The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-28

churches. and so has every city In this
country. The Brazilians are Catholics. In
the state OF Rio de Janeiro the ratio Of
Catholics and noncatholics is one thousand
TO ten, so that, practically, al Of the peo-
pie are under the church.
Catholicism was the established religion
under the empire, but when the republic
came in the union of church and state was
nominally abolished and absolute equality
declared for all forms of religion. The gov
eminent. however, still continues to provide
the salaries OF the chief officers OF the
church. There are in the country an arch
bishop, eleven bishops and more than two
thousand priests. IN the cities there are few
Protestants, and all religions are tolerated.
Ii is different out in the country. In some
districts the people are fanatical and a
mans life is not safe If he tries TO make
converts. The women are the most radical
of the anti-Protestants, and they incite
their husbands and brothers to prosecute
the missionaries.
There are quite a number of American
missionaries in Brazil. They are chiefly
Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopa-
lians. The Methodists nave some very
good schools, especially in Rio de Janeiro
and southern Brazil. / met in the State OF
Parahyba an American medical missionary
OF our Presbyterian Church South. He has
been at work here for many years and has
travelled extensively over northern Brazil.
He tells me that the Protestants have a
| great deal of trouble outside the cities. and
that missionary life is by no means a soft
snap. Said he:
The priests incite the people against
US. 1 have been close to death several
times within the last three months, and i
never know when / am safe from assault.
Only a few weeks ago, while was preach
ing In a town not far from here, the post
master came to me and wanted me TO
leave. l thought he was drunk, and paid
no attention to his warning. Later in the
day he came again, and told me that the
village did not want me, and that 1 had
best get out. That evening as I was leav-
ing / saw him again. He was moving about
our party. acting very suspiciously. Finally
he said to me:
81 amt do what / promised to do, but
L pray you to hurry out of this town.
1T was shortly after this that we started.
We had mounted our horses, and three of
US were riding through the main street,
when one Of the postoffice men struck at
NE with a cudgel. / lodged. He then drew
a knife and stabbed one of our party. In
the meantime 1 had driven my spurs into
my horse and was riding away, the other
nan of the party going with me. When we
saw that our brother had been stabbed we
came back. i caught him as he fell from
the horse, and 1 found that he had been
stabbed through the right breast. AS j
held him there in my arms he died OF
course, there was a crowd about us, and
the murderer was arrested. He was kept
in Jail only a few days and then allowed to
so free. This ARRAY was melted by the
priests, for only an hour after this one of
them met a man on the road outside the
town and remarked to him: There were
three billy goats in town to-day, but one of
them has been killed, and the other two
had better watch out They call US billy
goats. you know. 1 find this opposition
nearly everywhere / go. The people of the
lower classes are ignorant and very fanat-
ioal. TIL priests are also ignorant, and
they do their best to drive US out Of the
country" FRANK G. CARPENTER.