Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-01-16
ABSOLUTELY EDUE Z

locality II is Interesting In showing how
the far east has from the first valued the
spiritual welfare Of this community, aud
labored and sacrificed for our religious In
terests.
Mr.. AnnIns work at Hrst was largely
experts entail. He was necessarily feeling
his way. But be was eager for progress.
One of his plans he tells Of as follows:
Before left New Y ork the arrangement
was made that was to be aided by lady
who was thsu In Santa Fe, having gone
there nearly year previous. She was
said to be familiar with the Spanish LAM
guage and IL was hoped and believed that
she would be a valuable helper in my
work. / went to Santa Fe In Dec, and on
the 8h OF Dec, 1859, she returned with
me to this place. "he plan and intention
were that she should labor among the
native Mexicans, gathering them together,
so many of them as she. could, or visiting
them at their homes, or both, as frequently
as might be convenient, and instructing
them in the Word of God and the truths Of
evangelical religion. She proved wholly
un- uitable to the work, and if she did any
good, of W hich l have grave doubts she
did immeasurably more harm; and as
early as the month of January, and Of
course at my suggestion, she was released
from her connection with the Association
which had sent her ...... and falling in
her efforts to be restored to ber position,
she entirely ceased about the first OF April,
from all participation 10 our labors."
IL was In March that same winter OF
1869 10, that the First Presby terian Church
was organized. during the WINTER" Mr..
Amin writes, Il had made it my object to
become acquainted with SO many OF the
people as | could, with special, tho not
exclusive, reference to the native popula-
tion. desired to ascertain whether there
were not some in this region who would
desire, and who might properly be encour-
aged and urged to unite 10 a church organ
izaton. My coming had in few months
become quite widely known, and one or
two special circumstances had made IL
more widely known than IL otherwise
would have been, and had been visited by
q considerable number of Mexicans who
came, as they said, and as / supposed, {,
prompted by their interest In religion.
They avowed themselves as Protestants.
knew far less then than know now.
"On the Goth OF March, on a Sunday
afternoon, few persous were gathered in
the house already spoken Of Il. Q. the pres.
ent, 1876, residence of Mr.. Louis Sulzbach-
err, and in the room now occupied by Mr.
s. family as their parior The persons
besides myself thus met, were the follow
ing: Jose Ynez Perea, Mrs. E. d Amin,
Jose Antonio Chavez, Teodosio Chavez,
Ecelso Gonzalez and Tomas Macs, the four
last named being not only native Mexicans,
but belonging to the poor, uneducated
class, altho' think all but one of them
could read. The two Chavexes were broth
ers and had been living In the southern
part OF the Territory. Gonzalez and Macs
were living in Los Aiamos. The meeting
Of which Ispeak WAS long one, continuing
until late in the afternoon. During the
meeting Mrs. Martha Or cen also came 10,
and still later her husband. Mr.. Alfred q.
Green, and these all united in the organi-
cation of the church and were It's first and
original members. After long continued
conference and examination, in which all
present expressed their views fully and
fresly, or responded freely to inquiries, the
church was pronounced duly organized ;
and Mr.. Jose Yn.z Perea was unanimous
ly chosen its ruling elder. And all pres
ent in express words and with Joined
hands, pledged themselves soemniy. We
all agreed ana covenanted tog gether tn walk
in dependence upon the grace OF God, in
charity and purity and lave, and IN en-
deavor to adorn the Gospel and to promote
the interests OF the church and the cause o.
the R. dee mer, to walk together in churcn
relation according to the acknowledged
doctrines and order of the Presby terian
church"
10 the church record Of this date find
this account concluded in the following
words '.And the work thus begun In
Residences and with deep s0licitude and
fervent prayer is commended to the bless.
ing of Almighty God, Father, Son and
Holy Ghost, Amen"
| But the story of the church is sad one
I The session records show that the severesl
| church discipline had to be continually re
sorted to, and one by one the member!
| were cut off, until only two Of the orig1na
mum Der were left. s.Of those who composed
the church at its organization, and tool
| part in the meeting which at the time
seemed so interesting and SO solemn anc
SO full of promise, all except two nav
| proved utterly unworthy of membership II
| this or any other church; and have abund
I antiy demonstrated, if have any knowl
edge of the subject, were and are uttel
| strangers to true religion and persona
piety. After making every effort not u
| be uuchartable, my judgment is that. hav
| Ing in some way come to the idea that
| was rich, or at least was likely to hav'
money, they professed to be Protestants
| and came into the churc ch very largely To-
the advantages, ,pecuniary, " orldly adv want
| ages, which they supported they would D.
/ able to reap from their connection with tn
| church. Some of them gave me reason b!
various Indications to suppose that sucl
| was the case, and others OF them made
unmistaBably clear by their frequent ap
plications f1r money and other favors
'sAnd / have not the slightest doubt. b
continues, 'tthat could and would hay
had church here now Of hundred, yes
quite probably of 500 members, II ] ha'
been able and willing to use money freell
for that purpose. and hadshad little regsr'
to charaotefl and further, II the peopl
themselves bad not been prevented by thel
spiritual superiors and guides.
/ have quoted thus freely from Mr.. A: :
words in order to show the spirit OF tn
man, his own deep earnestness, profoun'
sense of religious obligation, and unfiinch
ing fidelity to truth and duty, even whel
he seemed to be tearing down his owl
work by his very conscientousness.
spite of the sharp disappointments, Mr.. A
did not lose faith in the possibilities o
Protestant work among the Mexican pee
pie. His horror Of the blasphemous cal
Iousness which could lie to God, led hir