Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-06-11
n OId story Eteusht tsgSts


Bn Old gtoFy KtOught ~ highes
TYrom the Aha Calliornla, April 22l
IA hnndfed and forty years ago the Or
der OF Jes0iis was the chief missionary Or
kanization Df Calholicism and Oh stlanity,
and In Catholic countries Il was the. es-
peoial fiaV0Fite Of the FigldlY deyout. Mem
bofship ii the anelepl yburCl Being re-
Iaarded es the only meanB Of escaping the
endless pain 10 which the inddels and
heathens N re condemned, II was consid-
cred that the best use for money was In the
great work Of saving souls. This was the
benevolent and humane motive that In
duced thousands Of young men to enter the
Order offI1yola, and thousands OF old peo-
BE to beq6eath th II property. ID ht-
Among those who made large donations
were the Marquis Of Vliia Rnente alid his
wife, who resided In the, Gbylaf Mexico.
He was Grand Chancellor or, as We should
say, Chief Justice Of, the Kingdom or Vice.
Royalty Of New Spain, as kwas termed In
those days. 'On the Sth Of,Jnne, l7S5, the
two signed and aled copYeyanc ces giving
TO the Jesuit s'proVincen or division OF
New Spain about 1000, 900 acres ofland,
including large areas of cultivated fields,
several valuable silver mines, and reduc-
tion works, with extensive herds in Tamau-
lipas. The gift was made for the purpose
ofbeine applied in converting the heathed
In California. AT that tinesthe Jeslits had
missions In the Peninsula, and had much
difficulty in maintaining, them. The soil
was not productive, the natives were stu.
pid, and notwithstanding the arduOus To-
bors Of the priests, and the large rexpendl-
lures, there was scarcely. any perceptlble
progress, The Pious fund Of California
was Of great service, and 1t was Increased
from time to time by donations and be-
quests. One of the largest additions was
that of the OhalcO estate, which comprised
many valuable lots and buildings in the
capital and other cities of Mexico. The
Cienega rancho, near Guadaiajara, yielded
$24, 900 annually, long after the revolution
when the value Of property had greatiy
declined. 9S .gremaif3- s1i Ao8
But the Jesuits did not always eDj9y the
sunshine of prosperity. In 1857 they were
ordered to leave the dominions Of Spain,
and six years later the. Pope dissolved the
| order, and for more than thirty years they
had no authorized existence as an hOTgaIll'
zation. The missions of Lower GalifOrnia
were put into the hands of the franciscan
friars, and the Pious fund was transferred
to their charge. To show their zeal, they
not only accepted the Jeeuit establishments
In the Peninsula, but they erected new
missions in Upper California, and on the
lst of July next it will be SO years since
Junipero Sierra, the head of the enterprise
of settling the, region Il included, Il
our present, state, reached San Diego
They were far more successful than eht
Jesuits had been,7 because thea soil wa
more fertile, the climate more favorable
and the Indians more docile. For 40 year
the Franciscan missions increased rapidly
| In wealth, and population; but their gToNstl
was interrupted by the Mexican revolution
which cut off their pecuniary supplies am
destroyed the confidence OF the triars Il
the futpIe. The income Of The Pi0ns Fun
was not collected, or was not permitted. .
,, reach its destination. Within twenty year
after the revolution broke out, the salarie
of the friars, $400 each annually, were pail
for only four years. Many articles @hicl
California did not product, and whic
should have been sent from San Bias, wer
, not sent The indians were not rewarde
for their labor according to- custom, an
seditious persons went about telling ther
! that they were free and should not Obe
| the Rriars. Harmony was destroyed an
work was neglected Frequently revolu
tionary leaders seized the money Of th
Pious Fund in Mexico and the property {
the missions in California.
In 1927 tract Of land belonging to th
Fund was sold, and the price, $40, 900, wa
! deposited in the Mint; and shortly atlei
ward Santa Anna took it for the Govern
ment. Subsequently he transferred til
entire Pious Fund to the public treasury
and the missions which had been built b.
the Fund were secuarized that is, wit
their buildings, herds, feeds and i improve
ments were declared the property OF th
nation, and were put into the hands of ad
ministrators, with instructions to divid
part out among the people, and sell th
Remainder. This Pious Fund thus approp
rated by the Government Of Mexlcoi is tn
old story, lately 'brohght to public stten
| ton. In the last session Of the Legislature
It was suggested that the authorities q
l Washington should demand of tn
Government Of Mexico, an indemnity 70
the Catholic Church Of California for tn
property thus seized, the value being sey
eral millions Of dollars. .@ Is.