Your TR Source
President Roosevelt wants Secretary of War Taft to read the enclosed letters from Bishop Frederick Zadok Rooker and Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick before coming to dinner, if possible.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-16
President Roosevelt tells Eugene A. Philbin that, on the report of Captain Frank McIntyre, there is no foundation for the complaints of Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick. Additionally, Hendrick’s secretary, Father Bernard S. Rawlinson, visited Secretary of War William H. Taft and said that he did not think that Hendrick’s complaints were justified. Roosevelt asks Philbin to treat the letter as confidential, and asks if he would come to Washington, D.C., so that Roosevelt and Taft could speak with him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-13
President Roosevelt wrote to Senator Henry Cabot Lodge immediately after receiving Eugene A. Philbin’s letter asking that the appropriation amount be increased to what the department recommended, and that the bill be passed quickly. Roosevelt enjoyed seeing Philbin and Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick recently.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-10
President Roosevelt promises to take the matter of Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick’s brother up with the State Department at once, and assures Senator Platt that Hendrick should not need to worry about anything.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-15
President Roosevelt will not accept the resignation of James Francis Smith as Secretary of Public Instruction for the Philippine Commission. Roosevelt believes Smith is contributing the greatest possible service in the Philippines. Smith’s attitudes toward Protestants and Catholics makes Roosevelt feel proud of him as an American, as Smith is treating everyone equally without regard to religion.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-07-11
President Roosevelt writes to John Ireland asking if he could speak with Judge John Thomas McDonough, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, cautioning him to use discretion. President Roosevelt discusses the issue of Bishop Thomas Hendrick asking for action to be taken against the Aglipanyans (or the Iglesia Filipina Independiente Church). President Roosevelt points out if the Philippines become an independent nation, all church grounds would become the property of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, and as it stands the prelates are in favor of independence.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-18
Secretary of War Taft responds to Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick’s letter on the situation in the Philippines. He agrees that Hendricks is out of line in his accusations. Taft denies that the government is purposefully appointing followers of Gregorio Aglipay y Labayan. He suggests that Hendricks and other prelates should go through the courts if their wish is to obtain property for the Catholic Church. There is great confidence in Philippine courts but no Catholic prelate has submitted a case.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-04
President Roosevelt sends Secretary of War Taft a copy of Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick’s letter. He asks Taft to write a reply so that they may both respond to what Roosevelt found to be a disrespectful tone concerning independence in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-04-29
President Roosevelt will not recommend Mr. Waring to the Philippine Commission until he knows if they will accept his recommendation of Dominick I. Murphy. The petition to give the Filipinos ultimate independence which was recently signed by Cardinal Gibbons places Governor Wright, Bishop Hendrick, and the other American bishops in a bad position.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-04-26
President Roosevelt does not know to what Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick is referring, but he will send a note to Secretary of War William H. Taft. Roosevelt will also look into the matter. He believes that Hendrick should have spoken with Governor General of the Philippines Luke E. Wright and Commissioner James Francis Smith.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-04-20
Bishop Rooker has requested that the bishops’ houses in the Philippines currently controlled by the government be returned. President Roosevelt would like to help the bishops and considers friendly relations with them to be important in “securing good civil government and order and peace.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-15
President Roosevelt introduces Father Hendrick, who has been appointed a bishop in the Philippines. Roosevelt encloses correspondence with Bishop McFaul and Father James T. O’Reilly and requests a means to respond to criticism of American policy in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-27
President Roosevelt introduces Father Hendrick and commends him to James Francis Smith’s “courtesy and friendship.” Roosevelt encloses correspondence with Bishop McFaul and Father James T. O’Reilly and asks Smith for information on how to respond to critics of American policy in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-30
President Roosevelt introduces Father Hendrick, who has been appointed a bishop in the Philippines. He encloses correspondence with Bishop McFaul and Father O’Reilly and requests a means to respond to their criticism of American policy in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-27
President Roosevelt is pleased to hear of the education of young Filipinos for future service in the Philippines. He looks forward to seeing Bishop Hendrick and Father Wynne.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-15
Eugene A. Philbin informs President Roosevelt that the concerns Father Bernard Stephen Rawlinson expressed to Secretary of War William H. Taft about Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick may not be sincere. It is easier to say agreeable things to authorities and complain to people who are not in authority. The complaints seem to center around the policies being pursued rather than any specific wrong done by Hendrick. Philbin believes that if Rawlinson were truly concerned about Hendrick’s attitude, he would submit the matter to someone in the church, rather than to Taft.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-17
Madrid newspaper El País reports on the installation of Thomas Augustine Hendrick as Bishop of Cebu at Cebu Cathedral on the morning of March 11, 1904. The article includes a description of the opening remarks, attendees, and the ceremony.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-03-12
Secretary of War Taft is surprised that the tone in Bishop Thomas Augustine Hendrick’s letter lacks the patience which is necessary to accomplish things in the Philippines. However, Taft informs President Roosevelt that Hendrick’s letter comes only after a stay of one week on the islands. Taft cannot answer some of Hendrick’s charges of how political appointees were chosen, and states his views on how to navigate between the state and the Catholic church in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-05-04
John Thomas McDonough relays to President Roosevelt a conversation he had with Father John J. Wynne about progress in the Philippines. McDonough believes that he will support Roosevelt’s campaign. McDonough has also written to Archbishop Harty in Manila and thinks he will be satisfied with the information McDonough gave him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-06-30
Archbishop Ireland writes to President Roosevelt about the political process of completing the contract for the Friars’ land settlement in the Philippines. Ireland states that the only positive report of the process, besides his own, has come from the Apostolic Delegate Giovanni Guidi. The Friars and bishops are conveying contradictory, or negative information to the Vatican’s Secretary of State. Ireland requests that Governor Taft write to the Vatican and discuss how the effort is proceeding to support what the Apostolic Delegate and the Archbishop have reported.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-31