The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-07
TAFT's INSTRUCTIONS
How He Is to Treat With the Church
@--l Authorities. ". &.


RI Authorities.
Washington, June :7LSecretary Root
sent to the Philippine committees of the
senate and house-copies of the instruc-.
| tions given by him to Governor Taft for
his guidance In dealing with the vatican
respecting the acquisition by. the United
States of the friars' lands in the Philips
pines The instructions are in part! as
follows: \ Ia
The president wishes you to- take the
| subject up tentatively with the ecclesiast-
zeal superiors who must ultimately deter
mine the friars'r course of conducti;and en-
deavor%to reach at least a basis of nego-
| tiation along, lines which will be$ satisfac-
tory to them and to the Philippine govern
ment. M Al
| 'First-one of the controlling principles
| of our government is the complete separa-
| ton of church and state, with the entire
|. freedom of each from any control or inter
|Fference by the other. = s..
| "Second-1t is Unnecessary to deal now
| with the results Of tablishing a gov
eminent controlled by this principle in the
Philippine islands, which: have tforScen-
! turtles, been governed under an entirely
different system with church and state
! closely united, and having functions: Of
| the one exercised by agents of the other :.
=, tThird-By reason of the separati the
religious orders can no longer perform in
behalf of the state the duties in relation
| to public instruction and public charities
formerly resting upon them, and the power
which they formerly exercised through
their relations to the civil government,
being now wttdra wn, they find them
selves the objects of such hostility on the
1 part of their atenantry against; them as
! landlords, and on the part Of the people
| of the parishes against them as repre-
| sentatives of the former government, that
| they are no longer capable, of serving any
useful purpose for the church. No rents
| can be collected from the popu1ous COM
! munitiessoccupying their lands unless It
be by the Intervention of: the civils gov
eminent with armed force Speaking gem
orally, for several years past The friars,
| formerly installed over the parishes, have
|, been unable to remain at their posts, and
are collected III Manila with the vain hope
/ of returning. They will not be- volun-
tarily accepted again by the people, and
cannot be restored to their possessions ex-
cept by forcible intervention on the part
| Of the civil government, which the 5prin-
ciples Of our government! forbid: It is
| manifest that under these conditions it is
| for the interest Of the church as we'll as
the state, that the landed proprietorship
of the. religious orders in the Philippine
| islands Should cease, and that If the
church Wishes, as Of coursessit does, to
continue it's ministration among the peo-
pie. of the islands,, and to conduct in its
/ own behalf; a system or instruction. with
+ which we have no desire to interfere, 1t
should seek other agents therefor.
"Fourth-It is the wish Of our govern
| ment, in case congress shall grant au-
| thority, that the titles Of the religious OF
| ders to the large tracts Of agricultural
lands which they now hold shall be ex-
! tinguished but that full and fair compen-
sation shall be made therefor. ~. .
."TheH rights and obligations remaining
| under the various specific trusts for edu-
/ ton and charity which are now in doubt
/ and controversy ought to be settled by
agreement if possible rather. than by the
/ slow processes of litigation. r. g.. .
ttYour errand will notF be in any sense
or degree diplomatic in it's nature, but
will be purely business natter