Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-08-15
THE SAVAGE Filipino
ANCIENT LETTER FOUND
WHICH DEFENDS FRlARS
oLo.TIME DOCUMENT DUG OUT
OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
WAR NOT CAUSED az THE
MEN OF oOC.

cd in the Library OF Congress. IL is Il
letter from Fra Gabriel Casanova. a
Franciscan. to Senior MOret. at one
time Spanish Minister for the Colo.
MES This letter was published in
Madrid in 1897, by ". L. Retana, at
that time a member Of the Spanish
Cortes and at the time Of It's publica.
ton Senior MOret was trying to have
reform measures iuaUguyated in the
Philippines. Father Casanova was
held Ia high esteem by his religious
superlOrs and was subsequently, nam
ed as member ol the College Of The.
ology IN Manila.
His attitude toward the FillplnOs 70.
fleets largely the opinion Of them held
by the members OF the tour church or.
ders. In official circles here It is 1aid
that Father Casanova's letter explains
fully the method used by Spain to Cua.
Quer and hold in subsection the IA.
poses the proposed reforms aud de.
Clares In substance that the FilipinOs
are bastlal savages. He says:
Since | wrote you my last letter at.
fairs IN the remote Philippine IsIauis
have continued to improve visibly--
thanks to the activity, the well.aimed
blows and the energy OF Gen. Polayte.
10; the principal leaders OF the insur.
rectiou are paying with their heads for
the treasons committed by them
against the fatherland."
He then takes up Rial. the famous
Filipino patriot, and says:
'It 1t had been the methods Of the
friars and the Jesuits. which, By their
bad results, produced the war ana
| placed the integrity OF the country IN
danger Rial would have said so,
when, sincerely repentant he prepared
to present himself before the tribunal
Of God. Do you not think. Senior Mo.
ret, that II he had anything to say
against the friars he would have said
50 frankly? Why did he not do so?
All, Don StgismundO the answer Is
livery easy, because any one who knows
the country OF Overgrown Childreu.
who looks at things without bias and
with a desire to know the whole truth,
will see that in the Philippines the
only policy is the policy OF the. Cross
the only policy which the lrars our.
sue there"
Father Casanova continues: WHO
is our enemy here. Senior Moret? Does
1t not seem to you that It l. Masonry
ana those debased Spanlards who
taught Rial and with him many oth.
er Indians, to hate the representatives
OF Catholicism whose benehcent inhu.
en,a sustained the sovereignty OF
Spain IN the Philippines Inc only
enemies OF the fr.ars In the Philip.
pines are the enemies OF Spain. They
hate them because they understand
they are the greatest obstacle to be
overcome before attaining their lie.
siTes."
This. It Is asserted by certain oif!.
GERS. c0udrms the declaration that the
root Of al! the trouble in the Philip.
pines had been the hatred Of the ia.
.t!yes Tor the trlars and It Is point i
out that Father Casanova acknowl.
edges the existence Of this hatred, and
at the same time admits the close re.
lationship between the Spanish Gov.
.ernment and the religious orders. He
confirms this Joint control Of the ma.
tivcs by quoting a. follows from
book BY Gen. B0rIero on The Policy
ot Spain In the Philippines: