The Irish standard., 1906-03-17
Driven Out by the Same Force that Drove
Them Outof France and Suppressed
T.. the Religious Orders
In Italy, Spain, Portugal Mexico and South
America, Says the Rev. Ambrose
Coleman, O. P.

I the prestige that had enabled Spain to
keep the Philippines without any dis
play Of force. The Spanish liberals are
fond Of attributing the loss of the
Philippines to the friars; on the con-
trary, it was the hungry, irreverent
and light-f1ngered officials who repre-
sented Spain in modern times at whose
door the loss may be placed with truth
and certainty.
1t was not difficult for the young Fill
ipinos. who were finishing their studies
at Spanish universities, to take up the
cry Of Away with the friars" from
their Spanish liberal friends. Formed
into clubs or !untas, in Madrid and
Barcelona, they opened Systematic
campaign Of vilification of the friars
by the publication of La Golidaridad, q
newspaper which began to appear in
the late eighties. About the same time,
Rizal, who had Joined the ranks of the
infidel party, published his Noli me
Tangere, afnavel painting the friars in
odious colors and throwing ridicule on
the most sacred practices of religion.
Rial, to give an agrarian aspect to the
campaign, got up a no-rent agitation
in Colombia, where his father held land
from the friars. 1t was well UNDER
stood to be purely political move
ment, for the tenants Of the friars
were the best treated and the most
contented in the whole Archipelago.
The armed rebellion. which broke ou!
in 1896 and was with difficulty repress-
ed by Spain. the following year., was
the work Of the Katipunan secret So
lciety which. adopting the forms OF
Freemasonry, already introduced among
the natives. had enrolled about 10000
men in and around Manila, with the
avowed object of beginning rebel
lion with the massacre Of all Spaniards
Of both sexes in the islands. Racial
hatred towards the Spaniards largely
| predominated in this society, and es-
pecially towards the friars as they had
been constantly preaching against
Freemasonry, and one of their number
had discovered the projected rising and
massacre, just IN the nick of time. I'm
fortunately for religion. numbers Of the
native secular clergy, many of whom
have since become followers Of Aglipay
joined the movement, and added an
| other powerful element to the anti
friar forces already in existence. They
began to look on the friars as foreign
interlopers who had no right to have
charge Of the parishes.
Such was the state of affairs wher
Admiral Dewey in 1898. destroyed the
Spanish fleet at Cavite and laid siege
to Manila. The Katipunan and oil
other revolutionary and anti-friar par.
ties now merged into what they called
the Philippine Republic, which pro.
ceeded without delay to make itsel
master of the Archipelago. The,
framed a constitution, and amongs
other things decreed the confiscatior
of the property of the friars and thei
expulsion. Armed from the militar,
stores Of the arsenal Of Cavite and witt
rifles brought over by Admiral Dewey
their forces overran the whole coun
try, making prisoners of all classes O
spaniards, including the friars Agains
all the rules Of warfare they kept tn,
greater number Of the latter prisoners
for eighteen months. and were deaf I,
circumstances made on the score o
humanity both on the part of tn
American military authorities and o
the Spanish residents of Manila. From
the published accounts of the captivit!
1t stands out clearly that the long de
tention and the hardships the prisoner
had to undergo were not the work o
the rank and file of the revolutionists
they were almost entirely due to tn
leaders, especially the Tagalos.
When the war had come PRACTICAL,
to close, and the friar prisoners ha,
made their escape to Manila, Mr.. Tai
the first civil governor Of the islands
began a policy of conciliation with tn
late leaders Of the revolutionary forces
Out Of those who had taken part in tn
war with America and those who ha.
'continued frierd!v from tha he~,nn,n1