04.06.2018 Views

The Peril of the Republic of the United States of America - Percy T. Magan

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Chapter 5<br />

<strong>The</strong> Spanish Inquisition<br />

One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> greatest grievances held by <strong>the</strong><br />

Cubans and Filipinos against <strong>the</strong> kingdom <strong>of</strong> Spain<br />

was <strong>the</strong> extortion practised by <strong>the</strong> Spanish Roman<br />

Catholic clergy and monks. <strong>The</strong> people continually<br />

groaned under <strong>the</strong> weight <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ecclesiastical<br />

taxes. <strong>The</strong>y constantly complained that it was<br />

absolutely unjust to compel <strong>the</strong>m to support a<br />

religion, no matter whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y believed in that<br />

religion or not. In all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> islands recently<br />

wrested from <strong>the</strong> throne <strong>of</strong> Madrid, this was one <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> main causes <strong>of</strong> dissatisfaction and insurrection.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> Philippines, in many cases and places <strong>the</strong><br />

followers <strong>of</strong> Aguinaldo were ready to release <strong>the</strong><br />

Spanish soldiers who had been taken prisoners <strong>of</strong><br />

war; but in almost every instance <strong>the</strong>y have<br />

manifested a most determined purpose to retain <strong>the</strong><br />

friars in bonds. <strong>The</strong>y have even threatened to<br />

butcher <strong>the</strong>m in a wholesale manner.<br />

This policy <strong>of</strong> extortion for ecclesiastical<br />

100

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!