The Irish standard., 1899-10-28
GEN. FUNSTON AND THE FR1ARs.


GEN. FUNSTON AND THE FRIARS.
In speech to the students OF Stanford
University, Cell, Gen. Frederick Fun
ston, OF Kansas, declared that the Fill
plno iriars were at the bottom OF the
Instruction i'll Luzon. He is reported
to have Numerically attacked the
church" but this he has publicly denied.
Ele does not deny, however, that he said
''if congress would drive out the friars
and confscatc every inch OF church
property, the bottom would drop out OF
the instruction within a week"
Archbishop Chapelle, the apostolic
delegate to Cuba, Porto Rico, and the
Philippines, replies to Gen. Funston and
defends the friars, and at the outset de-
clares that he does rot believe the mill
tary hero had been quoted correctly.
The archbishop says that for the past
eighteen months more than $50 friars
have been undergoing unheard OF tor
ture in insurgent dungeons, and that be-
ing the case the inhabitants OF Luzon are
rot "as completely under the church," as
Funston was reported to have said. He
then proceeds to quote from Protestant
ministers and officials as to the splendid
work OF the iriars in the island and says:
AS to the conhscation OF the estates,
you might as we'll talk OF con6scating
the estates ,ol the Vanderbilts, the AS
tors. and other milionaircs whose es-
tates have, in the course OF years, grown
so wonderfully. There would be just as
much right and justice in one case as in
the other The estates OF the religious
orders have been acquired in the usual
way, by purchase, and in the course OF
nearly Jour centuries have naturally
grown large; but if even unbiased Pro-
tcstant witnesses are to be credited,
large as they are, all are used for the
bettermcnt and uplifting of the natives"
In concluding his letter Archbishop
Chapelle says: Zone word now on an
other subject. I see that it is said that
the object of my visit to the White
House on Saturday was to protest
against the looting and Decorating of
the churches in the Philippines. This
was not the case. AS to the looting and
dcsecrating OF these churches, am in
formed by person whose word l can
not doubt that this looting was not done
by Our American soldiers but by the
insurgents and the Chinese"
Now, as to the influence of the friars
in prolonging the war in the island
we think Gen. Funston does not over
estimate it. The $50 friars referred to
by the archbishop are not natives but
Spaniards The Filipino friars are with
their own countrymen as the Irish
priests were with the insurgents of 90
in Ireland, and as American clergymen
OF all denominations were with the
North and South during the civil war in
this country. The Filipino friars are to
be commended and not censured for
their patriotism, and we have no doubt
of their influence with the natives to
keep up the fight for their affairs and
their fires, for God and their native
land" as Fitz- Green Halleck says.
AS regards the looting and dissertation
Of the churches by American volunteers,
the archbishop must have taken Father
McKinnon for his authority, who re-
Gently said: ut is true that a great
many churches have been looted and
stripped, but that has been the work OF
Cinnamon in nearly every case. The
looting has usually been between the
evacuation OF town by the rebels and
the entry of the American forces" FIR.
McKinnon was the chaplain of the First
California volunteers for sixteen months
and told President Mckinley that the
stories attributing the looting and des-
ccration OF the churches to American
soldiers were entirely unfounded The
San Francisco Monitor, which is pub
lished in his own city, contradicts Chap
lain McKinnon in the printed interview
with Mr.. Thomas Fox, of Oakland, who
says: when the volunteer regiments
were fighting in the islands there were
to my certain knowledge ten or twelve
churches looted and desecrated. Be-
lore the volunteers went to Manila they
had heard the fables about the sup
posed wealth OF the Philippine churches.
So when they conquered village their
first move would be to rush in body
to the parish church and carry off every
thing portable 1t was common sight
to see soldiers, and even the Chinese lit
ter bearers, laden with priests vest
ments, crucifxes, small statues and altar