The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-11-25
Church Universal

justice done these orders, in the future
as well as for the past, is suggested by
forcible and impartial survey of his
book which appears in the latest issue
of the Yale Review august quarter,
over the signature Hubert H. S.
Aimes." From this critique we have
much pleasure in quoting its most
valuable passages from Catholic
standpoint, as we'll as from that of
historical justice:
In developing a system for civilizing
the Indians of the CALIFORNIA;, the
Spanish administrators profited by
their experience in the West Indies,
and measures were taken to ensure that
the Indians should be free from forced
labor. The object was to keep the two
races separate and thus protect the
natives from any kind Of feudal oppres-
sion
The first mission was founded at
Loreto, 1897, in the barren desert of
Southern Lower California, in an oasis
large enough to make a kitchen garden.
The planting of missions went on stead
lily until, in 1867, there was a chain of
fourteen missions from Cape San Lucas
to the boundary of California. Within
this area the natives were all living in
peace under the direction Of the Jesuits.
The Jesuits were expelled in 176S, and
the task of pushing the mission war
into California was given to the Friars
of ST. Francis who carried it on with
equal success. They established the
first mission in California at San Diego
in 1863.
The missions grew to great prosper
ity. They had large herds of cattle.
sheep and horses and large crops of
grain, fruit and wine, and the native
Christian population grew steadily. The
work of directing the chain of missions
from San Diego to San Francisco was
carried on by about forty friars. In
1920 they numbered thirty-seVen, and
further development was prevented by
the failure of the supply of friars from
Spain. Methods of violence were al
ways avoided, runaways were induced
to return by persuasion and punish
ments were light. The friars received
no pay and had no property, and the
missions had no accumulated funds. So
far as possible the natives were kept
at work under foremen of their own
race. Native sports and games were
encouraged, and frequent holidays were
given so that the natives could go to
the mountains and camp out for a week
or so. living after their own fashion.
The condition of the converts was bet
ter than that of the labOring classes of
France, England and the United States
at the time.
SO much for the results Of policy
enlightened by religion. Now for the
result of the secular method of achiev-
ing a similar end. 1t is worth attentive
perusal and profound study:
In 1922 there We're over 21,00O con-
verts in the missions, besides those
scattered about the country; they
raised seven-eighths of the products Of
the province, and did all of the manu-
featuring. The first Mexican governor, |
therefore. did not dare to expel the
friars, notwithstanding his hatred of
them as Spaniards. 1t was not long be-
fore it was thought necessary to reform
the missions in order to get the Indians
out of their alleged slavery and elevate |
them according to the dominant politi- !
cal ideas of the time. The plan was to
distribute a small part Of the mission |
TO the Indians and keep the |
rest of the community by lay officials. |
This was done in 1885. The wealth of |
the missions was due almost solely to |
the work of the converts; the lay adj |
were unable to keep the
Indians at work. they were incapable |
Of directing the workshops and could |
not command the respect of the ma |
tives. The manufacturers went out of |
existence within four years; the vine
yards, orchards and irrigation works
were neglected and cultivation ceased;
the herds disappeared. together with
The converted population.
The secuIarist reformers-largely
Freemasons-made a desert where
there was paradise, and they called it
peace and freedom.
Similar is the story Of the Jesuit |
settlement in Nicaragua But Jesuits |
are everywhere known to the subtle |
enemies Of human freedom and prog |
ress, stealthy reactiouaries whom such |
noble philanthropists and above board |
patriots as the Freemasons could not |
for any, consideration tolerate So they |
had to go all over South America: and |
in time many of the other religious or |
ders were included in the same ban.