Letter from John Thomas McDonough to Theodore Roosevelt

Justice McDonough reflects on his first three months in the Philippines. He tells President Roosevelt of his surprise at the “remarkable progress” there and remarks how much the natives like Governor William H. Taft. In general, McDonough finds the Filipinos to be hard workers, and a “happy, clean, sober, virtuous, family-loving and religious people.” He also shares his thoughts on the Catholic friars in the Philippines. As much as they are criticized, McDonough praises the “great good” they have achieved in religion and education over the last three centuries and sees them as potential allies in assuring Filipino cooperation with the American government. Still, the friars’ land ownership is widely resented by the Filipino people, who McDonough feels would look more favorably on the friars’ work if these lands were acquired by the government. Presently, the friars complain of discrimination at the hands of barrio officials who even prevent them from ministering to those who have requested it. McDonough will do what he can to ensure that clergymen of every denomination are given equal protection under the law and to bring about an “amicable settlement” in the land matter, even if that means paying more than the land is worth.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-04

Creator(s)

McDonough, John Thomas, 1844-1917

Recipient

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

17

Production Method

Handwritten

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation