New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-12

dTinking ms Old lays. UU6TTtTO nau ROOu HdIT0'
but became q mere partisan, before he was driven
from mower after a year. BOcanegra, VelcS hus9un'
Pedraza, were mere ephemerB as rulers Duo.a r
mente one of the best Presidents the country ero o
had kept sway OFF and for seyon years ahu SUI ~;
ceeded in completing of his terms having 20 20
the course of four years twenty-elgne hno~ a
Santa Anna has the illfame OF havI"S s,S mayer
bad husband father, friend, ana IuIoI az" 90 onv
kept the lead OF affairs more tnan IN %eon beroea in
one time Bsrregan and Bravo had oG Ho CO. obiaf
the of Independence D9t ' nnharIn were very
shnTfliyed IictatOrs who made no marx on I'd
unless it were bad one. pa s sb We Gbnrnb Gomez
Tia ri,ons the most important man IN the 9iSto
-, nf NIdVc" previous to tho days OF COionioI' H.
| T VI go, was President moro than year ny
Jaie1 or in the people. the obstinate enemy OF
Was f the arch-agtatOr of reform. ana wltna
an intelligent and faithful leader yg IN co uSa
pIaotloc;adIy W have exaggerated ideas-upOn
Sbic IS'" point l do not risk Judgment n,iat
Pena Pens respectable "a ana not uT rkeIy 70 be
| Lone6ted i'm his day unless the Iainp-posts were
! stI1Ing with some Of tho worst OF It's "s,hink
sessinG and intelligent man, who publicly kept ms
fress Is believed to have been indeed honorable
enonph to resign his Office, although Soiuioi
because he woud not hold 1T IN Violation OF ms
who was ever uneasy in fashionable clothes seems 70
have been popular in his State OF guerrero, out "a
iost sight Of outside of the which no toineitou
secretly and openly against Santa Anna, heiIeia,
fair-dealing and Observant, but not eXtTaorIInMy
succeeded in holding ont IOr ITee years. uuiInS
which time be had only fourteen ministers ana iof
that reason alone must DO considered one Oh he OoSt
of the Mexican Presidents. lgnaclo ComoniOrt was
of commanding person ssolulei pta'S Stn;t
enough to overcome the forces or the oahtanls'
party an executive of some practical qualities UNI
nsed to Mexico and politician OF talr purpose anu
will But he was not 80 strong OF 80 oH Ts 10 tho
! gambler Zuoaga, the same who. when at ti,e mead
! of affairs as the creature OF tho equalIy unc
scrupulOus but more able MiTamon, hau pa oa ol
| in faCA "A MIrdtDOn,
piOn of the Church, II was written among bia ~
/ milian's memoranda that he had once dew ms
sword and swept tho stakes on iapiS Wele no i'Sa
lost the funds Of company of which he was captain
COmonfort most sadly but most hon0raOly eNplaleo
| his mistake. 1t was left for BenltO Juarel, OK
president of college in Oaxaca, ana fIeoideIt ol
| Tho Sunrcne Cont of Justice to remain firm when
other men were unfaithul and by his consistency Tor
ten years TO give promise OF stanhy. II
Mr. JuareZs initiative capacity be stlll inys-
tery 10 some of his critics, his patent quail
ties are moro a wonder. llls advisers nave
recommended his administration. Gr' i"I rl
in some respects astute as hir seward mas IKE
that gentleman, committed conspicuous nlislakes,
Int is still valued highly by large BODY OF the
most practical of his countrymen Romero, whose
prajse as as Minister il to be found IN his last
treasury report, is web and tayoTably known IN tho
United States Messrs. Igesias, Bacarcel, aud Mars
cal the latter recently charged with Mexican AFFAIRS
| i'm Washington are all esteemed by the public when
they serve. The Congress which has collected
around this administration, has some grave lessons
10 heed and to learn, and much serious business to
do briskly bat il is highly cOmmendable Tor us CON
slant good order and manners and ono of the best
Congresses in the Mexican history I3macona mo
journalist leader and ex-Premier, ex-Minister Mr..
Mata ex-Envoy Mr.. Monies. and others, have ablli-
ties that would DO thought well of III anybody of the
| kind. These constituents of the Government of
,JuaTez have induced public opinion here to do
clare that despite inherited distrcsses Of the gray
! est character. the republican idea ia MokicO was
! more hopeful than il had ever been.
