Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

330 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

our heart but want to make it a living reality we cannot
merely bargain in money and sacrifice, for independence is a
blessing which we cannot pay too dearly.
But I know that both men and money will come to our
rescue, because I know there is patriotism here. We have such
a plentiful supply in this land that we even dare to misspend
it in fruitless discussions which lead us nowhere. Why should
we doubt and suspect each other's patriotism? When the
country calls upon her sons to unite for service, why should
we harrass ourselves with unimportant matters of trivial detail?
They have done their duty-those who fought on the fields of
battle, as well as those who have struggled in the arena of
peace.
Who would question the patriotism of those who, in the
supreme hour of danger, heroically faced the horrors of death
in order to sustain and safeguard the dignity and honor of the
Filipino race? And who would likewise deny the patriotism
of those who, upon seeing the impotence of our arms in the
face of superior forces, endeavoured through peaceful and legal
channels to recover the flag of our fathers so that it might once
more wave, if not as a symbol of our sovereignty, at least as
a solemn and earnest pledge of our liberty? I believe that we
have every reason to be proud of the conduct of our men both
in war and in peace, and there is no justifiable motive to denounce the action of any of our leaders in whose hands has been
entrusted the keeping of her supreme interest in her moments
of need.
What pleases me most on this occasion is the fact that
the young generation whom we expect to continue our labors
are so identified with our ideals and are so ready to fight more
vigorously for the same principles for which we have struggled
as to leave no further doubts regarding the definite destiny of
the Filipino people. We who have reached the afternoon of
life and can only watch as the shadows throng and lengthen
with the setting of the sun on the course of life and its events,
cannot but feel optimistic at knowing that our efforts have
not been in vain and that after us a new generation is coming