Evening star., 1901-08-15
An Anti-American Circular.

The following appeared in print yester-
day from Manila, but in today's dispatches
the Centre Catolico repudiates response
bility for the circular:
THE friars have issued circular to the
public through the Centre Catolieo. in
which they anathematize the government
in the disguise of an eloquent and passion
ate appeal to Catholics. The circular de-
clares that Gov Taft has declared war
against God and denouRceS the members
of the Philippine commission as four rick
ETY. brawiers-
1.-The occasion for this is said to be that
in a recent local dispute in Tarlac city
Gov. Taft issued n proclamation to the
effect that he neither desired to nor could
interfere in religious questions. and remind
ing the persons involved of the separation
of church and state.
The pamphlet calls the government buff
foons, talkative pygmies. vile prosecutors
and puSlanimouS politicians. who are
seeking to overthrow the church under the
guise of a pernicious liberty and are at
tempting to eclipse the sun of the moral
world 1t calls on Catholics morally to
unite against this impious and trreligious
government
This, ii will be observed. is in the hey of
the Spanish archbishop. who, when the
Americans began investing Manila, adjnred
the Filipinos TO resist to the death. telling
them that the object of the invaders was
to overthrow religion and establish a god
less rule. Such deliverance was to be ex-
pected at that time and from that source
The church in the Philippines had been an
ally of the state in the oppression of the
people. and, if Spain lost, the church would
be stripped OF her civil functions and con-
fined strictly t. the spiritual sphere of ac-
tion. The Spanish archbishop therefore
had a selfish as well as a patriotic end in
view in drumming up resistance to the
Americans.
But the friars are now living under the
stars and stripes. They would not properly
be at liberty to indulge in TRADES against
American authority, or to sow the seeds
of unrest and turbulence among the people
of the islands. And most especially is this
true when the only excuse that could be
offered would be the refusal of Gov. Taft
to favor them in the disputes that nave
arisen between them and the civil authori-
ties. The governor is not only obeying
orders. but is taking the only course open
to an American official. There can no more
be union between church and state in the
Philippines than in the United States.
1t is true Of course that such a deliver
ance of the friars would fail of it's pur-
pose. Instead of impairing. it would help
the American authorities. The Fnipinos
are tickle in many things, but not in their
hatred OF the friars. That Is deep-seated
and well-founded, and 1t promises to con-
tinue- But it would not be in keeping with
the requirements of the new times for men
wearing the cloth of the dominant church
there to publicly hold such an attitude to-
ward the civil government. The friars are
undesirable in the Philippines, and. as The
Star has from the outset held, the sooner
they are ordered away by the pope, and
their places filled by priests of. American
birth and education skilled in the manage
ment of church affairs as distinct from
those of the state. the better it will be for
everybody in interest. The friars who have
In part been driven from the Philippines
and in part cooped up in Manila in safety
only under American protection should not
be again imposed by the pope and the
American army upon their forcibly protest
Ing and vengeance-threateni parishion-