The Nevada Democrat. [volume] (Nevada, Calif.) 1854-1863, 1857-03-04
The Old Church.

On Monday morning last, about O'Clock,
the city of Santa Cruz, in the vicinity of the
court house, were all awakened by the terrible
crash of the falling down of the southwestern
end of the old Mission church. This old church
was commenced in l793 and dedicated in 1896,
it was built of adobe or sun-dried brick, covered
with tile roof twas reared by the hands of
the aborigine in his tutelage in the manners and
customs of civilization under the Roman Cath
olic priests, who came hither to tame and chris
tianize the wild children of the plains and
forests. At one time in the history of this old
fabric, it was surrounded by incredible numbers
of these baptized Indians, whose every want
was cared for by the Fathers in charge of the
mission, and who performed their services in
return. Thousands of cattle, sheep and horses,
added to their food and comfort. The hand of
the Father was kissed by his "red colored chill
dren" kneeling, bestowed gratitude for his kind
and paternal care and protection. The old
church. now mass of ruins formed the nucle-
us around which these sons of the Pacific clung
for their support and protection; in which they
met each morning at the summons of the matin
BELL and offered up their praises to Him whom
they had lately been taught was their Creator.
They drew their grain from its grannery and
their blankets and clothing from the supplies
furnished for them by the Padre.
These were happy days for the poor Indians.
But, alas for them the scene has long since
changed; the ruthless hand Decentralization laid
its axe at the root of their happiness. The cat
tle horses, and sheep, which they had helped to
rear, and which had been provided for their
support, was taken and distributed to those
who had not assisted in their rearing, and to
whom they did not legally or equitably apper-
tain The lands of their nativity was granted
to the new comers, and the fields they had en-
closed and cultivated, had been ruthlessly taken
possession of by others. The native was left to
flee from his native home, for lands he knew
not Of to hunt his game and make his bread Of
acorns. His Father had no more blankets, and
his barn was destitute of grain.
The Indians retired to the valley of the San
Joaquin and foot hills of the Sierra Nevada
from which place, they made war and carried
on acts of reprisal against those who had un
righteously despoed them of their homes in The
Missions, eternal enmity was declared by them
against the Californians, and what they consid
cred their horses and cattle, were retaken by
them upon every opportunity. even at the sac
rfce of bloodshed and life. This state ofthingS
existed until the Stars and Stripes had unfold
ed their protection to all the red man as well aS
the white Peace was declared on the part OF
| the Indian towards the Americans; which neces-
sarily brought peace to the Californians under
their protection. Gold brought the whites to
the new home of the red men; whose doors they
have invaded; and having no where else to flee,
in their forced proximity, they have contracted
the habits of those claiming TO be their superb
ors in intelligence-and by which they are fast
dwindling away, and like eastern tribes will ex-
ist only in history. Why should not the old
church stand as monument to their memory g!
1t is not past repairing, and although we do not
agree with the theoretical doctrines which foI
| half a century and more have been pOurcd
forth from It's altar why should we not one and
all, subscribe literally, to rescue from the hand
of time, this monument of the Past and the In
dians, around which so many rccollections o.
the early history of our country cluster.-Sdn
| Ia CJuz Sentinel