this
disastrous work of calumny, hatred, distrust and pessimism must have
upon the progress and tranquillity of us, the Filipinos, I deem it my
duty to speak when I am led to think that the limit has been reached
by a document which came to my hands. It is no less than a circular
which a high prelate directs to the curates of the parishes of his
diocese, and which deals with public instruction. [4]

Hell Threat

The whole document is an attack against the Government schools, simply
because in them the Catholic religion is not taught, threatening with
hell those parents who send their children to such schools. At the
close it says as follows:

As a first step, after you have let the parents see the
social evils which result from a Godless school, such as
crime against purity, murder, suicide, rapine and robbery,
disobedience against civil and ecclesiastical authorities,
in short, the corruption of customs, all the seasoned fruit
of those lay schools, your reverences should influence them
to declare, in writing or communications which they should
address to us, to the government without euphemisms their
irrevocable and decided will that Christian education be
given them in the schools. We, for our part, will look after
the sending of these petitions to the Legislature.

Machiavelic Accusation

"All the seasoned fruit of those lay schools" said the prelate
referring to the crimes and the corruption of customs which he
mentions! An accusation of such nature must be proven by him who
accuses. The worst part of it is that such accusations are made and
later with the recommendation that they be made to sink into heads of
parents or heads of families. The faithful will consider as true the
affirmations that come from the lips of their priests, so that such
propaganda promotes in the worst manner a feeling against a government
accused of fomenting criminality in its schools. The prelate does
not enjoin violence; but at such times as these, violence naturally
results from an adequate preparation of the popular conscience; and
when a people believes that the Government, the educator no less,
is the cause of the thieves, the murderers, the corruptors, a people
is truly dead who does not seek to wipe out by any means such a
government, especially if it is foreign, which corrupts its citizens.

Colossal Transformation

Fortunately, it can be said without fear of err