New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-13

make the people believe need only to be car
ried into the public streets in seasons Of drought
TO cause rain to fall in abundance. People go
about mumbling prayers to themselves, CARING
into the unknown Cor the help they should fad
in their own souls aud 10 the powers with
which nature has already supplied them.
Spain itself is not more buried in supersti
ton and ignorance than are the people of this
island. 1t is plain that people who spend so
much time in forms aud ceremonies can have
little disposition TO look nationally into the
actual problems Of life, or vigorously set about
she work of improving their earthly condition.
The effect of the multitude of religious festi-
walls is visbly manifest in all the branches of
industry Reverence for the past and respect
for the suggestions of the present do not go
together. The thought of better way has
no attraction to those who believe in the good
cid way, and hence the people dwell ever in
the past, having no heart for new ideas OF rell-
gion, and none for new applications oil old
truths, moral orphysical. Moral and intellec-
tual inactivity block up the way of progress,
and not even temples of worship are rescued
| from the destroying breath of time. To the
eyes that Away. behold them they never grow
old but nothing Of the vigor that built them
| is there to repair the gradual decay and ruin
The very bells that jingle in their crumblIng
| towers are cracked and out of tune, and what
was once intended for music has become simply
noise, confusion of sounds. The streets are
often witnesses of solemn professions on their
way TO, or returning from, administering ex
treme JUNCTION, and they pass every knee is
expected to bow and every face to assume q
reverential aspect Religious observance seems
the great business of life except on Sunday,
when the people devote themselves to the
pleasure of gambling at the cock pits. l was
Induced to attend one of these, but stayed only
a few minutes to see the poor birds pick out
each others eyes for the amusement of the
highly excited crowd. At dawn of day the
streets are thronged with church-g0ers, and
the sisles of the moudering cathedrals are filled
with pous worshippers. When this is over the
people betake themselves to their horrid sport
| Of cock lighting, aud see the poor brutes kill
each other with pleasure. Having attend
ed to the rites of religion they seem to
dismiss further concern for their souls,
One of our number told me that even the
priest ut SANTANA a kind hearted add gentle
manly man, carries his game bird to the pit on
Sunday, and joins heartily in the cruel sport
Let no one, however. think these people NOR
ally worse than others. Their cock fighting
propensity is the worse thing that can be- said
of them. During the three weeks spent in
Santo Domingo | saw but two men drunk, and
they were Americans. | saw but one stree,
brawl, aud those engaged were Americans. |
saw no lewd behavior. and never saw blow
even given to a child. The people are sober.
orderly. polite, but unprogressive, cinging
ever to the old and worn out form, while life
and power are waning, and the world of civil
cation sweeps on by the country where its first
movements were felt in the Western hemis.
phere. F. d.