But he suddenly checked himself, as if he had said too much and wished to correct his imprudence.  “The government has given us things that we have not asked for, and that we could not ask for, because to ask—­to ask, presupposes that it is in some way incompetent and consequently is not performing its functions.  To suggest to it a course of action, to try to guide it, when not really antagonizing it, is to presuppose that it is capable of erring, and as I have already said to you such suppositions are menaces to the existence of colonial governments.  The common crowd overlooks this and the young men who set to work thoughtlessly do not know, do not comprehend, do not try to comprehend the counter-effect of asking, the menace to order there is in that idea—­”

“Pardon me,” interrupted Isagani, offended by the arguments the jurist was using with him, “but when by legal methods people ask a government for something, it is because they think it good and disposed to grant a blessing, and such action, instead of irritating it, should flatter it —­to the mother one appeals, never to the stepmother.  The government, in my humble opinion, is not an omniscient being that can see and anticipate everything, and even if it could, it ought not to feel offended, for here you have the church itself doing nothing but asking and begging of God, who sees and knows everything, and you yourself ask and demand many things in the courts of this same government, yet neither God nor the courts have yet taken offense.  Every one realizes that the government, being the human institution that it is, needs the support of all the people, it needs to be made to see and feel the reality of things.  You yourself are not convinced of the truth of your objection, you yourself know that it is a tyrannical and despotic government which, in order to make a display of force and independence, denies everything through fear or distrust, and that the tyrannized and enslaved peoples are the only ones whose duty it is never to ask for anything.  A people that hates its government ought to ask for nothing but that it abdicate its power.”

The old lawyer grimaced and shook his head from side to side, in sign of discontent, while he rubbed his hand over his bald pate and said in a tone of condescending pity:  “Ahem! those are bad doctrines, bad theories, ahem!  How plain it is that you are young and inexperienced in life.  Look what is happening with the inexperienced young men who in Madrid are asking for so many reforms.  They are accused of filibusterism, many of them don’t dare return here, and yet, what are they asking for?  Things holy, ancient, and recognized as quite harmless.  But there are matters that can’t be explained, they’re so delicate.  Let’s see—­I confess to you that there are other reasons besides those expressed that might lead a sensible government to deny systematically the wishes of the people—­no—­but it may happen that we find ourselves under rulers so fatuous and ridiculous—­but there are always other reasons, even though what is asked be quite just—­different governments encounter different conditions—­”