The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-04

perpetual rent OF $780, secured by mortgage IN sou
dun Of 5000 Upon real estate in favor of the arch
Dshop or OF the diocess who holds the gift OF
the chapiahcy forever. In 1904 the minimum esti-
| mate OF the amount of these mortgages upon pro.
| perry not belonging to the church was eighty mil
lions OF dollars and it is supposed at the present day
that they are not less than one hundred millions
similar practice in the dowry of upon their ad
mission to the converts has prevailed.
The great evil of this system exists in the fact that
these mortgages are given in sodium upon propertv.
and there being no law to compel or authorize the
division of a mortgage, the church has ALWAYS re-
fused to permit the division of mOrtgaged property
on the ground that it might cause them adverse if
cation, upon plea OF innovation of contract. This
it is that has perpetuated the feuda system of land
tenure and operated even to a greater extent than
would the law of primogeniture against the division
Combined with these causes Of accumulation of
the wealth of the church. there is another which has
had and still possesses no small influence In pos
session of large revenues administered by few hands,
these ecclesiastical corporations have become the
only real bankers of the country. As their income
flowed in they have sought the means OF its perma-
nent reinvestment and being both the greatest and
cheapest money lenders they have been the universal
resort of all who wished to borrow. Through this
operation they have SO extended their grasp upon
the real property in the republic that am credibly
assured there is scarcely single piece of land, or
valuable house. which does not in some way, recog-
niZe claim of the church upon it.
Besides these sources Of income, the church de-
| IlVeS large revenue from tltneS. Inc payment OIL
these is not now obligatory upon the people, they
were abolished by law in 1888. But large sums are
still collected, either through the operation OF ndivi
dual piety, or moral coercion exercised by the priest
hood at favorable moments. In many instances alb
solution has been known to be refused az the bed Of
death until the dying penitent had directed the pay
ment to the church of tithes which had been with
! held for years.
These are the principal sources of the influence OF
the clergy in the social and political organic ,on of
the country: Until within a few years past this in-
fuence has been exercised upon the government in
an indirect and covert manner; but circumstances
have operated of late years to force it to exert
direct influence in political affairs until at the pre-
sent moment, it is the indirect administrator Of the
government Of the republic; position which il mas
attained through the recent revolution
The complete absence of publicity in the affairs of
the church makes it impossible to ascertain With &C
curacy the amount of its possessions, and there is
wide difference in the several estimates. II is re.
neral impression, however, that they hold some three
hundred millions OF property, and that the annual
revenue OF the clergy amounts to twenty millions Of
dollars. In the city of Mexico alone they are known
to own more than one half of the public and private
buildings. In intimate relation with this fact is an.
other which all parties in this city agree upon which
| gard to the church property, there has been more
work at improvements, repairs and rebuilding of
edfces in this city than in any ten years previous.
THE FOREIGN ELEMENT IN MEXICO.
There is one other element in the social oreauizA
ton of Mexico which should not pass cnnotieed..
In this eminently material age, when me mechanical
development Of every natio-. mas so importans m
lnnuence upon us prr-sperity and progress, the
iore'gn element in Mexico though limited 10 num-
yer, holds important position in its social in
fuences.
| Spain, and all Spanish America may be charac.
terized as differing from the rest of the civilized
| world more in the inferior Development of the
mechanic arts than in any other particular. Il is,
in fact, this which constitutes the great difference
between them and the American and other Eo-
ropean civilizations The power which mind ha,
over matter, through the mechasrA ,::ventions of
| the Spanish American countries
IL IL this superior mechanical ability that consti-
tufes the power of the foreign element in Mexico.
This power is everywhere recognized in the higher
than the Mexican. While the average daily wages
Of native carpenter, mason or blacksmith, il from
six to ten rails day, the foreign mechanic readily
| commands from two to four dollars.
In every part Of the republic in varied dsoree
this foreign element is stimulating the in1ustrv Of
the country. The mines worked through its skull
TIE facilities Of travel by lines of stage coaches are
due to its knowledge, and every branch of public or
private enterprise seeks its aid The ooie ia of use
and luxury, which enable Mexico 10 vie with the
other civilized capitals of the world are the products
OF its abor and its greater or less deveopemeu in
the future will have important influence upon the
| progress OF society here.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE REPUBLIC.
Any one who has made himself familiar with the
social and political organization of the Spanish coo
MES will perceive at that, with the exception
OF the foreign element very nearly the same social
constituents exist here at the present day as in the
time Of the Spanish dominion.
Peonage is abolished by law, but still exists, in
fact, for the lower casse, of society The class Of
landholders is limited In number and holds the posi.
ton of lords over the working classes. Tho church
Ii separate organization, co equal and in alliance
with the State; the army is distinc. body from
the general community; and the governing or
rather the administrative class hold their DO YER not
as emanating from the body of the people and
making them responsible TO IL. Dat az coming from
some superior source which clothes them With the
attribute Of granting TO or Withholding popular
rights from the nation at large.
TITS upon these antagonistc elements that tho
vain effort has been made TO establish an organized
representative government. The struggle which
threw on the Spanish colonial . drove out the
Spanish army and the Spanish officials, but replaced
them with the same organizations composed of ma
tive elements. These knew no other forms Of pro
cedure than those Of the colonial regime, and con-
spirit and forms OF government have been preserved
II stil general congress or a unta OF notables
that granted rights TO the people and gave form 70
the government. No legislation for this long ser;es
Of years has tended TO change the really feula or
der Of society Such an incongruous political fabric
necessarily failed. A federal government on the
plan Of that of the United States of America was
impotent to control the elements upon which IL
rested and centralized republic approaching more
nearly TO the old colonial form succeeded H. This
was inconsistent with the ideas OF the age. which
had begun to take root among the politicians and
II was soon overthrow, TO be followed by dictator
ship.
For nearly thirty years the history Of Mexico pre-
sents little else than continual struggle for the
possession of the government, alternating between
FEDERAL form, centralized form, and Dictator
ship; which has demonstrated the futili,y of en-
deayoring TO erect government In accordance With
the political ideas Of the age upon society modelled
after the forms and spirit Of the sixteenth century.
IL was the revolution Of 1855 which drove Santa