History of Philippine press / Carson Taylor.

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History of the Philippine Press

of this latter publication, the brothers Salvador and Mariano V. del Rosario, and Luna himself, used to belong to the
editorial staff of the La Independencia. Luna thought to
change the name of La Solidaridad to that of La Patria,
but, feeling resentment at the provost of Manila, who refused him a license to publish La Patria, he suddenly changed
the title to La Independencia, and the paper was purportedly
issued from the orphanage of Malabon,-beyond the American jurisdiction,-although, in reality, it was composed, set
up and printed in Manila.
Turns were taken by the different editors in getting out
the paper day by day; so each of them was, at the same
time, when it was his turn, editor, director, reporter, storywriter and proof-reader. The characteristic, individual style
of the editors was manifest in purely literary stories and
writings, which were signed by an assumed name; but the
editorials were anonymous and their style was neither "attic
nor asiatic, but doric," as the critic Arnold would say, and
they were replete with "big words" about current topics,
and were couched in dogmatic language of scant pith and
but little import,-not much different from the editorials
of the London Times, according to the critic above cited.
In time the La Independencia came to be "the sole organ of
information of the Filipino people." The words quoted are
those of the decree issued by the Director General of Communications, who, on September 30, 1899, ordered that the
distribution of La Independencia be expedited, and that,
when no mail bag was available, the carriers should use, instead, banana leaves or other impermeable coverings to protect the mail.
Later, Aguinaldo himself, in a letter under his own
signature, dated in Rosales, on November 11, 1899, directed the removal of La Independencia, to Nueva Vizcaya.
The letter spoke of the paper as having been "a valiant defender of our cause," and stated that the government would
bear all the expenses incurred by its publication. And, indeed, it was so much of a "defender of our cause," that Mabini finally complained that its director, Rafael Palma, softened the sententious acrimony of some of his caustic censures against Rianzares, the Congress, the Malolos constitution, etc.
The well-intended provisions of Aguinaldo were never
carried out, because, on the 24th of that same month of November, 1899, the La Independencia issued its last number,.in San Miguel de Camiling, Tarlac.