FEBRUARY 11

On February 11, 1873 José Martí was in Madrid as a deportee when the Republic was proclaimed in Spain, event that he received with pleasure and about which he commented several days later in a work that he elaborated in which he made reference to which should be the position of the new Spanish governors with respect to the anxieties of the Cubans to reach the independence of their native land. 

In 1876 he published in El Federalista, in Mexico, a work entitled La Poesía (Poetry) in which in its initial part he states: "Early literary aspirations are as noble as they are dangerous".

He also specifies that a young talent, if he is austere, should refresh himself with the reading of beautiful poetry, give free rein to his shy affections and excite in himself emotions that remove the natural rudeness of his spirit". 

The following year on this day he writes to his friend Manuel Mercado a letter from Havana where he had traveled clandestinely.

It is about his future trip to Guatemala. He tells him, "I am going to that humble land with a rejoiced, clear and whole soul."

In 1892 he writes again to Mercado from New York. He says: "Now I will only tell you that I have been, with my soul in tow, of patriotic organization, and from the bed to the tribune, -of evangelist trips. -Of long and serious illness, -of controversy and challenge".

And he adds, "I have sometimes written to him that when I have no strength for myself, I have strength for my country."

FEBRUARY 12

On February 12, 1853 José Martí is baptized in the church of Santo Ángel Custodio in Havana, by the presbyter Tomás Salas y Figuerola, chaplain of the Royal Artillery Corps regiment.

José María Vázquez and Marcelina Aguirre acted as godparents.

Another February 12, in the year 1888, José Martí writes a letter from New York to Emilio Núñez. 

He comments on the existing situation among the Cuban emigrants in Key West.

He points out: "In Key there is a kind of calmness, undoubtedly due to the lukewarmness with which Ruz must have seen that the emigrations could not organize themselves, as he dreamed, to act in private concert with him as the superior chief of the war". 

And when assessing the actions of those who acted negatively, he assured: "The stars are not higher than the ambition and madness of men" Also on that day and year a chronicle by José Martí about Easter in the United States is published in La Nación, of Buenos Aires.

He notes, "Who does not give gifts in these days, the only ones in which snow is not sad?"

And he added: "Those who do not know each other speak to each other: souls, always here shrunken and hirsute, come out laughing to each other's faces; parents, loaded with gifts for their children, love the other's own child, and recognize, in the joy of loving, the fraternity of man: gifts to the poor, parties in the theaters, in the illuminated streets and jubilee..."

And on February 12, 1895 José Martí arrives at the Reform the Máximo Gómez estate in Santo Domingo.

FEBRUARY 13

On February 13, 1882 in La Opinión Nacional of Caracas another section Constante written by José Martí is published.

In this section he deals with topics related to environmental pollution, the wardrobe of European ladies and also makes reference to the Mayan language.

Martí explains the spread of diseases through atmospheric dust and the increase or decrease of some of them according to the seasons.

About the Mayan language, he specified that we hear about it as an ancient document of a dead civilization that was saved from oblivion in a book by Diego de Landa and revived by the research of Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg, a famous Americanist.  But Martí pointed out that the Mayan language was still spoken in all its purity in some places of Central America and gave as an example a tribe of barbarian men who lived near the ancient city of Tekal.

On February 13, 1895 José Martí arrives in Santiago de los Caballeros in Santo Domingo.

FEBRUARY 14

On February 14, 1882, José Martí publishes in the Constant Section of La Opinión Nacional of Caracas his comments on the preparations of astronomers to observe the transit of the planet Venus between the Earth and the Sun.

He points out: "...on the marked day the planet Venus will pass between the Earth we inhabit and the Sun that illuminates us, in such a way that, when the sun is darkened for a moment by the passage of the planet, it will be surrounded by a luminous circle, like a black spot in the middle of the sun".

He likewise refers in the section to one of the new German philosophers, Edward von Hartmann and his work "The Religious Consciousness of Mankind in the Degrees of its Development, as well as to England where the right of suffrage was gradually being conferred in some places on women.

