion of General Saguanaldo’s action to the insurgent general himself.
“Caspita! Why is it foolish?” asked the general.
“Because you may offend America, without the friendship of which you can not win. It will be natural for the United States, after having captured the Philippines in the prosecution of a foreign war, to want to hold on to them. And if America chooses to hold the islands and make them part of the United States in declaring the independence of the Philippines you will only turn America from your side to oppose you.” ”

“ Though your schism might have a greater power here than the friars have, it commands no influence in America. The American who favors the other side will have friends at home, while one who would favor you would find enemies there that might destroy his influence and his future. You are not only fighting the American army here, and the friars here, but also, as it were, all the people of America.”
The two men reflected moodily for a few minutes.
“There is nothing to do but to fight until we perish,” said Saguanaldo.
“One should not die for a cause unless there is good cause for the sacrifice. ”

“ The dawn had come, suddenly as in the tropics, come with the roar of artillery. For once it had literally realized Kipling’s line—
“Dawn comes up like thunder outer China ’crost the bay.”
At last the fleet, the tool of the new order of capitalism, was ready. The command had gone forth from Admiral [12] Rainey: “You may fire when you are ready.” The American flag ship shot a line of fire, and from the smoke that arose a great roar resounded. Boom, boom! Fire and shell and smoke and action swept from consciousness the peace of nature and thought of the world of life. ”

“ But Saguanaldo denied personal ambition, and with some truth. He had planned to make the day of the declaration of national independence, which he had proclaimed, as the occasion of his marriage with Ambrosia Lonzello, and had craved, as a young bridegroom, to show her the honor, on that occasion, of having her hailed as the president’s wife, so that it was for her sake more than his own he sought the honor. So often this is true. Men seek wealth and place, not so much for themselves as that they may please and impress a woman. ”

“ Why, that is worse than Cuba.”
“Imagine paying rental on a grave for the bones of a dear one, until your money was exhausted, and then seeing the remains dumped into a pile of bones along with scores of other victims. Imagine being required to produce a certain crop each year to be turned over to the friars, and if you failed, becoming indebted to them so that there was no hope of your ever paying out. Imagine being compelled to sell your rice to the friar at the price he might offer, and being forbidden to take it to an open market where the price was higher. ”

“ A few of the bravest mounted to the roofs of the dwellings and the towers of the churches in order to view the fight that had been anticipated, but which had come sooner than expected. From these vantage points they looked on a scene such as falls to the lot of man to observe only once in a thousand lives.
In answer to the challenge of Cavite the American fleet was forming in battle array. In single file, as if in gala parade, they came, like actors entering from the wings of a great stage or circus performers from the dressing room, crawling over the white bay like living things. ”

“ There is some satisfaction in punishing those who have treated us so unjustly, and every blow we strike will cause them to have the greater respect for the Filipino people in the future. If we could punish that Jesuit”—
“And Bishop Lonzello,” added Aglipay.
“To my mind there is nothing left us to do but fight,” added General Saguanaldo, visibly pleased. “We in the interior can conduct a guerrilla warfare that will cause the enemy to respect us, and make the new masters more inclined to do us justice. I trust, Señora Rizal, you will not desert us if we take this action.” ”

“ You know the response.”
“The lands which the supreme pontiff gave to Legaspi he may take again from the heirs of Legaspi.”
“I can not for the life of me see where the holy church will profit from the change, seeing that Spain is a Catholic country and America is heretic.”
“Spain will remain true to the church even if she loses. But if America wins, then we may not only win back into the fold the schismatics of the islands, but stand also a chance of winning America, and with it the world. It is the greatest, opportunity the church has had for years.” ”

“ Have you consorted with those who are the enemies of the religion and of their country?”
Naturally, the question, so unexpected, disconcerted the girl kneeling before the cell with her eyes so downcast that she did not see the priest within the cell. Various emotions surged within her. Her first impulse was to deny rebellion to true religion and rush from the church. But she concluded that it were best to remain and admit the thing that had caused her mother sorrow. So she confessed:
“I have met the general of the insurrectionists and am his friend. But I am not an enemy of the true religion.” ”

“ It is the alien, who wishes to subject us to his hard yoke. It is the heretic, who desires to snatch from us our religion. It is the insatiable commercialist, who, with the ruins of Spain and her possessions, wants to swell his fortune. Unhappy Spain, if the invader achieves his purpose! Poor Filipinos, the day that the North American establishes here a permanent government! ”

“ The applause we crave is as nothing except the One applaud. The attainment we secure is mediocrity unless the One see us advanced and glories in our deed. And when, instead of the applause of the One, the approval and sympathy of the One, the One turns away with disapproval, then we feel the deed were better not done, and the applause is a mockery. So the day was not a triumph to Saguanaldo. ”

