New-York daily tribune., 1856-07-17


Tbe last steamer from Vera Cruz brought the
intelg, nee that Comcnfort has resolved to cell.
for the benefit Of the State s the property belong
ing TO the religious corporations of Mexico. 1t is
also asserted that this very decided measure re-
csives the approbat on and applause Of the MeAi-
can people. 1t is, indeed surprising that Conon-
fort, in the infancy of his influence, should have
consumnated financial expediens which Santa
Anna at the 6ead Of large standing or ny, never
dared attempt, although be often declared it to be
exceedingly desiInbIe. This peculiar state of facts
needs, perhaps, some explanation. Some days
since we took occasion to show the position OF the
present Mexican Government, and to assert that it
is the most popular one ever known in that country
TIE fact that this immense conhscasion Of Priestiy
property i. submitted to By the people, proves that
they will endure from the present Administration
what they would never have borne from any former
one A few remarks as to how this revolution
was possible, and what will be its probable conse-
quences will rot be out Of place here.
1t is true ttat the Mexican priesthood have al
ways excited great influence over the people, but
it is alsO true that with tine people the clergy have
never been popular. They could secure from the
aity their obedience in religious matters but could
not gain their confidence and love. There are
various reasons for this In the first place, there
always existed among them bitter hatred of the
greed s.d avarics of the hierarchy. Until lately,
m0re than ODe-third Of the whole extent Of hexi-
can SOIL including invariably the best of the lands,
hss been the property Of the Church. The whole
amount Of property thur held was recently estl-
mated at four hundred millions of dollars, and their
annual income at twenty millions This enormous
fortune was under the control Of the Archbishop,
ard being by him baoly managed and never im-
proved, it retarded tbs progress Of the nation;
those bersons particularly who titled tho soi be-
longing to tho clergy were subjected to the ssverest
exac,ioDs, and not unffequently to cruel bodily
treatment. This state of things prevented, to q
great extent the digent and industrious cutivstOr
of the soil from becoming an independent free
holder. The clergy Persistently discouraged the
people from making improvements in their agricu-
tura and industrial policy, fearing that such inno
yutions might in the end prove dangerous to tho
Catholic Church. as its principles were the'e ex-
pounded and it's laws there epf,rctd. There We
no schools in which instruction was given in natu-
raj, Industrial and philosophical science, and in
which the Mexicaus could acquire the knowledge
Necessary to fully develop the resources of the
country; tho CLERGY, being the superintendents of
the schools, carefully KEPT from che mass of the
people all information Of this kind.
But the most powerful. cause ofthat intense hatred
of the power Of the Church which obtains among tho
Mexican masses, is that to the priesty fathers only
can be attributed the perpetuaton of the peonage,
or slavery, which has hitherto existed there.
Slavery is forbidden byfheir Constitution, and upon
no one point are the Mexicans more united than in
their detesta.on of unpaid human servtude, and of
the unlawful peonase that is cOuntenanced and
continued by the priests. The Church taxes are
also exceedingly oppressive to the poorer classes.
The charges for baptism, marriage, and sepalturc
art sO e1Orbitant that, to pay them, many, If not
most of the peasants, have been continually in
debt TO the owners of the soil they till The secu-
rity for the payment Of the loan was generally
grown son; or perhaps the father himself was held
in bondage until the debt and the rapidly-sccumu-
kind Of bondage has, on several occasions, been
declared null and void by the Legislatures Of single
S,ates; but so long ~ the clergy ruled the con-
sciences of the people, tho latter were taught to
regard it as unlawful to rid themselves of their
chains and did not dare to invoke in their behalf
the power of the Courts. The fact that the priest
hood have counteranced and perpstuated this kind
of slavery, sufficiently shows why the Government
has been able to lay hold on the Church estates
withou. the fear of popular Indignation.
By reason of their command of such enormous
property, and by the aid Of the other Influence they
had acquired, the clergy possessed the means OF
brayins every Government, and setting a. naught
every seculsr measure. They were not slow to
avail themselves Of their power, and have sue
ceeded in oytrthrowing every administration since
1919. It is not then to be wandered at, that the
people became uDspeakably bitter against the
priesthood, when. one year since, the latter took
the occasion of popular revolution against the
ruls Of Santa Anna to conspire With the military
oae:tsips to obtain for themselves the complete
control Of the nation. Ibese military individuals
being q set Of desperadces, who lad for pears
been the tools Of every political sspirant who
woulo pay or promise we'll Tor their services they
were ba,ed by the people, ard when the clergy
combined with them against the public welfare,
the fate Of the p'iesthood was sealed.
The present Government hss exhibited great
al. not only Of patriotism but Of policy by thus
striking at the roo. Of tns political evils which
aHlc. the country As Deans Of testing the
popsls fesliDs saey 6rst csSsea the asrsss Of the