On February 14, 1893 José Martí writes a letter to his friend and close collaborator Gonzalo de Quesada.

Among other issues, he expresses how he was overwhelmed by the lack of time to be able to do a great number of things.

And referring to the health problems he was facing, he commented: "Wish me health: with or without it, I will do everything I must do".  Also on this day and year, the newspaper Patria published a work by José Martí entitled La sociedad hispanoamericana bajo la dominación española in which he comments on a book published in Madrid by the Argentine Vicente C. Quesada.

He qualifies the book as something remarkable. 

FEBRUARY 15

Dated in Madrid, on February 15, 1873, José Martí's pamphlet entitled "La república española ante la revolución cubana" (The Spanish Republic before the Cuban Revolution) is published. He makes an analysis about what should be the attitude of the rulers of the Republic proclaimed in Spain several days before in relation to the Cuban desire for independence.

He specifies: "Man of good will, I salute the Republic that triumphs, I salute it today as I will curse it tomorrow when a Republic drowns another Republic, when a free people finally compresses the liberties of another people, when a nation that explains that it is, subjugates and submits another nation that has to prove that it wants to be it".

And on this date in 1882 his Section Constante appears in La Opinión Nacional de Caracas.

It is about the musical genius of the little Italian boy Cesarino Galleoti, capable of faithfully reproducing the most complicated piece, who was in Paris at the time. 

And on February 15, 1889 he writes a letter to his friend Enrique Estrázulas. He says: "I would say nothing but complaints about me, especially now that I am away from home, because what I have been fearing and announcing for years is coming, which is the conquering policy of the United States, which has already officially announced through the mouths of Blaine and Harrison their desire to treat all our countries with a high hand, as natural dependencies of this one, and to buy Cuba".

FEBRUARY 16

On February 16, 1871 José Martí arrives in Madrid for the first time, after being deported from Cuba.

He presents himself at the seat of the government of the province of Madrid and requests to be issued a security card, a personal document or census. Upon his arrival in the Spanish capital, he gets in touch with Carlos Sauvalle, with whom he had met in Havana. Sauvalle had been deported to Spain in January 1870.

On that day in 1882 his Sección Constante was published in La Opinión Nacional de Caracas, in which he commented on London hospitals, fashion in New York, the customs of Mohammedans and Lebanese, and the notes of a French newspaper.

On February 16, 1893 the Day of the Homeland was instituted in New York at Martí's request, contributing the members of the Cuban Revolutionary Party with a day of monthly credit to the cause of the independence of Cuba.

And on this date in 1894, the newspaper Patria published the work En el Cayo querido, in which Martí describes the situation of the Cubans in Key West: "When our country suffers, -although there is for other reasons a sure and growing cause for enthusiasm and faith- the first thought has to be for those who suffer. Wherever there are Cubans, everything is linked, everything grows, everything advances: every day is one more step".

In the final part of the work Martí emphasizes: "The eyes are not dry, no, when we think of the beloved Cayo: but the blood, with greater vigor, jumps in the veins: -and everywhere the embrace is tighter!"

FEBRUARY 17

On February 17, 1882, the Constant Section appears in La Opinión Nacional of Caracas.

There José Martí comments that American literature is not enjoying good fortune. He explains, among other topics, that "it is true that the peoples of America are so busy with our domestic affairs and local fights and quarrels, and so unattended to each other...".

In 1886 he published in La Nación another of his Escenas norteamericanas on the New Year where he refers to the artistic, social and political aspects. He describes, "No one sleeps, no one wakes, no one sits: all is gallop, escape, assault, resounding fall, eminent triumph."

At Hardman Hall in New York he delivers, on February 17, 1892, his speech known as the Tampa and Key West Oration. He reports on the success of his trip to Florida.

He stresses, "And I still tremble with the joy of having seen the greatest sum of virtue that it has been given me to see among men, -in the men of my homeland." 

