Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-06
The Instructions.

| pose OF credentials. The text Is as fol-
lows:
The Instructions.
| 'May Q. 1902
"Sir: 1t Is now apparent that Congress
Will not have acted upon the Philippine
| commissions recommendations regarding
the purchase of friars lands before the time
| of your departure for Manila which cannot
| be longer delayed You cannot, therefore,
as we had hoped. now receive definite In
| structions, and proceed to take such steps,
| IN the execution of a specific authority
| from Congress. as should properly be taken
| before you return to Manila. The commit
tees of both houses have, however, report
| ed favorably upon the comm ission's recon-
| mendations and it appears probable that
| Congress will confirm their action.
| In view, therefore, of the critical situa-
| ton OF this subject in the Philippines. and
! of the apparent impossbiity Of disposing
| or the matter there by negotiation with the
| friars themselves, the President does not
feel at liberty to lose the opportunity for
| in the west.
| HE wishes you to take the subject ND
| tentatively with the ecclesiastical superiors
! who must ultimately determine the friars
| course or conduct, and endeavor to reach
| at least basis of negotiation along lines
| which will be satisfactory to them and to
the Philippine government. accompanied
by full understanding on both sides of
| the facts and Of the views and purposes of
| the parties to the negotiation; so that when
| Congress shall have acted the business may
proceed to conclusion without delay.
To Visit Rome
| You are accordingly authorized, in the
| course Of your return journey to Manila
| to visit Rome, and there ascertain what
| church authorities have the power to ne
! gotiate for and determine upon a sale of
| the lands of the religious orders in the
| Philippine Islands, and If you find, as we
are informed, that the officers of the church
| at Rome have such power and authority
you will endeavor to attain the results
| above indicated.
| ANY negotiations which you may enter
| upon are always subject to granting of
! power by Congress to follow the negotia-
| tons by binding action. In any confer
| ences and negotiations you will bear in
mind the following propositions. which are
deemed to be fundamental. and which
should be fully and frankly stated to the
other side in the negotiations:
Fundamental Principles.
"a One of the controlling principles of our
government is the complete separation of
! church and state, with the entire freedom
| of each from any control or interference by
the other. This principle is imperative
wherever American jurisdiction extends.
| and no modification shading thereof can
! be subject of discussion.
| "(2) 1t is necessary now to deal with the
| results Of establishing a government con-
troled by this principle In the Philippine
| Islands, which have for centuries been gov
| erned under entirely different system,
| with church and state closely united, and
having functions of the one exercised by
agents Of the other; where the church has
| long controlled and acted virtually as the
| agent of the state in the field of public
| instruction and public charities and has
| from time to time acquired large properties
held by it or by its subordinate corpora
| tions or officers for these public uses
"a novel situation has been created under
| which the adjustment of means to ends
| appropriate to the former system entirely
| fails to produce the intended result under
the new system, and the separation of
church and state requires to be followed
| by readjuStment and Encouragement in
| the interests both Of church and Of state.
and for the attainment of the great ends
| of civil government, of education, of char
| ity and of religion.
"() BY reason of the separation the re-
| Ngious orders can no longer perform in
behalf Of the state the duties in relation to
public instruction and public charities for
merly resting upon them, and the power
which they formerly exercised, through
| their relations to the civil government. be-
| ing now withdrawn, they find themselves
the objects of such hostility on the part of
| their tenantry against them as landlords,
and on the part of the people of the par
! ishes against them as representatives of the
| former government, that they are no long
er capable of serving any useful purposes
for the church.
No rents can be collected from the popu-
lous communities occupying these lands un-
less it be by the Intervention of the civil
government with armed force. Speaking
generally, for several years past the friarS
formerly installed over the parishes, have
been unable to remain at their posts, and !
are collected in Manila with the vain hope
of returning.
They Viii not be voluntarily accepted by
the people, and cannot be restored to their
positions except by forcible Intervention on
the part of the civil government which |
the principles OF our government forbid.
Friars' Proprietorship Should Cease.
1T is manifest that under these condi-
lions 1t Is for the interests of the church, |
as we'll as of the state, that the landed |
proprietorship Of the religious orders in the |
Philippine Islands should cease, and that |
if the church Wishes as Of course it does |
wish, to continue It's illustrations among |
the people Of the Islands. and to conduct in |
its own behalf a system of instruction, with |
which we have no desire to interfere, 1t !
should seek other agents therefor.
"a 1t is the wish of our government, in |
case Congress shall grant authority. that |
the titles of the religious orders to the |
large tracts of agricultural lands which |
they now hold shall be -Stinguished. but |
made therefor
IS. It is not. however, deemed to be for |
the interest of the people OF the Philippine
Islands that In thus Transforming wholly
unproductive tracts of land into money cap.
able of productive investment, fund |
should thereby be created to be used for |
the attempted restoration of the friars to
the parishes from which they are now sep
arated, with the consequent disturbance
Of law and order.
&c. The titles to the great amount of /!
church lands and buildings in the islands,
other than those Of religious orders, and |
now apparently owned by the state, should
be settled fairly.
81. Provision should be made for ascer-
tanning what rental, IL any, ought to be
paid conventos and other church buildings
which have been occupied by United States
troops during the insurrection, this being
OF course, subject to further specific action