The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-04-27
A.. FraneIs xavier at Gee.

labors of the famous Apostle to the East
Indies" at Goa, we take from the forth
coming historical work Of Rev. Samuel Z.
Smuckcr:
Alter prntrncttd voyage, st. Francis
Xavier arrived Mt Con, in March, lo42.
\ singular spirit Of romance clusters
around the name and the history OF this
celebrated city. That romance is com.
pounded Of several distinct and opposite
elements, which are in part attractive, in
part rcpulsive. 1t suggests to the mind
unparalleled scenes Of oriental luxury and
splendor, which were connected with the
triumphs Of It's M0gul founders and oriSi-
nal pn>sessors. 1t also speaks Of the de-
tesiable and licentiouS excesses OF ltS Por.
tugucSe masters, into whOSc Golfers the
gold and gems OF the East were gathered
during several centuries of supremacy and
power, by hands which were crimson with
the blood Of oppressed and drfencrless
millions. The name Of Goa also reminds
US Of the horrid cruritics Of that exscra-
bic institution, the Inqui>ition, by means
Of which, the spirit Of ecclesiastical tyran-
NY was carried to m extreme which has
few parallels in history.
Con was originally built by the Mogul
conqucrors Of India, the capital Of whose
empire WAS the gorgeous aud -tar=tnmeh
d. hi. In l400 it was attacked aud taken
by the Duke Of Albuquerque, and made
the capital Of all the Portuguese posses
SiOas in the East. AT that period, Ceyton,
Silm, Malacca, and portions of B%ngal,
acknowledged the maritime supremacy oi
the Portuguese, and the traffic Of the East
poured unc0untcd treasures into the cof-
Icrs Of the naughty and luxurious adven'
-turerS, who were then masters Of the pal.
aces and the commerce Of Goa. The city
had also been made the seat Of an Arch
bishop, and Juan a lbnquerque, descend
cumbent at the time Of Xavier'S visit. tie
was an Ostentatious and vOluptu0uS pre-
late, whose character and qualities we're
admirably in accordance with those Of his
Subordinates. The native inhabitants OF
Malabar, within the territory Of which
Goa was situated, were originally Moham-
mcdans; but yielding to the authority Of
their conqucrors, they had become nomi-
nal Christians. They were the unwilling
slaves Of more powerful race, and they
suffered from their masters oil the miser-
les which the dcSpOtism Of the strong and
Of the dcpravcd could inilict upon the
weak and the unrcSsting.
When Xavicr visited Goa, it had be-
come the sink Of the most dISsolutc and
abomiDable eXceSscS Of which human ma.
ture is capable. All the wealth and power
Of its Inhabitants were appropriated to the
introduction aud prevalence Of such an eX-
treune degree Of immortality, that no pen
can adequately describe it. The palaces
Of the wealthy Portuguese were, in fact,
little more than seraglio<, occupied by the
fnirest daughters Of the East. POlygamy
and concubinage were universally pruc'
ticed. The ordinary evils Of slavery were
increased by the utmost excesscs Of cru.
city, fcrocity. and avarice. Every corrupt
Imagination uf the human heart was there
gratilied, aided by the ample aud varied
resources of wealth curbed by no fear oI
law, abaShed by no sense Of shame. The
tribunals ofjustice were universally vcnal;
he who paid the heaviest bribe was sure
to gain his cause; and the greatest crimi.
nal, if rich aud liberal, could escape the
penalties Of their iniquitics.
The Portuguese residents were gener.
ally daring and desperate adventures,
who had left their native land to acquire
wealth, and who cared for no obligation,
human or divine. The eeclesiastical edi'
fees were splendid, but they were de.
voted only to the celebration Of useless
but imposing ceremonies ; while the Por.
tugucse, the dominautsefAd pIacticcd
every crime to acquire wealth, robbery
perjury, ,nssaSsinatiOn--andgc generally with
safety and impunity. On the other hand
the condition Of the enSlaved natives was
miserable ia the extreme. They were
well adapted to crafty the cupidity and
the lust Of their masters, yet utterly una
bic to resist their tyranny. Theirs was
that most lamcntahc Of all possible sDcia
conditions, in which men are crushed by
the superior resources of civilization,
without being protected by any Of its re-
timing and ennobling influences.
The pious soul Of Navier burned with
in him with indignation, when, for the
first time, he traversed on foot the stately
squares and imposing avenues Of Goa
and behcld how openly aud completely
the inhabitants of that modern Sodom
were abandoned to vice, and to the com
mission of the baseSt crimes which dc.
grade human nature. lilo resolved Il
commence his missionary labors at once
and to adopt strange and new eXpedient
to attract and engage attention. Soon the
gay and diSsO!ute inhabitants Of Goa were
astOniShed at the spectacle Of q barehead
cd and bareiooted priest, dressed in ar
old and soiled caSSOck, parading up and
down the streets, ringing a bell, stopping
at frequent intervals, and loudly reprOvinQ
the crowd which surrounded him foI
their wickedneSs, and urging them to re.
pcntance and reformation. The evident
earneStneSs and sincerity Of the mission.
AIRY soon produced an impression on his
hearers aud after these laborS were con.
tinued for some weeks, favorable results
began to be apparent. When Xavier Gel,
ebrated mass ut dawn Of day in churches,
multitudes assembled to witness the cerc.
mony, and to behold this extraordinary
nNn, whose picty and Zeal had by this
time resoundcd throughout tho city. The
Apostle to the East spent the rest of the
day in visiting the hospitals, in nursing
the sick, in catechising the children and
slaves, and in conftSsing the crowds who
now repaired to him, and whose consci-
enccs, having been disturbed by his bold
aud searching appeals, desired to have
their uncaSincSs removed by the method
which he himself cnjoined and recon-
mendcd.
On Sundays and the great festivals
Xavier assembled the pulpit. and exercised
his Oratorial talents in the promotion Of
his reforms. In this higher and nOblcr
sphere Of intellectual effort the former
student and ornament of the University
Of Paris appeared tn great advantage, and
clearly demonstrated that he might have
elOquence, had no other cares and lsbovs
engrOSsed his attention. His agreeable
manner, his pleasing delivery, the pro-
priety Of his language, won the admira.