“ It is the desire to do great and right things, the effort to do them, that makes the soul great, whether the deeds be really done or not.”
“But what pleasure will there be for me in the ceremonies of inauguration if you be not by my side?”
“If it was merely to give you pleasure, Camillo, if it was merely to gratify my pride or my selfish desire, I would become your bride on the day set for the celebration of Filipino independence. But I must decline to marry you now for your sake and for the sake of Filipino independence. You shall need to be free from ties of home and responsibility to me. ”

“ I wonder not that Saguanaldo broke away from the church you represent.”
“Nay, child, you misunderstand. If it is given to Peter and his successors to forgive sins, then whatever they may do can be no sin, but is, as it were, the act of God himself. You who think your highest virtue is to love God ought to esteem it an honor that you have provoked the love of God’s representative on earth.” ”

“ The heavy guns of the battleships have been mounted at Corregidor and Caney, and the 160,000 Spanish troops in the city laugh at the idea of America ever being able to take it.”
“Yet America will take it. The American fleet will be here and will win, and then they will give us freedom. Within a few months the Filipinos will be free, and then Ambrosia Lonzello will become Ambrosia de Saguanaldo.” ”

“ He understood that, though the Judge might have been able to handle the simple-minded Saguanaldo by his diplomacy, every good has its better and he had been bested without realizing it. It is the true test of wit that cuts so smoothly one does not know of his wound at the time it is given.
The Jesuit sought Bishop Lonzello and spoke imperiously and exultantly:
“I am to have an order from the American governor that the soldiers are to protect in possession either side of the controversy that may have possession of churches and convents. ”

“ Of course, the death of Aglipay became noised abroad. Indeed, the Jesuit took no pains to keep it from being known, because he felt that the death of the leader would have an important effect in ending the schism. The death was a matter susceptible of proof from the fact that the body was found, but that he was buried alive could not be proven save from the participants in the tragedy, who were not required to testify against themselves. Rumors as to the horrors of the fate of Dr. Obispo Maximo spread through Manila and Luzon, and aroused the people to a high pitch of indignation. ”

“ They, too, were at enmity with Spain and all they regarded as foreigners, ready to take sides with Saguanaldo should he call them forth.
“It seems to me they are more civilized and gentle in their way than are the people from the West,” said Agonoy.
“No people are so destructive and wasteful as those who call themselves civilized,” returned Mrs. Rizal. “I am of them and understand them, and I tremble for the future of the Filipinos. The Americans will bring the foreigner and the natives will disappear before him. ”

“ America is at war, not only with Spain, but also with this schisms, and all war is manslaughter. Rainey’s victory was manslaughter. Manslaughter among soldiers is not a crime.”
“It seems to me you assume a great deal in saying that we are at war with this schism.”
“You will be, which is the same thing. The Aglipayans over all the archipelago are in arms.” ”

“ Por Dios, Señora! what do you expect of us?”
“You may not win independence, but you may win freedom and justice. You can not win independence, anyhow. It is doubtful if foreign countries would recognize the [33] Filipino republic, even if America should depart and leave us to work out our own salvation. It is also doubtful if we could win without America’s help. Our hope is in securing the aid of the republic that is giving Cuba her liberty, and repay the freedom that is possible of attainment at this time and at no other.” ”

“ I have no longer father or mother, God or redeemer. I have no place in society on earth. I have no lover, no chance for home or respectability. But I have hope and a purpose. It has just come to me. Do not deny me in the plan I have.”
“I will listen to your plan, but you are weak and not yet able to do anything.”
The girl leaped out of the bed, let down her hair and hunted a pair of shears. “Cut off my hair, closely,” she said.
“I fear you are not yet over the fever,” remonstrated Mrs. Rizal. ”

“ The Americans are to be Catholics, while the Spaniards have only been Catholics. A live dog is better than a dead lion. But the Americans are not to be despised. The republic is entering on world politics, and if the Holy Father could control that nation he would as good as control the world through it. ”

“ A throng of the devout were gathered in Manila cathedral. To a pillar near the pulpit Ambrosia Lonzello was chained. Neither she or the audience knew, but wires connecting with the chains ran under the floor to the pulpit, connecting them with a key on the floor. Underneath it all was a powerful battery. It had all been arranged secretly, at night, by the Jesuit, who was himself an expert electrician. Bishop Lonzello occupied the pulpit.
“We have come to the test by ordeal,” he told the people. ”

“ Because you are so far-sighted, you cannot fail to realize that if you are enabled to satisfactorily settle a dispute that has been raging for three centuries, and give America the Philippines to exploit, you will have distinguished yourself in a way that is sure to bring reward. ”