The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-18
New Mexico.

About one-fifth of the entire population
of the territory consists OF Indians, and the
original Spanish stock has mixed blood In
marriage rs well as in battle with the hand
some Navaios, the breeding Apaches, the
treacherous Utes, and the warlike Conan
ches. The New Mexican has not lost the
characteristics of his forefathers, but to his
own vices he has added these of the savage
races surrounding him.
In 1916, when the war growing out
of the annexation OF Texas was in progress
Gen. Kearney took possession Of Santa Fe,
and soon afterward conquered tho whole
territory, which was formally coded to the
United States in 184S by the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo, and reconstructed by
the establishment of the territorial govern
ment on September 0, 1850. 1t included
at that time part Of Colorado and
of Arizona, which were successfully
separated from it, leaving an area
of about 121, POI square miles. Its great
est breadth is 800 miles, its greatest length
$50 miles, and in acquiring it the United
States made citizens OF CO., 900 impoverish-
ed and ignorant people-60, 600 people ali
enated, by language, faith, customs, edu-
cation, and, might add, sympathies, since
1t is not denied thst, IN event of another
war with old Mexico, many of them would
be found leaning toward, il not actually
engaged on, the side of their quondam
compatriots.
Though the native American settlers are
insignificant in numbers, they control the
politics and hold nearly all the important
offices among themselves.
The language of the courts and church
is Spanish, and in conversation a pdt0is ia
| used which bears about the same degree of
relationship TO the mother tongue that the
| dialect of the Canadian habitant bears to
| Partisan French.
Education is making slow head way. Un-
| ill 1871 there were no public schools in the
territory, but there are now no less than
| 1873, with $685. pupils. In twelve schools
ten, English only, and in III Spanish only.
| When the last census was made, the popu-
laton included 1886 persons over ten
years OF age who could not read. and 3d.
220 persons who could not write The
Weather classes sometimes send their
children to school in the states, but when
young man has tasted the pleasures of
eastern society he does not willingly SUBJ
nit himself again to the primitive sur
roundings of his fathers house, and hence
there is decided prejudice against this
custom.
In faith the people are simple, obedient,
miracle-loving believers in the most author
itative and absolute Roman Catholicism
blind slaves of crude superstitions, taxed
beyond their means to support q tyrant
church. Previous to the acquisition of the
territory by the United States, their near
est bishop lived over thousand miles
away in old Mexico, and seldom if ever
visited so remote diocese as this. The
priests exercised unlimited temporal and
spiritual powers in the several parishes,
and were indescribably corrupt in the use
of those powers for their personal benefit
and the shameless satisfaction Of their
lus,s. Never before was religion further
perverted 1t became the mere mask OF
license, and its ministers the priests, not OF
Christ, but Of lechery and greed. At the time
when the present archbishop was appoint
ed, he could not close his eyes to the con.
diton Of affairs, and summsrily dismissed
large number of priests for open immo
rality but despite his efforts, which have
feen sincere and Jealous, the church is still
men who are 'a"nX distant settlements by
only to christianity, but to manbo0d gGi
freedom. The bishop 10 native Of France
and most of those under him are French
Jesuits, who, while they are not guilty OF
downright corruption, have not proved
themselves IN the history of their order the
safest guardians of an ignorant people
- william III. R'desng, in Hdrper's Maya
zine for June.