According to José Herrera (March 18) the Nationalist Party is playing with history when celebrating the 125th anniversary of its birth.

For history's sake the record should be put straight.

After ousting the French in 1800, the Maltese sought the protection of the King of England in order to enjoy their rights and govern the country. They were soon betrayed. The British Commissioner, later called Governor, started controlling the administration. A British Chief Justice was appointed; British citizens were made magistrates; lawyers and businessmen came from England to act as counsel and take over trade activities in the country.

That was the main reason for Maltese lawyers to insist from the outset that Italian should remain the language of the legal system and of the administration. Their perseverance was successful; Malta did not see any more the influx of British citizens, other than in the top administrative posts.

Moreover, the Maltese reasoned that, if we were to be considered part of Europe, our culture and official language should be Italian, as our traditions were linked with the Italian mainland. If Maltese, used by the predominant illiterates (for no basic education was available to them), was to be the language of the state, the island would be considered to belong to the Arab world.

Since 1800, Maltese leaders always sought self-rule for Malta.

Fortunato Mizzi was born on July 15, 1844. In 1833 he was the editor of Malta, published in Italian. He organised a political movement and in it he incessantly proclaimed its principles:

1. The granting of a constitution worthy of the history and civilisation of the Maltese people.

2. Defence of the Roman, Catholic, Apostolic religion.

3. Respect for the culture and language of Dante.

His policies bore fruit. On December 21, 1887, Letters Patent were announced, granting a Constitution for Malta. The Legislative Council was to have 14 elected members and six officially appointed. The Governor was to preside, with no vote. The six official members had no vote when fiscal matters were discussed for approval. There was also an Executive Council with three members.

Fortunato Mizzi considered the Constitution as the first step that would lead Malta to full autonomy rule. His hopes were soon shattered. As the British rulers ignored what the Maltese had hoped for, he started a system of non-cooperation. His initiatives were almost exclusively supported by farmers and the small tradesman. Some of the well-to-do, small minority, preferred to cooperate with the foreigner for their own ends.

The Mizzi members would attend a Legislative Council sitting, register their opposition and walkout. Such policy was so successful that, in 1891, the 1887 Constitution became a mockery and a farce. Amendments were introduced: the official members in the Legislative Council could vote on fiscal matters; any approved law could be annulled by London within two years it became operative; London could legislate in all spheres by Order-in-Council; in the Executive Council the three members were nominated and not elected - at first they were not to receive a remuneration.

The Governor, later, determined that the three Executive Council members would be paid; he thought Dr Mizzi would be enticed by such an offer. But he, as all his successors, would not be lured by gain. The 1887 Constitution became so unworkable it was revoked in 1903.

The Maltese considered Dr Mizzi as the leader of the Nationalist Movement and called him Padre della Patria.

On his death, on May 18, 1905, his political initiatives were taken over by his son, Enrico Mizzi, who also took charge of the newspaper Malta.

I have seen the written messages of Fortunato Mizzi which he periodically sent to his children, repeating and stressing his political beliefs; including the last one, a couple of days before his death, written with a trembling hand.

In the Corriere della Sera of June 21, 1903, its correspondent produced what Dr Mizzi had told him: "Now we are trying to tell the world what an unhappy political situation we are in. We hope in the final triumph of our ideas, for it is absolutely impossible for a people to remain without freedom in the 20th century; the population is determined to acquire freedom".

A partner of his described him in this manner. "He had a mental ability that could make him rich; instead he followed the road based on virtue, followed it tenaciously and directly, without ever deviating, never retreating and faced violence till he died".

Nerik Mizzi turned out to be worthy of his father in the true sense of the word and became known as Il Cavaliere senza macchia e senza paura. As co-leader of the Partito Nazionale, in the electoral programmes "Dominion status within the Commonwealth" always featured as the aim of the party. He died in harness as Prime Minister on December 20, 1950, and was ably succeeded by Giorgio Borg Oliver, who finally achieved the aim of the party on September 21, 1964 and became rightly named "The Father of Independent Malta".

The Nationalist Party never played with history. Which other political party in Malta has gloriously served our fatherland and its inhabitants for more than 125 years?