La Solidaridad (The Solidarity) was an organization created in Spain on December 13, 1888. Composed of Filipino liberals exiled in 1872 and students attending Europe's universities, the organization aimed to increase Spanish awareness of the needs of its colony, the Philippines, and to propagate a closer relationship between the Philippines and Spain.[1]
Headed by Galicano Apacible, it also issued a newspaper of the same name which was published in Barcelona, Spain on February 15, 1889. It was edited by Graciano López Jaena and later on by Marcelo H. del Pilar.[2] The social, cultural, and economic conditions of the colonial Philippines were published in La Solidaridad. Speeches of the Spanish liberals about the Philippines were also featured in the newspaper.
La Solidaridad was established to express the goal of the Propaganda Movement towards achieving assimilation with Spain.[3] The first issue of La Solidaridad came out on February 15, 1889. A fortnightly and a bi-weekly newspaper, La Solidaridad serves as the principal organ of the Reform Movement in Spain.[2]
Comite de Propaganda in the Philippines funded the publication of the La Solidaridad. The editorship for the newspaper was first offered to José Rizal. However, he refused because during that time he was annotating Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas in London. After Rizal, Graciano López Jaena was offered the editorship of La Solidaridad and he accepted.[2]
On April 25, 1889, La Solidaridad published the letter entitled "The aspirations of the Filipinos", which was written by the Asociación Hispano-Filipina de Madrid (English: Hispanic Filipino Association of Madrid).[3] It pursued desires for:[4]
An expressed and definite prohibition of the existing practices of exiling residents by purely administrative order, and without a writ of execution from the courts of justice.
On December 15, 1889, Marcelo H. del Pilar replaced Graciano López Jaena as the editor of La Solidaridad.[2][3] Under del Pilar's editorship, the aims of the newspaper expanded. His articles caught the attention of Spanish politicians like overseas minister Manuel Becerra.[3] Using propaganda, it pursued desires for:
Equal rights before the law (for both Filipino and Spanish plaintiffs)
After years of publication from 1889 to 1895, funding of the La Solidaridad became scarce. Comite de Propaganda's contribution to the newspaper stopped and del Pilar funded the newspaper almost on his own. Penniless in Spain, del Pilar stopped the publication of La Solidaridad on November 15, 1895, with 7 volumes and 160 issues. In del Pilar's farewell editorial, he said :
Facing the obstacles that the reactionary persecutions bring in opposition to the circulation of this newspaper in the Philippines, we have to suspend our publication for some time. Nowadays, when there are ways to curb difficulties, we will not stop working to overcome them. We are persuaded that no sacrifices are too little to win the rights and the liberty of a nation that is oppressed by slavery. We work within the law and thus will we continue publishing this newspaper whether here or abroad, depending on the exigencies of the fight wherein Filipino reactionaries have come to impress upon all Filipinos that in its soul there beats some sentiment of dignity and shame. Whether here or abroad, we will continue developing our program.[5]
Notable contributors
Several writers contributed to La Solidaridad over its six years of existence, like Antonio Luna, Anastacio Carpio, Mariano Ponce, Antonio María Regidor, José María Panganiban, Isabelo de los Reyes, Eduardo de Lete, José Alejandrino, and Pedro Paterno. One of the most prolific contributors though was Rizal's confidant Ferdinand Blumentritt, whose impassioned defense of the Filipino interests was said to have been inspirational to the other writers and the readers of the newspaper alike.[3]
Del Pilar's articles, essays, and editorials published in La Solidaridad
1889
Our Purpose.—No.1: February 15, 1889. Editorial. López Jaena and del Pilar
The Teaching of Spanish in the Philippines.—No.1: February 15, 1889. Anonymous.
Are The Philippines Going To Ruin?—No.2: February 28, 1889. Anonymous.
Thunderclouds.—No.3: March 31, 1889.Editorial.
100.00—12.50---X… No.4: March 31, 1889. Anonymous.
The Philippine Press.—No.5: April 15, 1889. Anonymous.
