Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-24
REPLY TO FUNSTON.
ALLEGED REMARK OF LATTER
ABOUT THE PHILIPPINE WAR.
ARCHBISHOP CAI2ELLE ON The PRIlRS
Their Good Work In bringing Ma
tives Ont of snvagery-suggesfe
Connscatfon OF Church property
How Latter Hns Bceu Acquired.

WASHINGTON, October 2s.-Arch-
bishop Chapelle, Of New Orleans, Apos-
tolic Delegate TO Cuba. Porto Rico. and
the Philippines, to-day gave out the fol-
lowing statement to the Associated
Press:
I'm answer TO General Funston's state
ment. made in an address TO the students
OF Stanford University. that III Congress
would drive out the F'rlars and coniscate
every inch OF church property, the bot
tom would drop out OF the irsurrection
within one week and that the inhabi-
tants OF Luzon are completely under the
Church. deem 1t proper to make the
following public statement;
Knowing what do, from most reli-
able authority, Of General Funston's
broad-mindedness and sense Of fairness,
l do not believe that he has been quoted
correctly. He may have stated that the
insurgents demand this as a condition OF
peace; but that he gave them as his own
sentiments cannot credit. From my own
experience know how easily II Is 10 be
misquoted. All / can say is. II General
Funston did make this statement he
manifested a dense ignorance OF the
work done by the religious orders In this
archipelago. on the very face OF IL, how
ever, II shows quite plainly that II did
not come from one as well posted as
General Funston should be on affairs In
I.uson. He is quoted AZ saying: The In
habitants Of Luzon are completely under
the Church. Now, / would ask how can
this be possible when every priest with
the exception OF a few natives) In the
Island of Luzon, outside Of the walled
city OF Manila. is prisoner Of the insur-
sents7 For the past eighteen months this
state OF affairs has existed, and during
all this period more than three and fifty
Friars have been undergoing unheard-of
torture In insurgent dungeons. This be-
ms fact; II is hard for me to see how
the islands can be under the Friars.'
1t looks to me as though just the oppo-
site were the case.
INSURGENTS BUT ONE TRIBE
THAT the insurgents have asked as one
Of their terms Of peace the expulsion of
the F'riars, and the conhscation to the
insurgents Of all the Church property. Is
fact we'll known; but we are told by the
government officials (and know II TO be
fact from other reliable sourceO that
the insurgents represent only one tribe
out OF the eighty-iye tribes peopling the
archipelago so that the sentiments voiced
by tina insurgents about the Friars and
Church property cannot be taken as
the sentiment Of the great body OF the
natives, any more than they can be taken
as the sentiments OF the natives toward
our people and government.
sfXTbatavof fba natives arc ar h1ya thew
owe TO the Friars. BY them they were
lifted out Of savagery and brought under
the blessed and refining influences Of
Christianity. BY them they were edu-
Gated, not only in the schools, but In the
fields and the workshops They were
taught by them the very Industries which
are now the source of their prosperity.
Mr. Peiton the agent OF the Episcopal
foreign mission. tells us that the ma
tives are the most moral and religious
people on tho face of tho globe. Now,
the men who taught them 10 be so can
not be such men as some narrow MINDED
people would try to have US believe. Rev.
Or. Abel. a Scotch Protestant missionary,
also testihes that nearly the whole popu-
lation OF the Philippine archipelago has
been converted 70 the Catholic faith by
the Spanish monks, and a wonderful I'm
provement In their social condition has
been the result HG then goes on TO shcw
that If any one doubts this improvement
It can easily be made manifest by com
pairing the Christian native with MS
southern nelghbor OF the same blood-the
fanatical Moro.
CONFIsCATION OF ESTATES.
"As TO the confscation Of the estates.
you might as wei talk OF couisoating the
estates OF the Vasderbilts. the Astors.
and other milionaries. whose estates
have. I'm the course Of years, grown so
wonderfully. There would be just 40
much right and justice In one case as III
rho other. The estates Of the religious
orders have been acquired In the usual
way. by purchase, and In the course OF
nearly four centuries have naturally
grown large; but If even unbiased Pro-
testant witnesses are 70 be credited, large
as they are, all are used for the better
ment and unliftlng OF the natives.
A former British Consul Ga ProtestanO
writing on this subject. says: IT was
by means Of the estate that the Friars
introduced agriculture and settled habits
OF life among the tribes originally no
nadlc. IL was by means Of these estates
that they got them 10 live I'm villages,
ard introduced amongst them the arts
OF civilized life IT was by means or
these estates that they acquired the
power Of inducing them 10 labor with a
certain amount OF regularity and me-
thod-the great safeguard against re-
lapse again into their original state OF
savagery. The natives he says, are.
with some rare exceptions. In need Of
tutelage, without which they would fan
back 10 the customs Of their ancestors,
a tuelags that no one can exercise bet
ter than the Friars within the pre-
cincts OF the m0nasteries are 10 be found
carpenter-shops, FORCES, brick and tile
yards. etc, 10 teach the natives various
trades. The villages formed around them
presented a pleasing picture Of hap
plnesg and content In startling contrast
10 those who were still pagan and I'M
civilized
THE ARCHBISHOP'S MISSION.
In a short time ! will start for the
Philippines. and ! viii personally inyesti-
gate all charges made against religious
orders, titles Of property, etc.
Until l have completed my work !
would ask the good people OF the United
states not 10 be too ready 90 swallow
ss facts the opinions Of gentlemen whose
previous training and lack Of opportunity
to get at the real facts 90 no warrant
their statements concerning the Catholic
ministers OF religion, the intellectual ca
pacity, and the moral and social con-
dltlon OF the people Of the archipelago.
These opinions cannot be taken as undis-
puted facts by sensible and just minds.
nor can they. therefore, be taken as an
exact presentation Of condition OF
things I'm the Philippines upon which the