The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-17

49, FgrEF hi
4 in2thc Y Founders Of a Republic.
Would Have Been olonstrous 70,
Have Left tho Philippines to Them.
selves or Turned Them Back to
Spain. N;
II NEW; YORK; Jan. The New York
Bible Society, has received a second re-
port from the Rev. John r. Hykes, D.,
ID. whom In September last It commits
aloned to proceed TO Manila, for the
sake OF preliminary Inquiries about tho
possible openings there for the dis,ribu-l
Elton OF the Holy Scriptures. He ex-
presses the opinion that the Fiiiplnos
are. not capable OF self-goyernment,
and Gays: b
while, there are doubtless many able
men among tho lFIllplnog, am con-
WINGED that they do not have the quallA-
cations which are essential to the
founders OF a republic. l believe that
81 western influence. were TO be entirely
withdrawn. civilization would spontan-
cously die out In the Philippines. The
mass OF The people are ignorant In the
extreme, and they will not be prepared
! for many years for scif-Bovernment. II
I will be generations before their aspira-
lions. to become. an independent COM
monwealth ought to be realized. 54
Il was introduced 10 Aguinaldo, but
/ did not.mcntion the subject OF missions.
!. A friend of mine. who Is In the conf!
dencc OF Aguinaldo, promnss1 to bring
the matter before him, and let me know.
his Views. l received n letter from him
a few dnys ago. in which he says:
According to promise Interviewed
. General .Aguinaldo on the subject OF a
Z Bible depot here Tin Manfla), and his
answer was TO the effect that personally
I he was In favor OF It, but the question
had been discussed in the cabinet, md
I they objected to the scheme Agulnaido
himself, has become Protestant, and
he assures me that little later on,
when things become more settled. that
. there will be no trouble about the b.
i bic society sending an agent here to
the Islands. am sorry That cannot
send you q more favorable answer now,
but will. not lose sight OF the matter
1T would be monstrous to turn the
philippines back to Spain. 1t would be
"a great blunder 10 grant them indepcnd-
encc. In my Judgment. the only proper
thing for the United States 10 do Is
TO keep the whole archipelago. and give
the people good government and relig-
ious liberty. Every Spanish friar ought
10 be banlshed from the Islands. II. not,
!. there will be endless trouble. / ought
TO have said that the Jesults were never
accused OF the gross immortality with
which the other. orders have been so
freely charged. They were driven out
OF the provinces by the other religious
corporations. and their work was al
most entirely confined to Manila There
is n priest here In Shanghai who was
In Manila for many years and he does
not hesitate TO say tharthe lives OF the
4 Spanish friars were scandatousty cor
rupt' - - t'H =
III know that the opinion has been OK
4 pressed in the United States that there
Z IS no need for the Protestant churches
ito concern themselves about the Philip
Epincs: that the Roman Catholic church
Y has taken good care OF the people for
rore than three hundred years: that
they are good, intelligent Catholics,
who ought not to be. disturbed in relig-
,ous ma tters, and that we have nothing
better to offer them than what they al
ready, have. No man who has been To
tthc Philippines could honestly hold such
opinions fcl1a moment. No. man who Is
familiar with the history or'thc church
IN the philippines could have the audac-
lily to give publicity TO such state
mcnts.
THE neoplc have hcnn kent IN Ir-
norance. because the priests could thus
best play upon their superstitions.
ISchools authorized by the Spanish Eov-
ernmcnt were not Established because It
Ibid not suit tho priests to have them,
s&They have nothing biz, the outward
form OF religion. and know nothing OF
lis inward and spiritual grace. Roman
isGatholicism has not purified their lives.
Sslt has not been power In molding and
I Transforming their characters. Pious
y ana devo!A Catholics would be scarcely
ready 10 acknowledge them Catholics
In mora than name. and | think would
4 ADMIT that they are Vt subjects for mis-
sions Of their own church. The masses
oil the people are painfully Ignorant In
!! religious matters. l think It would be
difficult 10 find more needy field. and
. the call that comes to the Protestant
CHURCHES Of America Is loud and urgent,
ihe people are and have been without
. the Bible. They know there is such q
book. and that ia about ALL
Under Spanish rule II was lmpossl-
bic for the Bible societies to do any
work In the Philippines
II desire to impress upcn the mana
gers OF the society the Importance of
entering this field Mt the very earliest
onpertunity. If there shall be any pos
Utility Of doing Bible work In the Phil
ippines IL Will be because they have he
come American soil, and the first and
strongest obligation rests upon the
American Bible Society to undertake II.
General Otis very kindly told me
that IL We want TO take Chinese colpor-
1enrs to the Islands 10 sell Scriptures
among the Chinese. he will give them
special permission 10 land upon nv
making application to him.
American, missionaries are beginning
10 20. TO the islands. To-day the Rev.
G. a. Owens and wife, tho frs, mission
aries Of the Methodist Episcopal church
"a the Philippines. arrived. cnroutc 10
Manila AS soon rs these missionaries
get the lanSuage they will translate the
scriptures into the native dialects. and
It VIII be the work OF the American hi
hlc Society 10 publish them. What n
field there Is for this will lie understood
when tell You that there are more
than thirty distinct languages recoc-
nized In the Philippines"
we. ---~>-
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