New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-23


POPULAR RELIGION.
f''~ '' MEXICO June %, 1868.
Near the statue of Morelos in the Castle de la Con-
desa stands one OF the most uriOus and costly houses
in Mexico. In the ia OF the Regency II belonged
to the Condo del Vale, who, saring no expense to
procure the best OF native material built parts of the
interior Of stone comTacted the ouer wall OF suai
volcanic blocks using also in various places strong
" cementcd composition, ard faced the whole Win
porceain-ike surface of deli tiles, made in iancitu
patterns and BROUGHT doubtless from Puebla. Inc
courtyard or PATIO of this noblemans house IS
solidlv Noogrd A fountain bubbles ON one side.
Around aud above are galleries leading to various
chambers past ranges Of uOpic flowers in pots the
common luxury and ornament of a Mexican meSon.
Higher up is q clear bland Sky, broadly Oyerooklng
the patio and framed about by rectangle OF nat
roofs The roofs are of hard composition, edged ana
cOrnercd crcsccutVise, and comprise space known
10 Summer hours in Mexico as an azotea or SKY
promenade. Like other houses. more or less peiIlc
factions of the whim, II rs an odd mixture OF
Moorish and Spanish anues with some bohea le',N es
thrown IN from far Cathay-ln SNORT PlaCc
for tea-driukiug, Cymbal-payng,' ana prayers
each I'm turn or altogether: for. to crown all thtLe
is cross upon the top and niche Tor SAINT tesu-
fvinp that al one day the Condos house has been
church property sharing the fate OF nan Lhe houses
Of the capital. There Is pulqnera IN the basement
where il is possible to obtain the mil -whlte VINE OF
the agave. fresh thick, and unsecured In the DlleI
plaza near 10y the patriot priest MoreOS' Stern anu
and action, and OF broader temperament IMAM Is 10
be found among latter-day MeNlcans. Except Tor
curiosity and association the Condos mansion merits
little remembering, though lnterorly 1t IS, perhaps
one OF the most palatlal houses OF Its size IN the Guy
Ouposite. however Is a rarer and greater antiquity
High yellow walls about the tops OF Whlcn large
iron N1tcI-snouts project over the heads of the
pisScrs-by conceal a dome or two from the lhhGul-
ate street. Enter at broad gateway, some 1 iial
oru9lncutcd and You are in the public yard leading
10 the chapel and the cathedral OF the monastery Oh
San Francisco one of the oldest IN Mexico. here
is richness" as some Tuin-lOying SqueerS might OBJ
serve in an antiquarian spirit thqugh aIcnltectTIe,
i'm respect TO breadth OF style, there Is none Two
facadeS done in the style OF plateTeSco. constli,
tute the ancient charm OF a cathedral ana
chanel at hand. Around them are various hand
marks of decay and indications OF mody dlsuse the
edhces no longer serving as powerful pIelaces 10
The monkish rOokery behind them. The largest OF
the pateyillaS is very interesting. a sculpture IN
relief of the Blessed Virgin wearing a head-plece
like night-cap of marvellous device. and holding IN
her lap child, surrounded WIN sun OihaiHtH!'-
ton done into stone in the ARTIFICIAL style OF le lo
century. Above is a broader relief ILLUSTRATING
passage in the life OF q saNcu SAINT VINO I"-,
his hands SIlUtcs divine aIrlHuCt. On inc
front Of the chapel occurs similar G&oQLatom i
aud expense. but here the pllncipI lIuslialgJn
is native pastoral Is It the simple
Indian, Juan Diego, who while tending ms
1locks and perhaps piping to them IKE q nuScal
shepherd, suddenly beheld the marvellous appantlon
of Our Lady of Guadaupel Surely 1t must be--Who
elsef There is the hill which must be the hill OF
Tepevac: there the astOnished Juan and, descend
ing upon the branches of a broad tree III an At
mosphere of glory, 10 and behold our sovereign Lady
Ia The tree is rude, but the pastoral Is refreshing
Sheep and shepherds are OF all Things the most
soul-persuading fTOntispleCes for the scuptulal
and teXtual browse indoors the meek. nun
drum of a sixteenth century congregation ana the
blessings of the shepherd-lke padre ION may see
them now, without travelling Ike crap, Dach"aiu'
