The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-21
The Religious Troubles in Acapulco, Mexico.
,san Francisco Monitor

since we wrote 3astJ somo auuieionoi
light has been thrown upon the massacre
at Acapulco. A Mexican. gentleman, per-
sonally acquainted with tue more promi
nent actors on both sides, and cognizant of
all the facts, recently arrived in this city,
aud. on behalf of truth and justice, com
municated his knowledge to the daily
papers. We have transferred to our
and it will be found below. For the
veracity and respectability of this gentle
man, General Rosecrans, who knew him
10 Mexico, pledges himself. His account,
although it does not relieve the Indians
frem the charge of savagery and blood
thirstiness, represents the affair as sud
den outburst of wild rage against most I'M
christian as we'll as most imprudent con-
duct on the part of the Presbyterian mis-
sionary, Rev. Mr.. Hutchinson, and not as
deliberate, premeditated ate mpt to muir
der peaceful and inoffending worshipers. 1t
is strange, to say the least, that all denoml-
nations of Protestant ''missionaries," when
they go to preach the gospel to poor be-
nighted Catholics, should Invariably adopt
policy of attack and provocation dia-
metrically opposed to the timidty and nm
obstrus,vness which distinguish them in
heather countries. Not content with preach
ing their own peculiar doctrines, whatever
they may be, they always vilify, in the foul
est and most indecent language, every
thing that Catholics hold dear and sacred.
This is assuredly not a way to make
"converts Men are never brought tn
sense of their errors, religious or other
wise, by ill tempered railing. Every per-
son endowed with common sense must
know that such conduct is calculated to
provoke disturbance and nothing else. Now,
it is matter of fact the Rev. Mr.. Hutch
inson, openly and publicly, in the high
ways and byways of Acapulco, scandal
- 81 3 h~ls NJ
and even went p" far az to defame the
Holy Mother of God Z! Any fair minded
person will ask at once what right had this
foreigner to insult the people among whom
he happened to be living for a time. He
could not be SO foolish as to imagine that
his foul diatribes would be favorably re-
ceived by his auditors, much ,ess could he
think that they wound convince them of
the "errors of Popery." HIS wanton
provocation could have possibly no other
result than bringing about breach Of the
peace, accompanied by loss of life, as it
ultimately did, according to his own state
ment. 1t would astonish US very much
indeed if his preaching ended in any other
manner. From all the evidence to hand it
is plain that Mr. Hutchinson could have
continued his labors for any length of time
he chose if he had simply behaved as
gentleman ought, and shown something of
the gentle spirit which should animate
teacher of the Gospel of Christ.
If he were to try to carry on the same
conduct in this city of San Francisco, he
would not be FIVE minutes at work before
be would be arrested either for indecent
language or else for melting to breach of
the peace and the magistrates would next
day teach him what they thought of that
method of evapgeliZ .tion. Surprising, for
an instant, that a Catholic priest were to
euter town or city IN this republic. the in
hdJitants Of mhich ,cere exclusively Protest
ant and kne,c nothing about CdthOlicity,
and that he were To commence operations
by declaring oud in the streets that all
Protestants were idoiaters that all Prot
estant ministers were utterly depraved
and given to immoral practices that the
founders of Protestanism were all men of
Infamous character, aud a hundred other
things worse and more disgusting still
what would his life be wurth7 What
would any man say, if popular Indignation
WAS raised against him 80 that riot was
crL ated aud blood was shed, but that moth.
ing else could ne expected under the cir
cumstancesf Not only here in America,
but in any known part of the world, would
like conduct produce similar deplorable
results. Certainly from race 90 passion
ate and excitable as the half-civilized In
dams of Mexico, it would be absurd in the
extreme to expect that calmness aud for
6earance which cannot be found in the
o"t'oeI anu Hi"st HieSuaVic people,
That the massacre" was not an attack
upon Protestants as such, or an interfer-
ence with liberty of any especial form of
worship, can be easily established by the
declarations of many Professionals, Ameri-
cans and others, who have lived in AGA
pulco for years, aud always been treated
with kindness aud hospitality, notwith-
standing their religion. Indeed, an Amer
lean merchant, at present, we believe, stay
ing in this city, met the Indians on their wav
To attack Mr.. Hutchinson's church, and
was not only not molested by them, but
even exchanged friendly salutations, al
though they knew perfectly we'll that he
was Protestant. He, of course, is firm in
the belief that the outbreak was not direc
ted against Professionalism but against Mr..
Hutchinson and a person named Procopio
Diaz, dgnifed with the title of journal
list, because he has published some fifteen
or twenty numbers of a scurrilous ami
Catholic sheet like one now disgracing San
Francisco. While we would support the
doctrine of federation of all creeds, as far
as it is compatible with justice, and the
maintenance of public order, we would at
the same time insist that it is no part of
liberation to allow a stranger. in no way