The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-18


W department today made public
the last note of Secretary Root
to Governor Taft relative to the nego-
tiations for the friars' lands 1t
formed the basis of the note which
Governor Taft yesterday communi-
Gated TO the vatican, the essential
points of which were cabled from Rome
by the Associated Press last evening;
July IL 1902. Taft. Hotel Quirinal,
Rome: 1 am gratified by the express
sion of intention on the part of holy
see to take the measures which are
indicated by Cardinal Rampollas mem
oranda of the 22d of June, and of the
10th of July to recall the religious or
ders in the Philippine islands to the
life proper of their institutes, and to
an exclusive devotion to spiritual min
istry, abstaining from any kind of in
reference with the negotiations of the
civil authority. and to introduce. as
much as possible, the religious orders
of natiOnalities other than Spanish,
and particularly the religious orders Of
American nationality and to concede
to them the parochial ministry as soon
as they shall be sufficiently instructed
in the language of the country.
These measures, so plainly indicated
as wise by the recognized facts in the
Philippine archipelago, are quite in
consideration. and l feel such contri-
button as you have been able to make
TO a full understanding Of the facts and
the development of the purposes de-
scribed, is sufficient compensation for
your visit to Rome. 1t is believed that
there viii result a sure basis of mu-
tual consideration and just treatment
in the future relations between the
church and state in the Philippines in
regard to all specific questions which
viii have to be settled.
Regarding the withdrawal of the
members of the religious orders from
the Philippines. it should not be IN
derstood that the PhiliTI-ine govern
ment is asking to mod.o or in any
manner affect the conduct of religious
matters on the part of the holy see or
on the part of the heads of the orders
or for a compulsory exclusion or pro-
ceeding whatever. 1t is rather that
the Philippine government desires So
! cial results which il deems of great
importance to the welfare of the Phil
ippine people and which can be ac-
compIished only by the withdrawal OF
this class of persons. who have for
tuitously been thrown into special and
antagOnistical political relations with
the people.
THAT government has proposed. an
arrangement which is supposed TO be
very advantageous to the church, and
worth it's while to carry out, if the
ecclesiastical authorities having the di-
rection of the religious orders should
/ see fit voluntarily 70 withdraw them
/ from the islands. Such a voluntary
withdrawal could not be considered q
/ violation of any rights under tbs
/ treaty of Paris. or otherwise, or any
/ reflection either upon the nomination
/ or upon the orders to which the per-
! sons Withdrawing happen to belong.
1.-The resolutions making the with
! drawal desirable are not religious Oh
/ racial: but arise from the political and
/ social relations which existed under
1 the former government, and which
! have created personal antipathy, men
acing to the peace and order of tbs
/ community.
For Good of Filipinos.
! such voluntary withdrawal would
not involve any confirmation of any
! accusations against the persons with
drawing or the orders to which they
belong. and it is to be observed -ha
We have made no such accusations
1t would simply recognize the exist
ence of the conditions which for sew
eraI years past have been and now ar
Oreventfue these particular agent
! from serving the church in the sta
| tons to which they were assigned ant
| which would make their re-emplOymen
( injurious to the communication II
this matter the United States repre-
sentatives in the Philippines are merel,
/ endeavoring to meet the wishes. a
well as the needs, of the philippine
II is not the United States govern
ment which objects TO the presence o
the friars. 1t is the Catholic pOpuIa
ton in the Philippine islands IN
Catholic population and the paris
priests of native ana non-Spanish blOol
are practically a unit in desiring bot
to expeI the friars and 10 confscat
their lands out of hand This pro
posed confiscatiOn- without cOmpensa
ton of the church land, was one O
the fundamental policies of the insur
gent government under AguinaldO
Recognizing the intensity and prac
tical unanimity of this feeling anon
the Filipinos. and at the same time de
string to avoid causing loss to tn
church. the United States governmen
proposed to pay for the lands fror
the public funds if the friars woal
retire from the islands and give plac
to other religious orders Of their oW7
faith, who might be able to accom-
plish for the religion what they them
selves had so signally failed to accom-
plish.
In making this proposal. the Unite
States representatives were we'll awar
that. financially, it was only one Q
! benefit TO the church for the lands ar
known as productive, and held in ad
verse possession by the natives. VIII
refuse to pay rent while the fOrme
: congregat ions OF the objectionabl
friars now refuse to accept them an
they could only be restored to thei
parishes by such affirmative govern
mental action as under our constitute
cannot be TAKEN
ct is the desire to accomplish ii
removal of this cause OF disturbanC
; and discord that has led me TO ar
, prove that clause of YOUR propose
which would involve the sovernmeT