! The great dragon of the Church had been over
! come. 1t is desperate matter to night Church.
! Priests are almost as invulnerable ghosts. But
the eccIesiasticsm of Mexico is a shorn IeProbae.
for all. and stands Ina Kind OF excommnnlcatlon.
The battle with the hobgobn OF pcty, not begun or
always carried on in inaniul facing OF the issue,
has come ont victory at last The pre-, thood. who
debauchCd the conscience and lille OF the people,
whose condition. thanks TO what they did not teach,
is more OF less wreck left by the dissipation OF the
ChuTchwhOse shortcomings, not to he traced 10 the
Christian theory of the Church. reierabe ~ tho
tyranny Ignorance, perhaps avaI1ce, OF the bastard
religious organism engendered by spanish mIsTEle-
this priesthood has lost its power and riches Even
few years ago the Church militant could parade
the streets with bell book. aud candle. soldiers
in array were OyeTawed and eclipSed 10y
tho polite cOnVOcatiOn aud .roccssiOn or priests
and friaIp. CannOnade was nothing 10 Capnchinade.
Multitudes fell down before II with hats oil. The
observer of COmonforts day saw tho musler oil the
Church in Holy Week, with uniforms and banners.
cowIs and crOscrs and images carried high O litters
aud followed by the grosseSt presentment that ever
deyOtees and Tefaines. These shows quite gone.
OF have lost then effect. But short while since The
Jealous press of the capital complained OF public
skyrOoketing in one OF the parishes ~ honor oil the
feast-day of the JHgiH del Itdr de /dTdgO;a proof
that if the Church is nveterate no ess POSITIVE ara
iis enemies Several of the states unwilling
that any priests shalt teach in their schools What
the Church has lost il cannot recover have beard
Of u respectable Catholic, the father Of son III
orders who declared that the introduction Oi another
religion would improve his religion surprs-
ingly. ProtestantIsin IS. indeed. wanted, and
will be invited aud protected more ~ time
10 come than il can possibly lee now,
if only Tor the reason that competition IN religion
oftena saving OF morals But II II gums converts
il Will also encounter dense ignorance and gross big
DlI lOl % IauCnfabe
Of tire nationality OF Mexico its unreasOning Church
ha, been To blame Ine. the leader OF its cary war
for Independence was priest lie vas an enitiWis-
ing man IN his parish. ana took good care OF IT, but
he is charged with having had lnstress-uo very
great fault Tor priests of ms time. and perhaps the
standard Uf confluence MADE u scarce NehIdl hii
that he should shout iOr death TO the SpaniaIds ana
lead on rabWc. unfortunately as u happened. Ia
pillaRe aud to massacre one Is led 10 think less OF
the pari0t-pTiest MOreOs on hearing that the faith
less AlmOnte was his bastard But MeXCans stfl
Vindlcate these Characters as honest ccbats 40 long
their celbacy lasted. AS probably sound men any
how the early chronicles being somewhat dark and
for the rest they wore good patriots who bgbing
Blercess were tempted to deal with them nicr-
ciIcssly. But why should the terrible, and at last.
deluded effort Of Mexican independence DC so in
tenSely oolebratedi Can We gather grapes from
thstesi Was lidalgos act Iasn and selfish that II
brought up0u the country ItuTbde and Santa Anna
that actual Independence should ConD with the
Qua adventuIer. ana the Republic with the second
Or shall we say that the responsibility did not begin
with HidaigO-that such revolution as his must
have come in the coutoe of nature fIom Mexic0's
wretched prenliscs--that under the expressions OF
the SpauiaIds il rs well for its rabblc 20 die
To live provided that sacrifice could serve far
cause The thinker must retain conservative
doubt upon tins point The children of the oppressed
have their own curious reason for celebrating tle
agony and not too fruitful victory Of thcr fathers
and the teasOn may be discovered IN their nyRCibie
insnlarty, which Wal has not corrected, MOI inll-
grafton come 10 change MGrc thai, this. tIr
priesthood have conserved tler blind homage
nf events. The ~ feast days Of the Church aided iO
debsuch the patriotic calendar. Snists were illu-
minated patiiots we've skyTOcketted. What do