Rizal faced setbacks and challenges in Madrid from 1890-1891: 1) He was unable to secure justice for his family and the oppressed tenants of Calamba through meetings with government officials and liberal newspapers. 2) He received bad news from Calamba including his family's eviction from their home and deportation of relatives. 3) Personal difficulties included the aborted duels with Antonio Luna and Wenceslao Retana, the infidelity of Leonor Rivera, and a growing rivalry with Marcelo Del Pilar over leadership of the Propaganda Movement. 4) Despite being elected to a leadership position, Rizal turned it down to avoid disunity among his supporters and Del P

1. CHAPTER 17
Misfortunes
in
Madrid (1890-91)

2. Failure to Get Justice for the Family
Sought
help
Why?
• Asociacion Hispano-
Filipina
• Liberal Spanish
newspapers
• La Justicia, El Globo, La
Republica, El Resumen, etc.
•Secure justice
•For oppressed
Calamba tenants &
family

3. • Rizal’s interview with Minister Fabie
– Nothing happened
• “To cover the ears, open the purse and fold
the arms- this is the Spanish colonial policy.”
-El Resumen (a Madrid newspaper)

4. Bad News from Calamba
• Letter from Silvestre Ubaldo (Rizal’s brother-in-
law)
– Copy of ejectment order by Dominicans against
Rizal’s father & the Calamba tenants
• Saturnina’s letter
– Deportation to Mindoro
• Paciano Rizal
• Antonio Lopez
• Silvestre Ubaldo
• Teong (Mateo Elejorde)
• Dandoy (Rizal’s relative)

5. Bad News from Calamba
• Saturnina’s letter
– Ejection of their parents from home
– Parents living in Narcisa’s house
• Blumentritt
– Urged Rizal to see Queen Regent Maria Cristina

6. Queen Regent Maria Cristina

7. Death of Panganiban
• Jose Maria Panganiban
– Co-worker of Rizal in the
Propaganda Movement
– Bicol hero
– Died 27 years old in
Barcelona
– Feliciano Gonzales
Timbang (died in 1889)
also died the same
day Panganiban did

8. Duels
Antonio Luna
• Drunk A. Luna
• Frustrated romance
w/ Nellie Boustead
– Reason for duel:
• bad remarks -> Nellie Boustead
• which Rizal didn’t like
– ABORTED DUEL
– Resolution:
• Upon soberness of Luna,
apologies gave way to resolution
• Restored friendship with Rizal

9. RIZAL
Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo
Pardo de Tavera

10. 1
ANTONIO LUNA

11. Duels
• Wenceslao E. Retana
• Talented Spanish scholar
• Press agent of the friars in Spain
• Rizal’s bitter enemy of the pen
Reason for Rizal’s challenging to duel:
• Retana’s article in La Epoca :
– Rizal’s family’s and friends’
ejection because of not paying rents
DUEL ABORTED
• WHY?
– Rizal- superior in both pistol and sword
Resolution:
• written retraction and apology in
newspapers by Retana

12. Leonor Rivera’s Infidelity
• Teatro Apolo
– Rizal lost his gold watch chain w/
locket w/ Leonor Rivera’s picture
in it
• Letter from Leonor Rivera
– (Winter, December 1890)
announcement of
marriage to an Englishman
– Asking for forgiveness

13. Rizal-Del Pilar Rivalry
• Marcelo H. Del Pilar
– Lawyer-journalist
– Gained prestige in Madrird for editorials
in La Solidaridad
– Purchased La Solidaridad (fortnightly
periodical) from Pablo Rianzares
– Replaced Graciano Lopez Jaena as editor

14. From left to right:
Jose Rizal
M.H. del Pilar
Mariano Ponce

15. GRACIANO LOPEZ JAENA

16. Rizal’s Leadership
• Rizal’s Idealism (To
win Spanish people’s respect
and prestige for the
Propaganda Movement)
– High standards of…
• morality
• dignity
• spirit of sacrifice
– Some Rizal’s
supporters  del
Pilar’s supporters
• WHY?
– RIZAL’S IDEALISM’s
interference w/
private lives
» Women
» Wine
» Cards

17. • Del Pilar’s editorial policy- contrary to Rizal’s
political views
• Meeting (January 1,1891):
– Aversion of Rizal-del Pilar break-up
– Campaign for reform
– Responsable (decided by 2/3 vote of Filipino community)
• Editorial policy (abandoned: del Pilar opposed)
• Directs Filipino community affairs

18. Rizal Turns Down Leadership
• Election for Responsable (1st week of Feb. 1891)-
– Rizalistas vs. Pilaristas
– Rizal leads election’s first 2 days
– Mariano Ponce’s appeal  Rizal’s victory (3rd day)
– Turned down position  avoid disunity

19. ADIOS MADRID
• Rizal saw Madrid for the LAST TIME
• Vacation in Biarritz