The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-09-01
HISTORY OF MEXICO.
BY Eber Cole Byam.
Part XVIII.

suited in favor of Gomez PedraZa for
President, and the defeated Masonic
faction took up arms Their triumph
was followed by the fight of Pedraza
and the sack of the capital, including
the public buildings, and the destruc-
ton of The Parian, a block OF build
ings occupied by a number of Spanish
commercial establishments, and
number of the owners and their clerks
were murdered
AS the radicals had not ceased to
demand confscation of the valuables
of the Spaniards and their expulsion
from the country, this was now accom-
plished. The Spanish residents or
Mexico were noted for their thrift and
industry, and, as consequence, eX-
cited the vicious hate and envy OF
the lower orders from which the revo-
lutionaries were recruited. The expul-
sion of the Spaniards was most con-
temptible and cowardly act and fifty
marks the measure of the Mexican
Liberals both of 1929 and 1917.
The unfortunate eXiles were compelled
to leave the country within sixty days,
and as the expulsion took place in the
summer when yellow fever was rag
ing in all the ports of the Gulf OF
Mexico, it was practically death SEN
tence for thousands. Having robbed
and expelled the Spaniards. these
Liberals" next turned their reform
ing" attentions to the Church.
The Real Motive of Revolution.
The Mexican revolutionist is anti
Catholic, anti-wealth, anti-everything.
He is a counterpart of the |. w. w.
socialists of the United States, who
are anti-Catholic, anti-capital, anti
everything. They opposed the Span
iards, not because they were Spanish,
but because they were thrifty and in
dustrious. They oppose capital and
wealth, not because of an injustice
that capital and wealth may impose,
but because capital and wealth repre-
sent thrift and industry. They oppose
the Catholic Church because it OPP
poses disorder and lawlessness, and
because obedience to it's moral pre-
cepts produces thrift and industry.
The success of the Mexican revolu-
tionists has consisted, first, in having
available large element of ignorance
easily excited to pillage and easily
.credulous, and, second, by the opposi-
ton being always divided on minor
issues which the revolutionists pre-
tended to favor The lack of success
so far of the |. w. W. socialists in the
United States has been an occasion
for sufficiently large element of
sober-minded citizens to hold the bal
ance of power. r
In 1853 Mr.. RaA., Wilson went to
Mexico and returned to write a book
on Mexico and It's Religion" an anti
Catholic diatribe, which he dedicated
to the American Party" the father
of the A. P. A. With all his preju-
dice, Wilson's native intelligence pene-
trated the confusion and discovered
the true impulse and motive of revo-
luton. On page 237 he reminds the
reader that the Mexican who aban-
dons his church does not become
Protestant, but turns instead to
"Infidelity and Socialism"
Open Attacks Upon the Church.
With a multitude of ignorant red
flaggers in power-one Secretary OF
War could barely sign his nameTthe
public finances were in a deplorable
state. Loans at ruinous discounts
were made, only to be dissipated with
out penny reaching the intended
condition
fairs only made the revolutionary
wolves more frantic, as their blood
shot eyes gazed hungrily at the
wealth of the Church, and they fought
desperately to fasten their fangs upon
it. The attacks were masked, more OF
less thinly, by specious arguments
which depended largely upon misrep
resentation, appealing to the basel
passions of the mob; and the mob, in
it's thirst for pillage, was ever ready
to lend itself to any revolutionary en-
terprise promising excitement and
loot Back of this again stood the in
Vulnerable armed bands, called ar
army, led by military politician ad
venturers, called generals, to whom
peace meant work or starve, the first
alternative being even more unthink
able than the latter The Church
authorities were ever counselling pa
thence and an avoidance of violence
and, while they protested energetical
ly against laws designed to destroy
the Church, they frowned upon armed
resistance as means of preserya
ton.
Attacks Upon Property Rights.
OF property the Church possessed
some millions still remaining from the
funds not appropriated by the King
and in real estate there existed mum
Der of properties whose rentals went
to the meagre support of the numer
GUS schools, hospitals and charitable
institutions conducted by the ecclesi
astical establishment These posses
sions now occupied the attentions Of
the revolutionists, whose red radical
ism emboldened them to attempt their
confiscation Unsuccessful attempts
had been made previously to control
tho Church through the patronage