New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-09-10

M
irttstE Of Catholic Priests, Fflgtsces from mn.
| 1co-Recottti01 in Religious Sentiment ay1ono
NE Ae1tcaas-Loeal Matters.
Special to the New Orleans Crescent
BROWNSVILLE, August 30, 1860.
| NJ: Edttopt-The Austin failed 10 reach heye
9ss M,eanesday and the worst of the matter is
matter Of course. this was gerio1s drayghacir
Tor we have reading community, and we lgse tes
| have our papers. The Bell men are really dis
.eessea, tor tLey swear BY the Crescent, and shis
and support.
The river at this point, after having fallen to M
old low water standard, on Sunday suddenly came
upon ns with rise, and to-day the appearances
are decidedly in favor of an overflow for the law
lands. The steamer Mustang has Just come down
from Roma with a considerable freight Of lead,
hides, etc.
In my last letter to you, from this place, de-
scr1bed ratification meeting held to endorse Mr..
BFeekInrhge | also sent You certain resoia-
tons, OF rather their pth, and attracted your at
tention 10 their import. Since that writing have
learned that great dissatisfaction prevailed among
the people at the ultra character of the meeting
and at the prevalence of disunion sentiments in
the resolutions This dissatisfaction has grown to
such strength that it threatens to break ont in
other meeting at which the conservatives are Il,
express their feelings and declare their adherence
of all uitraism. The Crescent will be selected al
the fayorite of the conservatives
We are waiting very patiently to have the Cas-
tom-house removed from Point sabel to this place.
in accordance with the law Of the last Congress-.
the Collector says that he is awaiting instructions
On the subject but that the removal will take place
surely and promptly. I am anxious to see the
matter accomplished, for it has been commended
mat that was measure which was to be of i'm
\ mense advantage to Brownsville and for the life
of me could never see the Foundation 81 the ar.
gument. The location of the Custon-ho at
| Point Isabel never made that place, and WIN il
should have such an effect here is past my COM
| prehension.
We are in receipt of good rains, high water in
| the river and pleasant weather. The planters or
rather small farmers and gardeners in this valley
have eommei-ad to plough and plant, and we
shall probably have good crops yet before frost.
which rarely falls hereabonts before January OF
February. The fall vegetables will surely make
good returns, AMI the probability is that corn
planted now will ripen before cold weather. Sew
eral patches of corn have been put in recently
and are now growing finely. More than that
while the balance of the Southwest has been suf-
fering from the drought, we on the Rio Grande
have had but little 50 far to complain Of, for our
crops have yielded well where they were attended
to. This seems to have been good season for
Sea Island cotton, judging from some stalks that
are growing in Judge Bigelow's garden.
Some alarm has been occasioned by the report
that the bandit Cortina has been seen near Mata-
moras, and that his second in command has been
seen IN Matamoras II is further reported that
Cortina has established his headquarters about fifty
miles above Matamoras, and that he has recently
been furnished with considerable arms from the
above town. These rumors, taken in connection
pearanee at the town Of Victoria, about $50 miles
above this, and that Major Hunt has declared his
intention to remove the garrison from this place
on the first appearance of any epidemic, make
the people of Brownsville feel that there may yet
occur such q chance as Cortina wants to wreak
his vengeance on this town and some Of its inhab-
itants. vi
One consolation we have, however, the town of
Brownsville is tolerably well stocked with padres,
who can shrve us, for we have had an influx of
several Catholic priests who have been forced to
leave Mexico, because they would not take the
oath of allegiance to the Constitution Of 1858. /
understand that great many districts in Mexico
completely barren of priests, and that the peo
pie have no religious instructions at all, because
the holy fathers have refused to conform to the
laws. In this respect the church ia doing itself
HARM for the act of refusal is bad in itself for the
nation is bound to triumph over them in this mat
ter; and every day the churches are kept shut up
and the people left to take of themselves, but
tends to break the masses off from their devotion
| to religion. For instance, the men in Mexico who
attended mass regularly on Sunday twenty years
ago, and who crossed themselves and took off
their hats as they passed in front of church,
SPs + ground by the
| very means it then adopted to win converts; and
the priests will change their old programme.
Wherever Americans have come in contact with
Mexicans the latter have invariably thrust of the
rule OF the padres; that is, they have recognized
that they are not to be bound by the old practices.
And the Church, instead of yielding TO the force of
events and conforming itself to the mode of wor-
ship and the rules of faith prevalent in the Catho-
lie Church in the United States and England, obst
nately refuse to yield, and blindly offer to fight
for the charnal offices and improper practices
which they have held while Mexico was benighted
and ignorant. All religious denominations have
reformed their book of exercises, and the padres
will have to submit to innovation in Mexico as
well.
The soldiers stationed here have established
very interesting little theater in of the public
houses inside of the garrison, and the performances
come oil twice or thrice O week, as the chances
offer. The performances are very creditable, and
the conduct of the establishment unexceptionable.
The legal profession is just now brushing up
their dockes for the court, which is to be held in
November. We are to have Judge Devine from
San Antonio on the bench, at the next term and
as matter of course our lawyers will have to put
their best foot foremost.