National Republican., 1884-06-11

With all these draw backs the only wonder
seems to be that any missionaries fingered on
the Pueblos and kept up some attachment to
Christianity in their hearts until tho opening
of the country by the United States.
Beside being directly opposed to facts, Mr..
Dawes's assertion contains q physical impos-
sibility. The Jesuits, as every man even mod
erately we'll read in history knows, were sup
pressed by Clement XIV in tho year 1774,
and were not re-established until 1914. 1t
is, therefore, somewhat difficult to SEQ how
they could have had uninterrupted charge of
missions for the past two hundred years. 1t
was not until 1867 that priests Of the restored
society entered New Mexico, and not until
two or three years ago that they took charge
of the small Pueblo mission at Isleta, tho
only one that has ever been in their hands.
That the degree of civilization to which
they will aim to bring their neophytes is lin
ited only by tho capacity of human nature,
is, / think, sufficiently indicated by their
record throughout the world, and notably in
Paraguay and Uruguay. Here, up to the
time of their forcble expulsion by tho Span
ish government in 1767, the Jesuits had con-
verted, according to Sir Woodbino Parish,
upward of q million Indians. The latest
writer on this subject, NJ. Il, Reybaut, in tho
'Cycopedia of Political Science" admits that
| by these missions tho agricultural of the
country was raised to point which 1t has
never since been able to reach, so that large
| tracts Ol lauu now ITO luuU once
| yielded abundant haryests to the native Chris
| tians.
1t is stated by Robert Southey, in his his
| tory of Brazil an every reduction, not
/ only was the knowledge of reading writing
| and arithmetic literally universal, but there
were some Indians who were able to read
Spanish and Latin as well as their own
tongue" Again 80 the Indians of
these reductions were a brave,an industrious
! and comparatively polished people.
They were good carvers, good workers in
metals, good handicrafts in general, and the
women manufactured calico of tho finest
| quality. Once more: Besides carpenters,
masons, and blacksmiths thoy had turner's,
carvers, printers, and gilders. They cast
bells and built organs. They were taught
| enough OF mechanics TO construct horse mills,
enough of hydraulics to raise water for irrl-
eating tho lands and supplying their public
csterns. A Guarani, however nice tho
mechanicism, coud initiate anything which
| was set before him."
The reference to printers in the above ex-
tract is significant No sooner had the
Jesuts established themselves in New
Mexico in 1867 than they intro
duced a printing press and began to
| issue paper, At the present moment they
have attached to their university in Beyrout,
! Syria, u printing establishment, in which are
| employed seventy native Christians under
the direction OF converted MussulmAn, and
native Christian printers, trained in this
school, have lately been called to the court of
| King John, of Abysslnia whore they pursue
their trade and still keep up their relations
| with the missionaries.
Senator Dawes, and convince him that he
need not dread any stunted growth in civil
lization as tho result of Jesuit missionary
| training. JUsrIrIA.