New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-08
COSTA RIGA.
FORMER BRITISH CONSUL.


~ nv fiat Don Juan Rafael Mora was the
praident reflect. and reoced that 1t should be So
I'm the Morning of the 9Th of May, the band
Oath every Sunday at 5 o'clock wakes the III
S.h;,snts OF the capital with some lively march,
~ tbey walk around the Plaza to the sound OF
= nIayed livelier tune than usual, and the mi
TtsiLmen Aocked in from all the environs. AT
Ter hearing mass as usual in the Cathedral, they
formed into line from the Government House TO
The University, where Congress holds it's sessions
AT ~ o'clock the President, accompanied by his
Ministers and the employees of the different offices
of State dressed in black evening dress. left the
"despacho" The band struck up the old Spanish
Royal March," and the cOrtege slowly passed
between the two lines OF militia to the University
In the Congressional hall sort Of throne had
been arranged before which there stood table
Cor the President At bis left were the Ministers,
and the Bishop with bis clergy: at his right the
Members Of Congress and the British Vice-Consul,
who sat in front OF the Bishop, (the American
Consul being absent at Punta Arenas. racing
the throne were the people.
The President read bis speech with q feeble
voice and in anervous manner, aud the effect OF the
famous phrase, "El ttulo de Geie de Ia Nacion IN,
dica que nadie puede ser su coiega, tthe titie VI
Chief of the ,tion indicates that no one can be DIS
colleapue) was completely lost However the
speech being printed, copies were handed after us
delivery by an officer in Uniform ~ all the persons
nreseut. fact which was meant to be Significant.
ppr;ng the speech watched the eountenance OF
the Bishop. He looked exceedingly disguised,
md At the words eel Gefe de la Nacon," his
parchment face showing an expression of uncOn-
frolable sourness.
Daring the holy week l visited the cathedral.
On both sides of the church, between the col
upns there was multitude of small stalls with
CLEANLINESS" or dolls representing the Virgin and
81 Josepb and before each of these figures
tr I'm g a;v A
nerson belonging to the church was seated next
each stall The crowd moved up the different
sisles toward the choir Gt was after mass) and
every now and then a woman would step up to
one of the stalls select her favorite mediator drop
a sxpence in the plate, make the sign OF the cross
and pass on.
The Church of Rome incurs heavy RESPONSE
bility in these countries of Central America.
There is nothing in the instructions of the priests
In Costa Rica that eevates the mind or puriies
the heart. All is ceremony and alteration OF
IMAGES II NAV be argued in defense of the Gus
tam of the ROmish Church that the image is
merely the visible sign beyond which the heart
must seek the Divinity, but it is nevertheless
highly dangerous practice to people incapable OF
elevatng their minds above material thought or
an ever, day occurrence. To such people the
sien becomes the object of their worship.
Before the picture or before the doll they are told
to kneel and they do so with hearts unmOved, and
with everyday thoughts fitting across their minds
Christianity is wholly unknown to them, except
through the medium of the gOwned priest, who
draws to himself the veneration due to the Savior,
whose minister he assumes to be. 1t IL from these
causes that those who begin to think in Costa
Rica have become atheists, and taat throughout
an ranks the Roman Catholic faith is on the wane
gradually giving place to religious Indifference
witnessed the professions which daily moved
through the town, with figures of the Savior. OF
the Virgin and of st. Joseph as large as life.
Around them the old women cOngregated, and be-
fore them the bystanders knelt or uncovered; but
II was clearly visible that with the generality these
were merely outward marks of respect The
fact is that the clergy at Costa Rca have lost much
Of their influence over the people. The mode of
kfe of the priest is certainly not calculated TO In
spire respect, for his actions are in direct and
bare-faced violation of his clerical vows his child
rem are known, while too often the mother is the
welded wife of one of his parshioners. His
speech also and his demeaf0r are frequently mock
cries of his mission and his daily av0catOns in con-
tradctioD TO his character; for he is not only
planter but daring Spectator on the rise and fai
Of the great staple of the country; and he may be
said 10 use his sacred robes for no other purpose
but to shield himself from the uncertainty of COM
mercial operations.
But what contributed far more than such con-
duct to produce the indifference of the lower
class and the VOtairiansm of the higher in
Costa RIGA, was the attempt of the Bishop to sub
ject the coffee crop to the church tithes; de-
msnd which, if granted, would have reduced, de
aeto the clear revenue OF every citizen by at least
one-6fth. The discussion on this question in the
House of Representatives was an angry one; and
as the Bishop saw the fair prospect lit would
have given him revenue at present of S6OOOJ)
gradually vanish from his longing sight, he, with
the countenance of martyr, frequently addressed
his flock from the pulpit, and spoke feelingy OF
his wrongs and of the waning faith of the age.
The Government never forgot thi, appeal to
unlawful sympathies, and the President 10 his In
aupural speech alluded to it in the following
words: En- repetidas OcasOnes SO ha probable
"que no siempre agita ell espirltu revoutionaro
zen los cuareles sine que alguna vez penetra en- re-
"giones que deberian serle cerradas yprofana aun
"santuarios, al parecer, inaccessible la passion"
("On repeated occasions We have seen that the
Revolutionary spirit not only agitates in the
barracks, but also penetrates sometimes in re-
"gions which should be closed to it, and even
"desecrates sanctuaries apparently inaccessible
Ito human passiens.") BY the advice of the
minister OF Finance, Don Manuel Carazo. the
President has concluded concordate with the
holy See, which, under certain stipulstions places
the clergy within the immediate jurisdiction of the
Government
The Constitution of Costa Rica sanctions an
unrestricted freedom Of worship but this it does
emily by implication. Formerly the Constitution
forbade any public worship other than the Roman
catholic. when, however, it was revised under
the Presidency OF Castro this WAS changed and
It was made to declare that the Church of Roma
was the religion of the State and that il should
not be lawful for the Government TO nav salaries
to clergymen of other eemmunions This GLANCE
clearly shows that ministers of other deuomina.
items are allowed TO celebrate divine service bnt
that it shall not be lawful Cor the Government IN
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