The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-06

The Coanict Of the Church and the People
IN mexAco.
The manifesto of Santa Anna in reply to
Gen. Pillow, which we published yesterday is
undoubtedly intended more as an address to the
people of Mexico than az defence of himself
before the world. He contents himself with q
general reference to the statement of Gen. Pill
low, and then launches out into magnificent
laudation of his own exploits during the war, a
ferocious attack upon the present rulers of the
republic, and a call upon all good patriots to
assist him in tearing them down.
Santa Anna is shrewd intriguer, and never
loses a chance to blow his own trumpet. When
he gives 80 loud blast az the present one, he
is generally pretty sure that bis party is strong
and ready to give back the echo. 1t will be In
teresting therefore, to watch the effect Of his
present tail upon Mexico which is undergoing
| great crisis The struggle is really between
the church and the people, who wish to carry
out the principles of political independence,
which they supposed they had attained when
they drove the old Spanish government out. But
a work was not half done then, and from the
49,. ,rture of the Spaniards the intrigues
- - clergy, who obstinately refuse to
5000, the political ideas Of the liberia!
sohoni n we kept all Spanish America in
. s,o,e ~ ferment and chronic revolution.
:. g ut IN in Mexico that this contest has
been going on in all the other republics the
same tb;rg =, evisrn t. 1t WIS only in 1853 that
New Granada emats,> 'ated herself from the
oh,,,.h. De-, $3.50 s,s, enti-ecclesiastical con-
stitutiop only last yest. a I'd the clergy still
refuse to obey it in Chile !Ns nuron Is d. open
conflict with the government: ana M .ne o'nei
countries are more or less affec <ed oy the s'rus'
gle of principles. The Pope came in'o INC nsn'
about year ago with bull a, SaihS' 'D'
liberals but it has had little or no eife,
1t is evident, both from the labors of 'an'@
Annals agents and bis own late manifesto, til -
be wishes to put himself at the head of the
church party, and to reduce the Mexican people
again to the position of fiefs Of the church. All
his high sounding phrases about patriotism are
bosh. If he were truly patriot he would long
since have endeavored to destroy that vicious
theocracy that has so long been the bane of
Mexico. and have broken up the corrupt and
corrupting temporal organization of the clergy.
While these lazy drones have been sucking the
life blood of the people, and rolling in wealth,
they have debased themselves, stimulated
superstitution, and destroyed the political
life of the nation. Assuming to place the
ecclesiastical tribunals above those Of the civil
power, and to try none of their own body ex
cept by the laws of the church, they have sue
ceeded in perpetuating many of the old colonial
theories and practices of government, and have
formed the great barrier to O true political re-
volution and reform.
If the liberal party in Mexico succeed in over
throwing the brigands who have been enrolled
by the priests, and are now calling for Santa
Anna, they are determined to accomplish the final
work of independence by overthrowing the tenn
poral forms of the church and depriving the
priesthood Of its ill-gotten pretensions. We had
not this contest with an organised church to go
through, because the fight had been made for US,
long before time, in England but France
had il to perform, and she did perform it before
the last century expired. Spain has taken some
half way measures towards it within the last
few years, but she is already receding in the
work, and ut every step she is evidently get
ting away from the establishment Of true con-
stitutional liberty. Mexicos only hope is to
break down completely the power of the priest
hood hang Santa Anna and a few birds of his
feather, and establish a stronger executive
government than the last constitution provides
for.