Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-07-18
Pope Fav0rs Annexation.

There are but two Roman Catholic
cardinals who speak the English lam
guage. One of them is Cardinal Vaughn,
who made a speech at the last celebra- !
ton of the Fourth of July in London.
That his u%tterance, the first from any
direct representative of the pope n
the holy see, vas meant to voice the
of annexation of the Philippines to the
United States, there can be no doubt.
Archbishop Ireland, in America, had
declared in favor of retention of the is
lands, but his views We're regarded as
more or less tinged with American in
dependence of thought. The course of
America in this matter is not to be in
| fluenced by any thought as to what is
the desire of the church, which has had
such sway in the islands, yet it has been
a matter in which Catholic people have
long desired to know the intentions of
their church. 1t is to the credit of the
foreign head of that organization that
it sees the wisdom of lending influence
~ VI W VI "a tiAS oiAAANe ~
a Protestant nation that is progressive,
and despite the fact that the United
States will not give n church special
privileges and civil influence.
1t may also be considered as an indi-
cation of the recognition by the church
of the inevitable fate of the islands.
The language of Cardinal Vaughn in
addressing the Americans, was:
you have come forth from your con-
tinent, forced by circumstances to the
acquisition of lands abroad. You stand
with our foot on the threshold of the
vast continent of Asia. You will never
be able to withdraw the influence you
have, and it will be greater in the future
than yer it was in the past. 1t must
make itself felt on the tremendous pop
ulation of Asia, which is waiting for the
advent of true civilization"
There is more suggested than declared
in these remarks. The church officials
are, however, diplomatic and guarded
in utterances concerning government
policies and complications. 1t was prob
ably intended to say only enough to
convey the existence Of sympathy to the
Americans without arousing a protest
from Catholic Europe. The church is
also probably not unmindful that the
American people are jealous of any sug-
gestion that looks like advice or sug-
| gestion from a foreign source, and es-
pecially from an ecclesiastical power.
There is no reason why the Catholic
church should not welcome annexation
of the stands to the United States, even
If the former have been under the con-
troll Of Catholic Spain. Spanish priests
have not for many decades made prog
ress in advancing interests of the church
among the natives, and the islanders
have gradually grown hostile instead of
becoming converts. Methods never in
vogue by priests in America have
brought about this hostility, and the
cause has long been losing ground.
When the natives have had opportunity
they have treated priests as beasts of
burden, and hundreds of them have now
long been prisoners and compelled to
undergo savage cruelties. Many have
been murdered by the followers of Agui-
naldo.
A late report is that the i%nsurgent
leader has consented to release Spanish
civilians in prisons or guarded by his
troops because their support is burden
some, and he has despaired of securing
ransom for them, but the friars and
priests are to be kept because he ex-
poets the church to pay for their re-
lease.
The Catholic church could expect no
liberation after success by the tribes
of Aguinaldo, while under American
civilization that religious organization
and all others will have protection. If
the Catholic interests there be put un-
der American control Of the branch of
the church missionary work Of the
character done among Indians in Amer
lea by the Catholic clergy, so success
fully, will result, and much more be ac-
complished than was ever done under
the arbitrary men of Spanish priests
sent from Spain.