New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-23

aud suited to protect its inhabitants from, the
nerce rays Of the tropical sun. The streets
are long, straight, and narrow, lined OF either
i s.ue with low, iiat-roofed, red-tiled brown
iouses, very solid and very gloomy and spirit
is their '"'' u"e'''ls'
SIMILARITY
ihey look as if they were planned by the
osiie architect, built By the same workmcn.
."e same material, completed on the same
Jay, and occupied by the same family.
Inc uniformity o: the houses may be in
part due to the
EXCHANGING CHARACTER ar tug CRY.
MATE,
out Is probably due more to the unchangipp
t sn UNIFORM religion of the people. Spain
oo.e'a.ed no diversity in religious opinion.
my Sne church, one priesthood, one faith, one
uaPtisin, conduccs TO oneness in other direc-
IONS: Among their many other needs the
people OF Santo Domingo would be the bet.
eer Tor some of our denominational rivalries
.nu conflicting creeds. They would impart
=. 90 mem healthy activity, which is now one
~ their greatest wants. and we could spare
a aa1 a lew OF these without any loss to our
ahectionate religious relations.
SAN DOMINGO CUSTOMS.
Oar American love Of ornament shows it.
sen everywhere, and especially at the street
doors of our dwellings. Nothing Of this vo.
riety IS ever seen in Santo Domingo. The
'font door here is of the barn-door pattern
anu often used rs a barn-door. The Span.
iard IN his spurs does not deiyn to dismount
ms iine Arabian steed till within the walls of
MS mouse, and he rides into his front door
booted and spurred, his horse being as mach
at nome there as the man.
bad as are the doors the windows of Sor,o
Domingo are still more shocking, Paddy
would say they were designed to let out the
uark rather then let in the light. Though
p:o'ld enough and high enough they stand so
i,i ABOVE the floors as to conceal the heads of
an Dnt the tallcst inmates. They are inno-
cent OF glass or curtains, and being vertically
barred with iroi: they give the street side
more the appearance of prison wall than of
lhe residence of innocent and sane persons.
Inc wall about the old city is marked
feature OF the place and tells of the old-time
wars with the Indians. 1t looks fight, but
means none. 1t would stand no chance
against the shot and shell of modern war
fare.
Well, thus housed, doored, Widowed, and
facing the glorious South, where a blue sea
meets sky still more blue, with mountains
IN the rear and upon either side-you have
the ancient city of san Domingo, founded BY
lolunibus-the first Indo-C Caucasian metrop-
oils of the New World.
Once IL boosted n population of 10000
souls; now it has but 1000. Once it was
the scene OF wealth and splendor; now it is
for the most part the abode of restitution.
Once it was full of the hum and din of busy
commerce; now it is rs silent as New Eng
land Sabbath.
RELIGIOUS TENACITY,
One thing, however, may be truthfully
said of this fine old city. In all the vicissi-
tudes ofconiiict, decay, and ruin, it has chung
with marvellous tenacity to religion. At the
faintest dawn of each day, while the dark
ness is still upon sea and sky-long before
Americans would think of stirring forth for
anything less important than money, the
ears of all Sante Domingo are salutcd with a
perfect tumult of church bells, summoning
them to their affairs and their prayers; and
the summons are not in vain, for at the first
wild clamorous clang and jingle of these, the
people start out and may be seen vending
their way through the darkness with solemn
step TO their several houses OF prayer.
SUPERSTITION.
Ofcoursc where there is so much religi
there is much superstition. They believe as
firmly in miracles to-day as did the early
Christians. There is cross in old ST..
Michael's Church which they believe to be
as potent to open the windows Of Heaven as
the prayers Of an ancient prophet were to
shut them. They insist that this cross
brought into the streets at proper times has
saved the island from drought and famine on
more occasions than one. Rain always fol-
lows the exhibition of this cross, if it is only
exhibited at the proper time; and hence the
priest must keep a sharp look out upon the
weather. To argue with them is of no avail.
usually supports one improbable fact by adj
ducing another still more improbable.
CONTRASTS.
The manner OF spending Sunday in Santo
Domingo would be scandalous and shocking
in the eyes of a Puritan. The people divide
the day between praying and cock-fghting.
The church and the cockpit stand on the
same street, and give themselves impartially
TO the picty of one and the brutality of the
other.
1t would be difficult to describe scenes more
disgusting than those of the cockpit but the
people indulge in the cruel sports of the
place with no sense of their cruel and shock.
ing character.
CONSCIENCE At HOME AND ABROAD.
Conscience is 4 great monitor, but it speak:
differently in different ATTITUDES. 1t usually
saws what it is educated to say. In Boston
it saws cock-fighting is sin; in San Do
mingo it says cock-fishtng is an innocent
amusement. The cocks like to fight; Goo
has made them so, and they like to see His
handiwork.
have spoken of the deep righteousness o
the people of San Domingo; but it does moi
seem here, more than elsewhere, religion ant
morality are inseparable. Cock-fgbting OF
Sunday, or on any other day, cruel though i
may be, is not the only fact that proves this
! Strict attention to the forms and ordinances
OF Christian worship has not been crowned
with social order, stability, and happiness
| Religion in San Domingo has shown itsel
much like the same article elsewhere-im
mcnsely human less the guide than the re
| Election of human nature-and sometimes thu
! worst side Of human nature.
The friends Of Santo Domingo are some
! times asked to explain why it is that the pop
ulation of Santo Domingo is so sparse, anC
| that its civilization is so feeble? They sa,
/ if the climate is good and healthy, if the PEG
pie are religious, and nature has opposed N
inseparable obstacle to progress in that quar-
ter, why is it that Santo Domingo is failure
AN EXPLANATION.
/ no not know that l can answer thi