The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-23
Archbishop Ireland Discusses at
Length Negotiations
WILL TURN OUT ALL RIGHT
Says 1t VIII Take Considerable Dlplo-
macy to Work the Matter Out
Without Friction, But All Will
Turn Out All Right.

Turn Out All Right.
ST. Paul. Mirn.. July % 22-Archbishop
John Ireland in ain interview with the
representative of the Associated Press
today, reviewed at some length the pro-
gress Of the negotiations conducted be-
twe cen Judge Taft end the vatican. and
took to task certain Catholic organiza-
tions that had assumed % question tha
fairness Ct the administration toward
their co-religionists. The archbishop
said:
Yes, the news from Rome is. quite
satisfactory, ana, 1 am sure. quite cor
rect Private advioes coming TO ne from
the most reliable source confirm in all
respects the disT atches given by the As
ISOLATED Press. The sovereign pontiff and
other Roman authorities gre delighted
with Governor Taft personally. ard with
the negotiations in course of progress be-
tween MIN and The vatican. Reports sent
out by the correspondents of certain Lon
dor papers 10 the effect that the portiff
vas displeased with the manner of act
ing of the commission OF cardinals ap-
pointed to treat with Governor Taft were
absolutely unfounded. AS stated IN this
mornings Roman dispatches. the pontif
assured Governor rsft that he was most
satisfied and happy at the results so far
obtained, and that he was confident the
negotiations begun in Rome would be the
starting point of a complete and sa It's
factory solution of The question under dis
cussion. This statement resumes in the
mcst exact manner the situation as the
vatican views it, and as it really is.
What Might Have Been Expected
THAT the negotiations have not yet
reached final conclusions and are to be
transferred from Rome TO Manila, is what
might have been expected from The be-
ginning Time in the work is of prime
necessity. With little time certain mat
ters, now seeming to offer great difficult
ties will be made by quiets sxllful touch
es of pontifcal diplomacy, to work them
selves out without friction or excitement
and so when In Manila, final conclusions
are to be reached. things will have been
ripe and will turn out all right. Mr.. Taft
understands the matter and leaves Rome
thoroughly satisfied and hopeful There
can be no doubt but that the active CO.
operation of the vatican is now secured
to the American government in its task
that in the results to come the admin
stration at Washington will have ample
reason to felicitate itself for having sent
Governor Taft to Rome.
And now, it Is to be hoped there will
be among certain Glasses of Catholics in
America a cessation of movements and
declarations such as we have had recent
occasion to hear of regarding religious
matters in the Philippines. The pope
teaches those Catholics to tfust the Amer
icsn government as they seemingly have
been heretofore unwilling to do In his
conversation with Governor Taft he cx-
pressed the highest esteem for American
methods of treating church matters. and
remarked that he mad more than once
pointed toward the United States as set
ting and example well worth copying.
His word ought to signify something to
these who profess to take him as their
leader and guide. The question of re-
ligion in the Philippines is now formally
ard officially his own; and II should be
considered as such. few there may re-
main who will still believe that they
have better understanding of it than
he has. and will insist on telling him how
to handle It; hut such as those are few
and at least it will be clear that they
hold no brief whatever from the Catholic
body ut large
Agitation Does No Good.
"The agitation. such as 1t was. in GER
tain Catholic quarters did no honor to
those who participated in it. AS is now
proved they spoke and acted without due
Knowledge and certainly without proper
regard for the government of their coun-
try. They should first have been abso-
lutely certain that injnstices had been
dcne to their co-religionists and. next II
Justice had been done. they should have
sought a remedy to them by an appeal to
the proper officials before raising In pub
lie irritating clamors That In the vast
alternations made in the Philippines by
the transfer of the islands from Spain to
American sovereignty, serious complica-
tions were sure to arise in religious mat
ters, as they did in social and civil mat
ters, was naturally to be expected; ds 1t
was also to be expected that time would
be required to regulate things properly,
and that, meanwhile. suffering in one
form or another was to come to interests
most secret and vital. Patience then
should have been had. no haste should
there have been to lay blame upon the
government which was doing its best to
bring order out of chaos, and, abose all,
no charges should have been made
against the intentions of the government
II was rankest rashness and rankest in
justice to intimate that the government
or to do aught to them from the Catholic
religion.
Nothing Wrong Thought OF.
ITO know in the slightest degree Mr.
Roosevelt Mr.. Root or Mr.. Taft is TO
certain that nothing of the kind could
have been thought of or could have been
tolerated. Never did there reside in the
White House man more fair-minded and
impartial in religious matters. more reso-
lutte to give all classes of citizens the
religious rights than Theodore Roosevelt
During his administration 1t is unquali-
iedly absurd to imagine that governmental
acts could be such as to deny or impair
the religious rights. of any people or tribe
over whom floats the American flag. AS
to to Mr.. Taft, l quote from a letter
which ! received but yesterday from a
Catholic priest living in the arch Episco-
pal palace in Manila, the Rev w. D. Nc
Kinnon: can assure you nothing could
be more unjust than the criticisms OF
Governor Taft appearing in some Catholic
papers. Governor Taft has not particle
of bgotry in his makeup. In all his
acts here. defy any one to say he has
shown himself prejudiced in the least.
All this does not mean that here ana
there, individuals connected in one way or