The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-27
MEXICO'S FOURTH OF JULY.
The Story of Miguel Hidalgo, the
George Washington of Mexico.
The History of the Butchery at GuansjuatO,
Where $4,000 Men, Women and
Children Were Slain.


national independence. Though Mericans
are slower than old Father Time as pictured
in the primmer-always putting off every
possible thing until Manana-they "cele-
'brate" with heart and soul, regardless of
time and expense. 1t was nice man who
said thine was made for slaves" and evil
IDENTIFY it is of little account to these
descendants of the Aztecs. All their
holidays are long ones and this most
important 10Th of September, which
corresponds to our 4th of July, lasts not less
than week. Besides rlany minor civil and
national events which must all be duly COM
memorated, they have end of church
fiestas, which are solemnized q by masses in
the early morning, and subsequent bull
fights, balls and great hilarity-so that life
in this summer-land is pretty much of
holiday from year to year. The poorest of
this happy-go-lucky race live in blissful con-
tent, despite their poverty, for many things
which are necessaries of life in our colder
country may easily be dispensed with here.
For instance, what cares a Mexican of the
creado class for ancestral halls" when wild
cane grows by all the waysides, out of which,
with few palm leaves for a roof, he can
build mansion for himself in few hours
as good as those of his neighborsr No need
then, to pay house-rent, no fuel to buy, no
gas bills, or water rates, or taxes to trouble
him. and for five cents per diem he can sup
ply his family with all the tortillas and
frijoles they require for food. He can lie
under the trees and rest his constitutional
''tredness' from the cradle to the grave in
calm content, unburdened by any perplex-
ing problems, political, social, or scientific
Even thoughts of death do not distrub him,
for, being good Catholic (as they all are)
the undiscovered country has no ter
rors, his safe passage thereto being
entirely the priests business, not his
Besides, he possesses an unfaling charm
against all the wiles of the world, the flesh
and the devil, in painted rag, blessed (by
the ton) by the Pope himself, which he
wears attached to the greasy string around
his neck, and which represents his secured
passport and through ticket to eternal fe-
licity. Happy man! He is wiser than we,
for, with extended range of vision come
doubts and discomfort With all our boosted
research and erUdition the utmost limit to
which finite sight can attain is to the boun-
dairy wall of mystery, which shuts off the
beginning and the end
In national rel oicing over their independ-
ence Mexicans do not celebrate the day of its
declaration-as we debut that on which
the first attempt to throw off the Spanish
yoke was made by their George Washington
the patriot priest, Miguel Hidalgo, Of
Costilla. Remembering the wrongs which
for many years were heaped upon this people
by their cruel conquerors we do not wonder
that all the bells in Mexico clamor together
in general rejoicing over their deliverance
Without dipping very deeply in to history
brief summary of most important events
will enable us the better to enjoy this cele.
bration with the spirit and the understand
ing" With the story of the early Aztecs,
which is at once poem and a tragedy, all
the world is familiar, for Prescott and
other historians have set forth their
arcadan life, their virtue, integ
rity and lofty sense of honor in
glowing colors. The age of discovery pre-
sents a singular mixture of pretended zeal
and love of God and actual hatred and mur-
der of men, In the DAYS of Cortez all great
enterprises of conquest were crusades i'm
ibued with so-called religious" enthusiasm .
Under the banner OF the cross the vilest men
could be aroused TO acts of diabelical crime
and the cry of lin hoe signo vinces' was sufii-
cient to rally an army of Christians TO
capture, sack and burn defenseleSs cities, to
desOlate the fairest provinces and obliterate
nationality by the sword, the torture and
the stake. Under the garb of religion every
description OF wrong and outrage was toler-
ated, and every crime known to Satan's CAL
endar was winked at, if the perpetrators were
"Defensores fidei." The Roman Church is
as much indebted to the great reformation
of the sixteenth century for reform in the
lives of its clergy as Professionalism is for its
pure faith But the reform. in faith or
manners, never crossed from Spain TO Mex
leo. Beyond doubt there were good men in
the Roman Church-as godly and noble souls
as ever gave their lives for truth and
righteousness-bu the whole character OF
the age was that of darkness, shame and
DEATH DR.. Waddington says: at was no
mere fling in those days TO say that the
priests were all fathers and the Pope the
holy father for under the most solemn
vows of celbacy, Pope cardinal, bishop
ana priest were exempt from censure how
ever numerous their sons and daughters. +"
The blacklist page in the history of modern
Rome is presented during the pontifcate of
Pope Alexander VI, Roderc Borgia, of
Valencia. Historians agree that the ecclesi-
astical records of fifteen centuries show no
life so foul as his both public and private.
His court was school OF RIGHTEOUSNESS and
falsehood, where crime was reduced to a sys-
TEN, and oaths and compacts offered no
security Yet, according to papal claims,
he was the legitimate successor of the
apostles, the Vicar of Cod upon earth,
entitled to be addressed as his Holiness
cHRIsTIAYIzING THE EMPIRE
With the conquest of this fair land, the
character of the kings, popes and priests of
Europe was transferred to Mexico. A. soon as
the Spaniards had plundered the Aztec en-
pire, they set themselves to christianizine(D
the people. The king granted his gov
errors and viceroys almost absolute power,
and as early as 1895 the seeds of slavery had
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