The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-07-08

Teuidu uuTiHs tue viii vi tuc pi4S
upon the condition Of their paying a
large amount as rent. Is 1t surprising
that with such misrule the resentment
and hatred against the priesthood Is
very bitter. resulting In the slaughter
OF many priests when an uprising oc-
ours? In consequence OF the unre-
strained power Of the Catholic Church,
and its very large spiritual influence
over many OF the people, the church
has immense estates in the Philippines
and one does not feel surprised at the
anguish displayed by the Pope, when
on hearing of the battle OF Manila he
exclaimed, that he wished he had never
been born; and his desire that Spain
should ask for peace, upon the basis
OF losing Cuba, but retaining the Phil
-ppines is both reasonable and intelli-
gent, from the standpoint OF the
church. Something has been done In
the interests OF education. but when
compared with the progress OF coun-
tries under enlightened government
the progress OF three hundred years
Is pitiful indeed. Very few of the peo-
pie have any knowledge of reading or
writing. and as Consequence they
are sunk in the grossest and most
hopeless ignorance. Such conditions
are bound to react upon religious
teachers, and as consequence the
priesthood is deplorably ignorant and
debased. One cannot wonder that the
Archbishop OF Manila, in rallying his
flock against Americans last May
should have said, Christians, defend
your faith against heretics who raise
an insuperable barrier to immortal
souls, enslave the people, abolish
crosses from cemeteries, forbid pas
tors to perform baptism, matrimony
or funeral rites. or to administer con-
ISOLATION or grant dissolution" Such a
TRADE could only be addressed u the
most ignorant and degraded, and II Is
difficult to believe that the Archbishop
himself did not know his words were
false. yet, with it ALL 1t should not
be forgotten that there are, even too
dal, heroic missionary priests In that
benighted land, who take their lives
in their hands and penetrate to remote
sections. going fearlessly into the
midst of savages whose acquaintance
with SPANS oppression has filed them
with the desire to take the lives OF
every Span II. One of these noble
men. Father Saternino Urios, a Jesuit,
Is said to have converted and bap-
tized over 5000 infidels in one year,
which is probably OF less importance,
than the fact that he taught them
better methods of living. something
OF the rights of the weak as against
| the strong. and that the law of love
Is better than the law of might. AL
though the PHILIPPINES are nominally
Catholic. vet there are millions today
who are heather of the lowest de-
scription.
Although out of position in sketch
of this character. | have left any ac-
count OF the population of the Philip
mines till the last. because that the
discussion OF this subject understand
| Is to be of the application of mission
ary effort to the inhabitants of this
country. only now openipg to n real
civilization and enlightened Christian
ity.
The original inhabitants were the
Negritos. who are very small, very
black and with wholly hair growing
in isolated tufts. They rarely attain
n greater height than four feet nine
inches, but in this country, as else
where. they have been overwhelmed
by stronger races, although found to
some extent in the north. 1t is be-
lieved that not more than 10000 of
them remain. They live in the ut
most degradation. very nearly allied
to animals in nearly every respect, and
can hardly be called religious, their
rites consisting mainly of a few at
tempts to appease offended deities
Next to these wretched beings are the
Manthras, cross between Negrltos
and the Malays, who first overcame
and conquered them. These people are
about as degraded and wretched as the
Negritos. Then come the Indonesiar
and Malay races who entered the coun.
try from the south and west in the
great migrations OF nations in the
past. They were originally Mahom.
medans or Buddhists, but today theil
descendants, numbering not less thar
six millions Of people. are about equal.
ly divided between the religions OF
Rome and Mahomet. In the Island
| NJ Iuzon the natives are generally