The Indianapolis journal., 1899-01-17
uOHcLi5--.

aboue 4sO ening there for the
distribution OF ~ Scriptures. He ex-
presses the opinion that the Filipinos are
not now capable of self-gevernment, and
says: while there are doubtless many
able men among the Filipinos, l am con-
WINGED that they do not have the qualifca-
tions which are essential in the founders of
a republic. / believe that If stern infiu-
ence were to be entirely withdrawn civiliZa-
ton would spontaneously die out in the
Philippines. The mass of the people are
/ ignorant in the extreme, and they are not
prepared, and will not be prepared for
many years, for self-goyernment 1t will be
generations before their aspirations to be-
come an independent commonwealth ought
to be realized.
Il was introduced to Aguinaldo. but did
not mention the subject of missions.
friend of mine who is in the confidence of
Agunaldo. promised to bring the matter
before him and let me know his views. I
, received a letter from him a few days ago,
in which he says According to promise l
interviewed General Aguinaldo on the sub
Ject of Bible depot here lin Manila), and
his answer was to the effect that personally
he was in favor of it, but the question had
been discussed by the Cabinet end the MEM
bers object to the scheme. Aguinado him
self has become a Protestant, and he as
sures me that little later on, when things
become more settled, there will be no trou-
BILE about the Bible Society sending agents
here to the island. L am sorry that l can
not send you a more favorable answer now,
but will not lose sight of the matter.
1T would be monstrous to turn the Phil
ippines back to Spain. 1t would be great
blunder to grant them independence In my.
s,,1f. 3t,. 1.,fr- rfer
thing is for the United States to keep the
whole archipelago and give the people good
government and religious liberty. Every
Spanish friar ought to be banished from the
islands. If not there will be endless trouble.
I ought to have said that the Jesuits were
never accused of the gross immortality with
which the other orders have been so freely
charged. They were driven out of the prov
inces by the other religious corporations,
and their work was almost entirely con-
fined to Manila. There is a priest here in
Shanghai who was in Manila for many
years, and he does not hesitate to say that
the lives of the Spanish friars were scan
delously corrupt
! II know that the opinion has been eX-
pressed in the United States that there is
no reed for the Protestant churches to con-
Germ themselves about the Philippines that
the ILOIndn -OdIQOllc CnuFCn mas taken SOOQ
care of the people for more than three hun
dred years; that they are good, intelligent
Catholics, who ought not to be disturbed in
religious matters, and that we have nothing
better to offer them than what they al
ready have. No man who has been to the
Philippines could have the audacity to give
publicity to such statements. The people
have been kept in ignorance because the
priests could thus best play upon their SUI
perstitons. Schools authorized by the Span
ish government were not established be-
cause it did not suit the priests to have
them. They have nothing but the outward
form of religion and know nothing of its in
ward and spiritual grace. Roman Catho-
icism has not purified their lives. 1t has
not been a power in molding and transform
ing their character. Pious and devout Cath
oics would be scarcely ready to acknowl-
edge the Catholics in more than name, and
I think would admit that they are fit sub
jscts for missions Of their own church. The
mass Of the people are painfully ignorant in
religious matters. 1 think it would be diff
cult to find a more needy field, and the
call that comes to the Protestant churches
of America is loud and urgent. The people
are and have been without the Bible. They
know there is such book, and that is about
all"