The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home

CHAPTER XLIX 226
"I agree with you that there are evils," replied Ibarra, "but let us bear with those evils on account of the
benefits that accompany them. This institution may be imperfect, but, believe me, by the fear that it inspires it
keeps the number of criminals from increasing."
"Say rather that by this fear the number is increased," corrected Elias. "Before the creation of this corps almost
all the evil-doers, with the exception of a very few, were criminals from hunger. They plundered and robbed
in order to live, but when their time of want was passed, they again left the highways clear. Sufficient to put
them to flight were the poor, but brave cuadrilleros, they who have been so calumniated by the writers about
our country, who have for a right, death, for duty, fighting, and for reward, jests. Now there are tulisanes who
are such for life. A single fault, a crime inhumanly punished, resistance against the outrages of this power,
fear of atrocious tortures, east them out forever from society and condemn them to slay or be slain. The
terrorism of the Civil Guard closes against them the doors of repentance, and as outlaws they fight to defend
themselves in the mountains better than the soldiers at whom they laugh. The result is that we are unable to
put an end to the evil that we have created. Remember what the prudence of the Captain-General de la Torre
[131] accomplished. The amnesty granted by him to those unhappy people has proved that in those mountains
there still beat the hearts of men and that they only wait for pardon. Terrorism is useful when the people are
slaves, when the mountains afford no hiding-places, when power places a sentinel behind every tree, and
when the body of the slave contains nothing more than a stomach and intestines. But when in desperation he
fights for his life, feeling his arm strong, his heart throb, his whole being fill with hate, how can terrorism
hope to extinguish the flame to which it is only adding fuel?"
"I am perplexed, Elias, to hear you talk thus, and I should almost believe that you were right had I not my own
convictions. But note this fact--and don't be offended, for I consider you an exception--look who the men are
that ask for these reforms" nearly all criminals or on the way to be such!"
"Criminals now, or future criminals; but why are they such? Because their peace has been disturbed, their
happiness destroyed, their dearest affections wounded, and when they have asked justice for protection, they
have become convinced that they can expect it only from themselves. But you are mistaken, sir, if you think
that only the criminals ask for justice. Go from town to town, from house to house, listen to the secret sighings
in the bosoms of the families, and you will be convinced that the evils which the Civil Guard corrects are the
same as, if not less than, those it causes all the time. Should we decide from this that all the people are
criminals? If so, then why defend some from the others, why not destroy them all?"
"Some error exists here which I do not see just now some fallacy in the theory to invalidate the practise, for in
Spain, the mother country, this corps is displaying, and has ever displayed, great usefulness."
"I don't doubt it. Perhaps there, it is better organized, the men of better grade, perhaps also Spain needs it
while the Philippines does not. Our customs, our mode of life, which are always invoked when there is a
desire to deny us some right, are entirely overlooked when the desire is to impose something upon us. And tell
me, sir, why have not the other nations, which from their nearness to Spain must be more like her than the
Philippines is, adopted this institution? Is it because of this that they still have fewer robberies on their railway
trains, fewer riots, fewer murders, and fewer assassinations in their great capitals?"
Ibarra bowed his head in deep thought, raising it after a few moments to reply: "This question, my friend, calls
for serious study. If my inquiries convince me that these complaints are well founded I will write to my
friends in Madrid, since we have no representatives. Meanwhile, believe me that the government needs a
corps with strength enough to make itself respected and to enforce its authority."
"Yes, sir, when the government is at war with the country. But for the welfare of the government itself we
must not have the people think that they are in opposition to authority. Rather, if such were true, if we prefer
force to prestige, we ought to take care to whom we grant this unlimited power, this authority. So much power
in the hands of men, ignorant men filled with passions, without moral training, of untried principles, is a