Jose Rizal - his last hours
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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People
- Title
- Jose Rizal - his last hours
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1935
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- THE YOUNG CITIZEN 31 I JOSE RIZAL-His Last. Hours By Dr. Frank C. Laubach ON November 8, 1896, Jose Rizal, heavily guarded, was locked in Fort Santiago prison. His brother Paciano. was seized and tortured with a screw twisted into his left hand, while a pen was thrust into his right hand to make him sign a statement that his bl'Other was connected with the Katipunan. Paciano would not sign. The torture was continued until he fainted. The next day he was tortm·ed again until he began to act insane. But he had not signed anything. What courage flowed in the Rizal veins, in father, in mother, in sons, and daughte1·s ! Then as always Rizal was against revolution, and on December 15 he wrote from prison to his countrymen to tell them that he had never had anything to do with these uprisings, and that he had. tried to stifle the rebeilion. "I am most anxious ior the lib~rties of om· country * ., * but I place as a prior condition the education of the people, that by means of instruction and industry our country may have an individuality of its own and make itself worthy of these liberties. I have recommended in my writings the study of the civic virtues, without which there is no redemption ., ' ' I condemn this uprising ' * ' Return then to yoUI' homes, and may God pardon those thaL have wrought in bad faith." Still cherishing the hope in Education which he had described in one of his early poems! To the very end, as Retana declares, "a convinced pacifist." With his elbows drawn back with cords so that they nearly touched, he was b1·ough;; before the coUl't martial. In that position of tortUl'e he listened to the drawn-out 1·eadings of excerpts from his writings, which we1·e produced to p1·ove that his pen had really caused the Katipunan. The Chl'istmas holidays interrupted the Court. Rizal spent his final Christmas eve composing hi~ "Last Farewell" which he \\Tote out while sitting in the Fort Santiago chapel. On December 29th, the coUl't reconvened and pronounced the sentence: guilty of treason; death by shooting in the back in twentyfour hours. Jose Rizal's mother and siste1·s came to say a last farewell. Wonderful mothe1·, who had ne1·ved her son to be true to his vision all his life! She was not allowed to kiss him farewell, lest she might give him poison and so cheat the spectators the next morning! He asked permission to give his sister Trinidad a little lamp which had been a gift of a friend in Europe, and was unlike lamps in the Philippines. As he gave it to her he said in English, which the guard did not understand, "Them is something illside." When his mother and sisters reached home, they hastily pushed a little ball of paper out of the lamp, opened it, and on that paper, stained with alcohol from the lamp, they read-his mother herself coulcl see it! (Please turn lo pu9(' J.!!1 JOSE RIZAL-HIS LAST (Cm1tin11r<J frnm pag<' .111) All eye witnesses agree as to Ri zal's incredible serenity and courage during the trial. and during his last long hours. He spent the final night in prayer. in reading. or in untroubled conversation with guards and priests. The next morning as he was led down the street to Bagumbayan Field, he was the same keenly interested observer that he always had been. "When were those C\'-''J towers added?" he asked the Jesuit beside him, pointing to the Ateneo. "I used to walk here with Leonora," he said as he passed another spot. "We arc going to Calvary," he said presently. ··My sufferings arc little. The Saviour suffered much. -nailed on the cross. In a moment the bullets will end all pain." He looked out at the ships. "How beautiful it is this morning, Father. How clear is the view of Corregidor ar.d the Cavite Mountains. I walked here with my .sweetheart Leonora on morning like this." There were troops waiting formed in a square as he approached. enough artillery to fight an army. and a band ready to play the national anthem when everything was over. Hundreds of government officials were there with their families, shouting with pleasure as the noblest, most gifted and most learned man in the Spanish realms approached. He stopped when he reached the captain and said: ··would you kindly shoot me in the front? For shooting in the back was the symbol of treason. "I have orders to shoot you in the back." replied the captain . .. But I have never been a traitor tc my own country nor to Spain." "My duty is to comply with the orders I have received." "Very well, then shoot me as you sec fit. But may I ask that the solAnd away they all flew like th~ down of a thistle; THE YOUNG CITIZEN 321 dicrs aim at my hrart and not my PACITA'S CHRISTMAS TREE head~" (Conti1111!'d from page 295) "Yes, we will do that," replid ''Oh, Mother, I saw the most the captain. He did not know th<'t beautiful Christmas tree. It had so Rizal desired one second of con- many shining stars it sparkled all sciousncss after the shots were fired. ir. order to choose how he should fall. over." Paci ta was out of breath. "It was so wonderful." she continued, her eyes very bright with joy. "Perhaps I do not need to have a Christmas tree. I have already seen a very, very lovely one:" "But you· have one. darling." forgive everyone from the bottom The mother said very gently. "It i'i of my heart * * * I have no resent- not very beautiful. but it is your ment toward anyone: believe me own your reverence. The Jesuit hdd Pacita clapped her hands as she He turned again to the Jesuit. "Oh how terrible it is to die, Father. How one suffers * * * I the cross to his lips and stepped asked. away. Rizal turned his back to the "Where is it~ Where?" firing squad. His face was toward Her mother led her into the the western sky, perfectly calm. A small sala. Pacita was greeted by military doctor in amazement ran a Christmas tree no taller than she. out from the line of officers and ''How lovely! Where did you cried: get it, Mother?" "Colleague. let me feel yonr Father made it for you.'' The pulse." Rizal thrust his hand out mother answered. as far as the bonds would permic. "I like this better. It does not The beat was scarcely above shine like Caridad's, but it has rnal. beautiful flowers on it. And oh~ "You are perfectly well. col- Look at these sweets. The wrap· league. perfectly." said the doctor, pers look like butterfly wings. And as he withdrew. they arc among flowers. Aren't Rizal twisted his hand to the spot they beautiful?" in his back where he wished the sol- "I am glad you like it. Try the diers to aim * * * ·Eight soldiers candy, Pacita, and tell me if you fired together. With one last ef- like it." fort of will the victim twisted hi~ "Not yet. Mother. I just want body about and fell-face toward to look at it now. Anyway, I know the sky! I will like it. You arc the sweetest December 30. 1896. Thirty-five mother in the world." years, six months. eleven days old. Pacita skipped around her small The band played the national an- tree. She kissed the flowers. She them. The crowd shouted ''Viva touched the candy with wrapper<> Espaila."' They thought he was that fluttered like butterflies among dead. They tried to hide his grave the bright flowers. Her cat and her His largest monument stands (Jn dog followed her about. They. too. the spot where he fell. Perhaps he were happy to have a Christmas h;;s more monuments than any man of the nineteenth century. There is one on the plaza of every village. There are a million pictures of Rizal on the walls of the Filipino home.~. And he is enshrined in ten million hearts. Eight shots did not kill him. '"Thine air. thy space. thy valtree. But I heard him exclaim; ere he lcys I shall permeate." Pacita's Christmas tree was ,1 small branch of calf6s. White and pink chichiricu flowers and red santan blossoms Were tied among the leaves. Tiny one-centavo coys and coconut candy in wrappers of red. gold, and blue hung from the littie twigs. drove out of sight: A youth of eighteen had gone t.J At thirty-five he had found the an··Happy Christmas to all. and t0 Europe to learn what he could do 5wer: He could tdl the terrible all a good-night'." E. M. L. for his helpless oppressed country. truth. and die for it.