The Irish standard., 1916-12-09
Catholic knowledge
Should Be Encouraged
None Catholic Tribute to Their Work
Among Native Races.
California and Philippines.

becoming more and more pronounced.
The American people are beginning to
realize that there is beautiful and
idealistic portion OF their history
which they have almost overlooked, a
portion which can picture the most
sublime deeds of heroism and around
which there hangs a strange atmos-
phere of romance. The Panama-Pa-
cific Exposition drew close attention to
the far western land of sunshine. The
Presidential election did not serve to
withdraw that attention at all. The
understanding, peculiar names of
California's cities directed the public
notice to their early history. And so
we became alive to the existence of
the missions. Works, books were is
sued about them-not alone about
those of California but likewise of New
Mexico-from the popular booklet to
the intensive study. On the legitimate
stage and on the movie screen their
story was depicted. THE Mission
Play" tours the country for that pur-
pose. "Ramoa," the splendid novel of
the author of "a Century Of Dishonor,"
is shown in the moving pictures to tell
us incidentally of Californias mission
days.
The interest thus aroused should
spur Catholics to further knowledge
of these institutions Of their religion
which played such part in the win
ming of that far western land of civil
very subject written by franciscan,
who today resides among the scenes
of which he has told in print. 1t is
Father Engelhardts work on the Mis-
sions and Missionaries of California;
It is particularly interesting at the
present time to note in the second vol
ume OF that treatise the tribute which
is paid to the work of the Missionaries
by non Catholic, the Russian Langs-
dorff, who accompanied the expedition
of his countrymen to the Californian
Travels" published in London in 1918,
he describes the work and value of the
missions. His narrative" Bancroft
tells us, els nothing but praise for the
Franciscans.' After telling in detail
the regulations and manner of life at
the missions, Langdorff says: when
one thinks that in this way two or
three monks Cat missiom take upon
themselves a sort of voluntary exile
from their country, only to spread the
Christian religion and to civilize a wild
and uncultivated race of men, to teach
them husbandry and various useful
arts, cherishing and instructing them
as If they were their own children, pro-
viding them with dwellings, food and
clothing, with every necessity for their
subsistence, and maintaining the ut
most order and regularity of conduct,
when all these things, l say, are con-
sidered, one cannot sufficiently admire
the zeal and activity which carries
them through so arduous a task, or
forbear wishing the most complete sue
cess to their undertakings" He speaks
In admiration also of the order and
discipline which these few monks and
four or five soldiers can keep among a
great number of these people.
Neither the government nor the
monks" he says further on, have any
other view than of spreading the Chris
tian religion. and it might consequent
ly be supposed that the Indians, to
whose maintenance and instruction all
this care is devoted, must be much
happier in their present state of COM
parative civilization than they were
before; the rather, since they are per-
mitted to retain their former habits
and costumes, as far as they are not
inconsistent with their own religion.
dulged. They have a little property
of their own in fowls and pigeons, and
are seldom refused when asked per-
mission to go hunting or fishing. On
the whole they are much more free
from cares than in their natural state"
Surely a strong tribute!-and yet,
not more so than the statement of
General Leonard Wood in regard to
the work of the friars in the Philip
pines, and the remarks Of DR.. w. r.
Harris, former U. S. Commissioner of
Education upon the same subject. Gen
eral Woods expression appeared in
the Army and Navy Journal of few
years ago. "The Spanish" he there
said, did more for the Filipinos than
any other colonizing nation has ever
done for an Oriental people. 80. The
work done by the Roman Catholic
friars in the three centuries Spain held
the Islands was wonderful and cannot
fail to excite our admiration" Other
encomiums of the same order supple
ment these words. DR.. Harris wrote
his appraisement in an official report
as Commissioner Of Education, speak
ing in high terms of the education
which had been carried on by the mis-
sionaries among the native people.
These are statements worthy of re-
membrance. They cast light upon