The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-15
From the Nelo York Frssmas's Journal.
CALIFORNIA;.
THE MISSION sRopERry.

and awaken timely attention TO the legal aspect Oh
ward circumsta that have long left California
without administrator fully equipped for his ardu
Gus task. The presence of a bishop OF talent and
address would be of incalculable Importance just
now in California, in a moral way, quite as much
in reference to the legal rights OF the church IN
the matter of the mission property
Respecting this last we are lar less concerned Tor
the church than for our country. Her hands hith-
erto are clean of the sacregious rust that causes
thrones and empires TO crumble. While In the past
impious conduct of the Mexican government In
conscating the property OF the church, Tor her ina
ginary benefit but real ruin, we can see the reason
why God has humbled her under the feet OF our
own Government, and while, 80 far as regards the
church, we should not have cared though Mexico
had completed the robbery by stripping her of all
her possessions in California, we on the other
hand most anxious that our own Government shall
not bring down on the country a curse which she
is not strong enough to bear by making her the
robber instead Of the protector OF the church we
cannot, and ought not, TO forget that, towards
Mexico our Government and our people have been
but the rod with which the Lord Of Hosts has cor
rected a perverse and rebellious Catholic nation;
and that we have special occasion to step softly
in this path, lest having answered the purpose OF
scourge, we be ourselves broken to pieces for ex-
ceeding the commission He has given US.
The following welcome correspondence from Cal
fornia insert in this place because of the interest
attaching to the subject. II is from professional
gentleman, physician lately of this city, in whose
judgment and piety we can have the greatest con-
fidence For letter of his on another subject we
refer our readers TO another column, and at the
same time respectfully request of our correspondent
to favor us with farther communications.
| SACRAMENTO, California, Feb 26, 1850.
To the Editor of the FTeemen's Journal:
There is one subject connected with this country
which is Of great Importance, and should not be
lost sight of BY the friends of religion mean the
| old missions. Although no lawyer. still ! believe
| that the mission property can be retained by the
original and rightfu propretors, according TO the
treaty of uadaupe, which secures church property
| as well as that Of private individuals.
Spectators keep anxious eye upon this land
and is said that some have squatted" on it with
the hope of obtaining pre- emption right from our
| Government. hope that whoever has charge OF
the spiritual matters in this State will be watchiu
and not allow justice to be sacrificed, without at
| least remonstrance. have heard gentlemen OPP
posite in opinion, and hostile in sentiment to the
missionaries and their religion, eulogize the good
Padres for the order preserved the immense build
| ngs erected monuments of zeal and persever-
ance-the hospitality and convenences afforded to
men of business and others, and for the general good
effected; and regret that their power was wrested
from them, and their means of doing good abridged.
These praises called forth, not by friendship
and Partially, but by a sense Of justice.
! The good fathers found this wilderness and
made it blossom as the rose. They christianized
and civilized the savages; erected spacious build
ings cultivated the SOIL and established order; but
avaricious men, jealous of their success and greedy
| for the wealth that had accumulated under their
| good management, combined, and, alas! too sue
cessfuly succeeded in plundering the missions, and
almost destroying the influence Of the missile
Perhaps brief history of these missions may not
be uninteresting to your readers. In 1922 Span
| ish author writes as follows:
sThe missions contained in the territory TWEEN
ty-one. San Diego being the first, was built in
1863; and San Francisco Dolores, the last in 1922
The edifices all fabricated of mud bricks, and
the divisions according to necessity In all o.
| them may be found commodious habiations for the
ministers store houses TO keep their goods in pro-
portiona granaries, office for soap makers, weavers
| lare rte nd nd cat
tie pens, independent apartments for Indian youths
of each Sex and all such offices as were necessary
at the time of its institution. Contiguous to anc
communicating with the former Ia church, form
ing part of the edifices of each mission; they
all very proportionable, and are adorned with pro
fusion. The Indians reside about two hundred
yards distant from the aforementioned edfce
| This place is called the Rancheria.
"Opposite the Rancherias, and near to the mis-
sion, is to be found small garrison, with proper
tomato rooms for corporal and five soldiers, with
their families. This small garrison is quite suffi
Gent to prevent any attempt Of the Indians from
taking effect They also run post with monthly
correspondence, or with any extraordinaries neces
sary for government.
IAN the missions in Alta California are unde
the charge of religious men Of the Order Of SAL
/ Francisco. At the present time US22) their mum
Der is twenty seven, most of them of an advanced
age. Each mission has one Of these fathers for it
administrator, and he holds absolute authority TIL
tlng of the ground, the gathering of the harvest
the Strengthening Of cattle, the weaving, and every
thing that concerns the mission, is under the direc
ton Of the Fathers, without any other person inter
| ferine in any way whatever. Their pos
sessions extend from extremity of the territory
| TO the other.
"Amongst all the missions there about twenty
two thousand Catholic Indians. Besides these each
mission has a considerable number of Genties, who
live chiefly on farms annexed to the missions.
"The general productions are, the breed o.
the larger class of cattle, and sheep, horses wheat
Indian corn, beans, peas, and other vegetables anc
towards the south, the grape and olive in abun
dance"
An American, in writing of the expedition under
Don Gaspar de Portala and Father jumpers Sierra
continues follows:
| cat San Diego, where century and half be
fore (l6O2) the primitive navigators under Corte;
commenced with the rude and unsophisticated ma
tive-there, where the jealous dcvotee erected his
altar the burning sand, and with offerings OF in
cense and prayer halowed il to God as the birth
place of Christianity in that region-upon thai
santed spot commenced the spiritual conquest, the
Cross was erected, and the holy missionaries who
accompanied the expedition entered heart and SOU
upon their religious duties. Successful in all they
undertook their first establishment in short time
was completed, and drawing around il the convert
ed Indians in large numbers, the rude and uncul.
tivated fields gave place to agricultural improve
ment-the arts and sciences gradually obtained
foundation where before all arkness and day a
day hundreds were added 10 the folds of the Holy
and Apostolic church. The natives formed
an ardent and almost adorable attachment for their
spiritual fathers, and were happy, quite happy
under their jurisdiction. Ever ready TO obey them
the labor in the field and workshop met with ready
compliance, and prosperous were the institution
THAT many of them became wealthy, in the increase
Of their cattle and great abundance Of their grana
ries. This state Of things continued unit
the period when Mexico underwent change in its
political form of Government.
"At length civil discord and anarchy among the
Californans prepared more effective measure for
their destruction and they left TO the superin-
tendence Of individuals who plundered them Of al
that was desirable capable of removal. Thus the
government commenced the robbery, and its hire
ngs carried il out 10 the letter destroying and lay
ing waste wherever they were placed In order 70
give the inhabitants a share Of the spoils, some oil
them were permitted TO slaughter the cattle by con
tract, which equal division Of the proceeds
and the contractors careful, when they deliver
ed one hide TO a mission, to two for them
selves in this way following up the example Of their
superiors.
"This important revolution in the systematic or.
der Of the monastic institutions took place in 1896
at which period the most important OF them pos
sessed property, exclusive Of their lands and tene
| ments IN the va If twO hundred and fifty thou.