The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-18
ROOTS INSTRUCTIONS
His Final Note to Governor Taft on
| the Frfars' Lands.

E sr.H - ..E2ta = $50 g
Washington, July 1S.-The last note of
Secretary Root to Governor Taft relative
to the friars' lands was in part as fol-
lows: ~ 1ss :sl G, - stss.7 4 { 4.
am gratifed by the expression of intention
on the part Of the holy see to take measures
which are indicated by Cardinal RampoIIa's
memoranda Of June % and Of July 10, to re-
call the religious orders in the Philippine
Islands to the life proper to their institutions
and to an exclusive devotion to spiritual min
istry, abstaining from any kind of interfer-
ence with things appertaining to the civil au-
thority, and to introduce as much as possible
the religious of nationalities other than Span
ish, and particularly the religious of Ameri
can ality. and to concede. to them the
paroch1al ministry as soon as they shall. be
sufficiently instructed in the language of the
country. 49,, }s|+'-s5' - s''+ 49,.
Regarding the withdrawal of the members
OF the religious orders from the Philippines,
it should not be understood that the Philip
pine government is asking to modify 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 any
compulsory expulsion or proceeding whatever.
It is rather that the. Philippine government
desires social results which it deems Of great
Importance TO the welfare of the Philippine
people, and which can be accomplished only
by the withdrawal of this class Of persons
who have fortuitously been thrown into spe-
cial and antagonistic political relations with
the people. -. = - H.
Such voluntary withdrawal cannot be con-
sidered a violation of any rights under the
treaty of Paris or otherwise, or any reflection
either upon the nation or upon the orders to
which the persons withdrawing happen to be-
long. The reasons making the withdrawal
desirable are not religious or racial, but arise
from the political and social relations which
existed under the former government, and
which have created personal antipathies men
acing to *he peace and order of the commu-
nifty. Such voluntary withdrawal would not
involve any confirmation Of any accusation
against the persons withdrawing or the orders
to which they belong; and 1t is to be OBJ
served that we have made no such accusa-
tiong.- 1t would simply recognize tho exist
ence of the conditions which for several years
past have been and now are preventing these
| particular agents from serving the church in
| the stations to which they were assigned, and
would make their unemployment Injurious to
! the community ; 80 '~ +" |'f
In this matter the United States representa-
| tives in the Philippines are merely endeavor-
| ing to meet the wishes as well as needs of the
| Philippine people. It is not the United States
government which objects to the presence of
| the friars. 1t is the Catholic population OF
the Philippine islands. The lay Catholic pop
ulatlon and the parish priests Of native and
| non-Spanish blood are practically a unit in
desiring both to expel the friars ana to con-
| fscate their lands out Of hand This proposed
confiscation without compensation of the
| church land was one Of the fundamental poll
cies of the insurgent government under Agut-
| naldo Recognizing the intensity and practi-
cal unanimity Of this feeling among the FIJI
pinos, and at the same time desiring to avoid
causing loss to- tho church, the United States
| government representatives proposed to pay
I for the lands out sof the pubic funds, II che
friars would retire from the islands, and give
place to other: religious of their own: talth
| who might be able to accomplish for theil
religion what they themselves had so signa1lJ
failed to accomplish .~. -.
In making this proposal the United States
| representatives were well aware that fnan'
4 cially it was only of benefit to the church, fol
| the lands are unproductive and held in ad'
verse possession by the natives, who refuse
to pay rent, while the former congregations
i of. the Objectionable friars now refuse to re-
ceiye them, and they could only be restored
to their parishes by such affirmative govern
mental action as under our constitution can
not be taken.