In 1893 Martí meets with Julio Sanguily in La Fernandina, and writes from there to the President of the Key West Council Corps, giving an account of his trip "in charge of a commission of real importance".

In 1894 he writes letters from New York to Ramón Miranda, Néstor Ponce de León, José Pérez del Castillo and Francisco Sellén. He invites them to participate in the tribute to Fermín Valdés Domínguez that will be offered the following day.

FEBRUARY 18

On February 18, 1877, José Martí reads his drama Adúltera at the literary gathering organized by Fermín Valdés Domínguez at his home.

In 1882 he publishes another of his collaborations in La Opinión Nacional of Caracas, referring to the snow, its joys and sorrows, to a terrible fire in those days and to the congress of the suffrage for women.

The Indian problem is dealt with by José Martí in La Nación of Buenos Aires on February 18, 1886.

He analyzes a report made on the situation of the Indians, and comments on what should be done with them and how they should be educated.

Dated in New York, the report details: "Men, in spite of all appearances, are only united in this town by interests, by the loving hatred that those who bargain for the same prize have for each other. It is necessary that they be united by something more durable (...) It is indispensable to feed the light, and to shrink the beast."

On that day in 1888, a work appears in El Partido Liberal de Mexico that deals with art in the United States, in which he asks, can there be vigorous art in an industrial country? This material is also published in La Nación on March 13 of that year.

In 1893, from Fernandina, Florida, he writes letters to Gonzalo de Quesada and Gualterio García.

And from La Vega, in Santo Domingo, he writes on a day like this one in 1895 to Gonzalo de Quesada.

FEBRUARY 19

On February 19, 1888 José Martí writes a letter to his friend Manuel Mercado telling him that his spirit is like a mortal, because of the news about the dangerous and haughty way in which the United States intends to treat the countries of Latin America.

He comments to him "...the plans that I see tending, privately and publicly, to unjustly advance their power over the Spanish peoples of America", -and for the declaration, already almost official, that they will try to propose to Spain the purchase of Cuba.

That same day he sends a letter to Enrique Estrázulas. He tells him about his state of mind: "By the smallness of the letter you will see that the spirit is small, and that my hand is cold; but you know that neither cold nor sorrows frighten me".

From Fernandina, Florida, he sends a message to Carolina Rodriguez on February 19, 1893. He informs her that he will be in Tampa the following day.

Already in 1895, from Santiago de los Caballeros, in the Dominican Republic, he writes several letters, among them one addressed to Gonzalo de Quesada.

He tells him what happened in the last days, and the cablegrams sent and received, and comments on Antonio Maceo. He states: "This is a virtuous time, and it is necessary to melt into it".

Later, he asks her to forgive any fault of others and emphasizes: "Do and forgive. Doing, is the only effective way to respond."

FEBRUARY 20

On February 20, 1876 José Martí begins to collaborate in the Socialist, organ of the Great Workers' Circle of Mexico.

This was a reformist organization that supported the policies of the government of President Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada.

Also on this date, but in 1893, he writes a brief missive to Félix Iznaga in which he expresses: "How are you doing in that solitude? Don't rush me for our last conversation. Wait for me calmly. I leave on Wednesday, spend a day in Tampa and return to you". 

And on February 20, 1895, from Santiago de los Caballeros, he wrote to Serafin Sanchez.

He tells him about the situation of the struggle for the independence of Cuba and the importance of doing everything adequate and necessary to live up to the trust placed by the Cubans in that noble endeavor: "I suffer, naturally, but not for me, who am less than a leaf on a tree, but for the credit of our capacity to lead and act. It cost a lot to raise the faith of such a people, in such a short time; but, as it comes after so many deceptions, it would be a very short term thing to lose it."

And he adds further on, "That yes, what a terrible task, that of raising what we are raising, with our poor people, punished with all the scourges, and the indifference, or aggression, of those who could more easily help us!"