The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-06-11

gions which arc said 10 surpass IN their won
oers any Of those Of the past.
OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF BARBARIsM.
Mexico is in fact just beginning to come ont
OF the Depths OF barbarism. How low il has
been, only those who have mixed among the
lowest classes Of the people and have talked
with them can know. The condition Of Europe
during uaai tunes was higher IN many respects
than the STATIC u some parts Of Mexico 10 day.
am Protestant in belief but am most liberal
10 my feelings toward tie Catholic Church Of
Europe aud the United states Of to-day ] re-
spcct i aud ln many ways admire it.: but the
Catholic Church Of Mexico is a different thing.
j has been ran Tor years for revenue only, and
ID BIAS ground the lie aud the INTEL igcuce out
Of these people. There is no land where super
stitlUn holds such sway as here. In tho darkest
parts Of India have not seen such evidences
II ignorance aud dCgrad e.iOn. ] hear stories
which vie in their seusuality and vice rs con-
nectcd with the Church which surpass anything
in Literature, and which are not 20 be printed
In q respectable newspaper. see ia every town
aud city vistc0stiy mOuas.eTies, churches and
cAtheGrais. and these are In many cases sur
rounded boy The novels Of the people WHO have
been bled throughout the ages 10 build them.
The bulk Of the wOgshipcrs are Of course made
Up Of tue descendants 81 the Aztecs who were
buld0zcd into becoming Christians by the Span
iarGB. They had q rcl igiUn Of their owH al IL
respects quite as good as OURS, and they de-
cidedly objected d changing. They said they
were willing 10 pat our God along with theirs
aud 10 let BIN have his chance AZ getting ToT-
shippers, but they did not want 10 throw down
their religion. The SpaniaT9s then brought in
the lLguisitIOn, and il is said that the horrors
Of this institution BIZ Spain were d mild species
Of amusement compared with the works Of il
Ia Mexico. You can find IN many Of The mon
astcrics underground cells aud dungeons,
where It's honor, were practiced, and il lasted
here lur years after il had beea abolished IN
Europe.
HgW THE CHURCH WAS oVERTHRoWS.
4 The Catholic Church, however, has now lost
/ lie power in Mexico. Everyone can now believe
/ here as be pleascs, and though the Protestant
/ missionaries tell ne they are sometimes stoned
/ and prosecuted, all religions have an equal
\ right under the law. The Church here accu-
mulatcd q great wealth. its income was for q
4 long time greater than that Of the Government,
4 and about thc time that JET Davis was plot
I ting treason ~ Washington prior 10 the break
/ ing cut Of the war the President Of the Kcpub-
4 JIG Of Mexico .Jaurcz, plotted 20 overthrow the
! power Of tie priests here. lie c0uiscatud d
4 great part Of their property, sold their mouas-
teries aud converts for what they would bring,
| and gave the death blow - their power a. q
I governing influence IN Mexico. These muuas-
terles were bought for song. aud tic yalGc Of
those sold ran up into the hundreds Of mil ions.
1 j write Ills letter iu one Of them. IL iE ROW
q hotel aud my room Was undoubtedly once
occupied by the abbot, Hs IL Is the best in the
building From my surroundings ] can soc
that these iat old Mexican monks lived well.
TINS monastery bad many large rooms bult
4 around great contra. court, which contained a
beautiful garden. There are wide halls on
ci0istcrs running around this garden and about
these tne fathers used 10 walk aud tell their
beads they iu0kCd up Rt the clear sky, or out
upon TIC beautiful flowers which bloom "a
luEurisuty here. Ny room looks out on these
costcTs, aud j can see tire great Moorish dome
Of the monastery from whore ! write. IL is an
ideal place iu an ideal climate. The hlhAm.
bra cannot be more beautifully located. aud
under the moon, which shines SO brightly here
surrounded by ttesc MeKicans with tAcir som.
brcros and their picturesque blankets, / car
easily imagine myself IN Spain as il was
hundred years ago.
PAs8 DEL HORTE.
Ny f4st taste Of Mexico 7 got az paso dc
Aortel or a. ia Ciudad Juarez Gs the city i
now named This ID just opposite the IeKa
frontier town OF III Pas0, aud you can 60 from
the United States % Mexico 10 this point IN
strcct-car drawn by a bob-tailcd mule J.
Paso is distiuc'iycly American. The City O
JuaTez Is purely MeEican, and this street-ca
ride takes you iu ten minutes from one civiliza
ton 70 the other You 20 over the Rio Grand,
River which al tIis point is more like a crecl
than ulR river, and you are STOPPED az Ia,
other end OF the bridge by a Eerce- looking
man IN a hat foot high aud two feet wide
aud asked whether you have any dUtiabll
articles on your person. This man looks likt
q brigaud. Ills sword kicks his heels aud M
pan falcons are striped with silver buttons. Hi
language Is TIC musical Spanish, and you not