Primary Instruction.—No5: April 15, 1889. Anonymous.
The Lion’s Share.—No.6: April 30, 1889. Anonymous.
Attempted Rebellion!—No.7: May 15, 1889 Anonymous.
Tax Collection System.—No.8: May 31, 1889. Anonymous.
A Warning.—No.8: May 31, 1889. Anonymous.
Manila Custom House.—No.9: June 15, 1889. Anonymous.
Go Ahead, Sr. Becerra.—No.10: June 30, 1889. Anonymous.
An Important Hiatus.—No.10: June 30, 1889. Anonymous.
The Philippine Budget.—No.11: June 15, 1889. Anonymous.
The Political Situation in Europe.—No.12: July 31, 1889. Anonymous.
Philippine Municipalities.—No.13: August 15, 1889. Anonymous.
International Conspiracy.—No.14: August 31, 1889. Editorial.
Echoes from Outremer: Municipal Elections.—o.15: September 15, 1889. Anonymous.
Assimilation of the Philippines.—No.16: September 30, 1889.
A Vexatious Measure Repealed. NO.17: October 15, 1889. Anonymous.
Sr. Becerra’s Reforms.—No.18: October 31, 1889.
A Vote of Thanks.—No.19: November 15, 1889. Editorial.
Manila Topics.—No.20: November 30, 1889. Editorial.
Frustrated Machinations.—No.21: December 15, 1889. Editorial.
The Outgoing Year.—No.22. December 31, 1889. Editorial.
1890
The Incoming Year.—No.23: January 15, 1890. Editorial.
Superfluous and Injurious Guaranty.—No.23: January 15, 1890. Anonymous.
The Civil Register.—No.24: February 1 (January 31), 1890. Editorial.
We Are Taking Note.—No.25: February 15, 1890. Editorial.
The Patience of Sr. Becerra.—No.26: February 28, 1890. Editorial.
Parliamentary Representation for the Philippines.—No.27: March 15, 1890. Editorial.
Bismarck’s Downfall.—No.29/; April 15, 1890. Editorial.
Electoral Regime for the Philippines.—No.32: May 31, 1890. Editorial.
Parliamentary Regime for the Philippines.—No.33: June 15, 1890. Editorial.
Pasce Agnos Meos…--No.34: June 30, 1890.—With pseudonym Carmelo. Editorial.
Political Review.—No.35: July 15, 1890. Editorial.
The Caroline Islands.—No.37: August 15, 1890. Editorial.
General Jovellar.—No.41: October 15, 1890. Editorial.
The Asociación Hispano-Filipina.—Nno.42: October 31, 1890. Editorial.
It Defeats Its Own Purpose.—No.43: November 15, 1890. Editorial.
More Concerning Deportations.—No.44: November 30, 1890.
A Glance Over the Political Field.—No.45: December 15, 1890.
1891
We Hope So!—No.48: January 31, 1891. Editorial.
Of Present Interest.—No.49: February 15, 1891. Editorial.
(Address Delivered at the Banquet Given by the Asociación Hispano-Filipina in Honor of Sr. Becerra).—No.49: February 15, 1891.
Now, Let Us See.—No.50: February 28, 1891. Editorial.
The Speech from the Throne.—No.51: March 15, 1891. Editorial.
The Aurora of Redemption.—No.52: March 31, 1891. Editorial.
The Philippine Coastwise Trade.--No. 54: April 30, 1891. Editorial.
Let Us Be Just.—No. 54 April 30, 1891
The Redemption of the Philippines.—No.55: May 15, 1891. Editorial.
To the Congreso de Diputados.—No.58: June 30, 1891.
(Memorial signed by the Board of Directors of the Asociación Hispano-Filipina, Madrid, May 31, 1891).
The Logic of the Facts.—No.61: August 15, 1891. Editorial.
Our Desires.—No.64: September 30, 1891. Editorial.
^Hispanic Filipino Association of Madrid (April 25, 1889). "The aspirations of the Filipinos". Barcelona, Spain: La Solidaridad. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
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