The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-27

President JUAREz has had the boldness to sane
ton measure from which even SANTA ANNA, wher
clothed with dictatorial powers, and at the heigh
of his popularity, shrank from proposing, when i
was urged upon him as essential to the best int
rests of the Mexican Republic. The desperation
of weakness has hazarded what the despotsm o.
unlimited authority hesitated to undertake. The
enormous influence exerted by the metropolitan
clergy of Mexico upon the government has long
been regarded as one of the chief causes of the
civil dissensions by which that Republic has been
so frequently and so terribly convulsed But the
question of the Church-its power its wealth. its
control over the masses and its constant inter
ference with political matters-no man dared to
publicly discuss. That many of the mem
bers of that hierarchy are corrupt, idle,
vicious, and ignorant, has frequently been
asserted, but this accusation has general
ly been restricted to the metropolitan clergy
The village curas are regarded rs being
for the most part exempt from the vices that have
been charged against their superors in authority
Their acknowledged hospitality, their devotion to
their religious duties, the deep interest they take
in the welfare of the Indians, whose spiritual in
structors they are, and the protection they have
always endeavored to extend, without distinction
of class color, 10 the members of the rural COM
munities among which they reside, have endeared
them to the Mexican masses, and the popularity
thus acquired, has been the chief cause why the
property Of the Church has so long been respected
by the various turbulent military chieftains, who
from time to time have lighted anew the flames of
civil war. Taught by the virtues of the rural
clergy to entertain a profound reverence for the
whole priesthood, the people have always been
ready to rise, when called upon, in defense of the
Church and its revenues. Yet, it has been we'll
remarked by writer on Mexico that ''the
Coordination of large estates, both real and
" personal, in the hands of q united class, act
ling by spiritual influence, under the direction of
lone head, must be powerful in any country, but
certainly is most to be dreaded in a Republic.
''where secret ecclesiastical influence is added to
1.-THE natural control of extraordinary wealth."
But conscious as many Mexicans, of enlarged
ideas and liberal views were of the injuries in
hicted upon the material interests of the country
by that predominance of the ecclesiastical over the
temporal power which was constantly making
itself felt in matters of government they feared to
bring on conflict between the two opposing
forces, lest ''the tremendous spiritual influence
(which slept like electric fire in the
"hearts of the people, should be kindled into
obstructive flame" Within the last six wears.
however, great change has taken place, but not
so much in the popular veneration for the Church
and It's creed as in the popular respect for its higher
dlgmtaries. Those village curas, who shared
neither in the wealth Of the Church nor par
took Of the honors that were bestowed
upon men less worthy of them, have gradually
ceased TO defend the corruptions that were too
giaring to admit of denial, and where they could
not openly advocate the doctrines of the ultra
Liheralists, they have been content, in MANY in
stances, to refrain from denouncing them As the
priest thinks, so thinks the flock, may be said of
Mexico as of the South American States generally.
and this recence on the part of some of the rural
clergy, in conjunction with the more liberal and
enlightened views expressed by others, paved the
way for the introduction of t'the Law LERpo.n
which struck the first great blow at the temporal
possessions of the Mexican Church. Though well
aimed it was deprived of the greater portion of its
force by the tmidty evinced when the time came
Tor putting it into practical operation by many of
those who had voted for its becoming law and
who pledged themselves to support its enforcement
This yaclLaton on their part, and the prompt
action taken BY the metropolitan clergy, led to the
downfall of CoMoNFoRT, and to the elevation of
JUAREz to the Presidency under the provisions of
the new Constitution. In the meantime the Re-
sustained by the wealth of the Church, had OBJ
tanned possession of the Capital, and of the ada
cent Departments; and from that time until the
present, war has been necessarily waged between
the two factions We have had occasion, while
referring to the relative strength of the Liberals
md Reactonists, to alude to the fact that while
the latter only exercise jurisdiction over the valley
Of Mexico, the authority of the former is acknow-
edged, more Or less perfectly throughout the rest
of the Republic. Seven-tenths of the territorial
area is therefore, held by the Liberals; but,
leaVlng out of the calculation the Indian popula-
'lon' which is estimated at four millions, the two
or three Departments in Central Mexico, which |
are favorable to the Reactionists embrace larger
Poi'ioh Vi tne wealth of the Republic, and a |
greaVer nunper OF ''effectives''- speaking of the
In military sense-than all
The rest OF the territory put topetber
The Valley of Mexico is the stronahoIa
the Church party 1t is there that neor,,- i,
the property of the Church from which ito ;non,o
revenues are derived is concentrated. In ,ha 80
alone it owns five thousand houses, and in the al,
oining districts vast number of the finest estates
In town and country combined, the real estate
Of the Church has been valued at eighteen millions
IF dollars. lis ecclesiastical property, such as
churches dwellings occupied by priests and curates
urnture, jewels, precious vessels, &C., is esti-
mated to be worth fifty-two millions of dollars;
whilst its floating capital and funds received from
various sources are computed at twenty millions of
iollars The aggregate value of the property
'wned by the Mexican Church is, therefore, ninety
Millions OF dollars. But the schedule we have
Iuoted, If judged by the annual revenue accruine
0 the Church--which at a low estimate NAV be set !