The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-04-11
Letter From Mexico.
To the Editor of t ,e Times;

City Of Mexico, March 29.-In the
history of NATIONS, war and religion
have ever been the potent factors in
their evolution.
When MonteZuma and his follow
ers had appropriated the land of the
Toltecs and were safely entrenched on
al island in the valley of Mexico,
their second proprietary act was to
erect a tempe 70 their own gods in
place of the false ones of tina Toltecs.
Following Cortez and his conquest
of Mexico came the brave hardy Fran
cscan monks whose jealous feet climb
ed every mountain path and trod every
valley trail In their desire for con-
v rts, and it is their conquest of the
Indians, more than the arms of Spain,
that held Mexico under Spanish do
miniOn for centuries.
On the very spot where had been the
cruel sacr,ficial stone of the Aztecs,
was erected the first great Christian
church of North America, and to this
day the most magnificent church ed
ifice in the western hemisphere.
Following, and coincident with, the
building of the cathedral of Mexico,
there came into existence, as the years
rolled on, other grand and massive
church ed,fices, monasteries and num-
nerias, until from the mountains and
plains of Mexico ten thousand Cath
Ollie CHI urches reared their architect
nral beauties to the sky.
None were simple ana inexpensive
Many we're designed by noted archi-
Jects, the masonry was as solid and
Indestructible as the mountains them
selves, on their walls were the works
OF master painters, the hand of the
SULPHUR luz tuClC anu
inches and they gathered to their
thousands of affairs rare gems and cost
ly plate.
From the little band of Franciscan
monks that worked their weary way
on foot from the gulf coast to the Te-
nochtitlan capital, hprang the rich and
powerful order that in the capital
alone occupied as a chief residence,
until as late as the year 1856, four en-
tire blocks in the very heart of the city
In this Gordon of masonry were sew
en- churches, known as the seven beau
tiful churches of Mexico The mon
astery that formed a portion of this
gigantic property, had seating capac-
,ity in one refectory for i've hundred
monks.
The first blow that was struck at the
church power in Mexico was direct ed
against this order which was accused
of q reasonable plot to usurp the civil
power of the government, and by an
edlct of President Comonfort, in 1856,
This valuable properly was declared
confiscated by the government.
Jewels and paintings were removed.
streets cut through the properly, and
the mutilated remains of the build
Ings sold. One of the seven grand
churches is now owned and used by an
Episcopal organization, another is the
Trinity Methodist, while the remains
of the chief one has been, within the
past year, partially restored, and re-
dedicated by the Catholics as the
church of San Felipe de Jesus. The
beautiful main entrance to this val
liable church was unfortunately, de-
stroyed, one of the domes forming a
background to the house in which we
first lodged in San Juan de Letran.
The Hotel Iturbide, which was once
the residence of the emperor of that
name, originally formed a part of this
church property, and the Hotel Jardip
now enjoys the remains of the mon.
astery garden.
On the general closing of the mon
asteries and nunneries of Mexico, such
of these buildings as were not de-
stroyed or sold were devoted to pub
lie uses. In a fine old Jesuit ed,fice
that cost 100000. the government is
now educating, at public expense, one
Thousand Mexican children. The Nor
NAL schools, male and female, that are
the pride of Mexico, are indebted for