as the Church party is supposed 10 DO III the popular
sOug-satlre of Los GCHgTCGOS. san Francisco mas y
big dome like the head of a large monk, and much
in the same way are all the churches OF Mexico
capuchinized. Their want IS not room ana verge
and herein is "a good example TO Northern ana IIoI-
oI.rf hos
ness without relief suggestion. respectable IN
stance Of this SpacOusneS5 is the cOnYenchuIcn OF
La PrOfeSa, which, without pretensOnS 70 grandeur
of any kind. is, at least piece OF Gohss'enO
Old-style architecture. 1t IS high and quaint
TO outward view, Within, i is VanltGd temple
being comfortable church, IN the absence OF the
pous tinsel, iripperies, and undertakers shows
which deface and unhallOw the sanctuary Chiist'
band-tied and bent in waXen agony, and a number
of statue saints beside lavish quantity OF pure
GOLD i'm ornament are among the notabiltes OF tins
ebnrcb sDeaking of which reminds me that the little
chanel of San Diego contains greatercunOslty than
all 1t is the statue of a negro SAINT, black as
makes a very respectable saint-a sturdy
rather genial presentment of spiritual TACT
which some other churches do not so plainly ac-
knowledge in black and white. White SAINTS are
around him, who look salow and faded; but the
pcty of San Benito beams from his entire counte-
nance rs fhongh his religion had been dyed into
him i'm the first place and then had come out TO the
surface in inspired gloss OF DeneVOlenCe, warm.
ing the world like those rays OF thrlce-rehed ilgIt
which, to weak eyes seem to be no better than dark
ness. :.
building Surely then, 1t is worth chapter to itself
YOu have general view of Its construction III former
letters but very partial details. The Cathedral was
founded by the Emperor Charles V. and Pope Gle
ment VII. by a bull of $780, and was erected INTO a
metropolitan by Paul ILL., in l547 In the year 1ol-
lowing the Conquest religious temple was erected
in place of the existing Aztec teocals. and TINS In
turn made way for the building OF the present Cathe
DIAL in 1913. We hear of the work beng interrupted
in 1929 because of the inundatOn; but was prose
cuted at last in 1851 and, while not yet finished was
dedicated in 1866 Tie interior being finished IN 1861,
it was again dedicated. Up TO this time III had cost
81 10000 The great towers were completed IN l!9l,
nj a coat of $4,000 In these expenses Is probably
not included that of the chapel, or the wealth OF
gold and silver gwen at one time OF another 70
ornament the interior. The sum total OF money
spent upon the Cathedral would thus be from
twO-and-a-haf TO three millions OF dollars or nearly
double the sum unwiSely spent upon GlTaId College.
a less extensive but ideally much gander building,
in respect TO exterior. Why 1t should nave required
almost a century-twO millions worth of wood and
stOue-is not at once comprehensive TO the modern
mind. In Mexico, however two centuries ago, the
best materials were distant; means primitive, OF
course, and ways bad or wanting. Church ART alIer
a precarious voyage from Europe, had TO cross the
mountains under worse conditions than exist to-day
ConSc0uently architecture slow, and like long
dream in stone, slumbeTed through to com
pletiOn. CircuInstantlally the cathedral Is
n great monument Of the patience and
ambition Of the past, BIT 1t was iaroo worm run
thedral in the New World Once fasten this stone
weight upon Mexico, and the land was under lock
and key to ST. Peter forever; or sealed ike great
sepulcher. with stone SO may have thought the
fierce gospelcfs who followed the destroying brand
of Herman Cortes, and gave him text for every III
dian he slew in the name of the Lord
AS has already been said, there various oblec-
tiOns to the CathedTals exterior, which Is in fact
congregation Of heavy masses without unity OF true
exaltatiou of design. 1t is the style of platerla
rather than churriguevescO that has imposed such
rank prodgal artIfcality of small ornaments on the
facades and around the crisp Old salnts4n their