The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-11-03
HISTORY OF MEXICO.
BY Eber Cole Byam.
PART XVII.

ganda in the United States began
with the first establishment of rela.
lions with that country.
Joel Poinsett went there as United
States Minister in 1922 and made
trouble for Mexico, and himself OBJ
noxious, by his intriguing. Returning
to the United States he wrote an en-
pertaining account of his experiences
and preserved much valuable stats
tical matter. His prejudices were
satisfied with presenting every men
ton of anything connected with
Catholicism in the manner to be ex-
pected by the Church's enemies.
Prescott, whose Conquest of Mex
ico' has entertained four generations
of readers, is no longer considered an
authority nor even reliable. His
prejudices warped his judgment to a
degree and darkened the pages of an
otherwise delightfully."- written nara
tive.
In 1853 Robert A. Wilson went to
Mexico and returned to write Mexico
and It's Religion" work which he
dedicated to the American Party of
the United States''-the father of the
A. P. A. Wilson quotes largely from
: Friar Gage who went to Mexico in
1920, and later returned to England
I'D renowned the Catholic Faith,
r This book of Wilson's, while MARIA
tive of travel, was intended as an at
tack upon the Church, and is sprin-
killed. throughout with the usual calum-
MES, illustrated with anecdotes of the
Bloody Inquisition, and the "Avar-
icious Clergy" who are made to ap-
pear as altogether undesirable and
"superstitious,' as they Cypress" the
people, Yet Mr.. Wilson inadvertent-
ly drops one grain of truth among his
chaff of falsehoods when he explains
that the Mexicans who abandon their
Faith do not turn to Professionalism,
"but to infidelity and socialism
In 1892, William Butler, Methodist
missionary, published Mexico in
= Transition from the Power of Political
Romanism to Civil and Religious Lib
erty' Butler quotes all the previous
lies about the Church and contributes
a full quota of his own, to serve as
authority for the writer's of a later
day Butler, in his ignorance, quotes
the Jesuit ClavigerO, from an English
translation by an Englishman named
Cullen. Cullen improved the opportu-
nifty to rap the Spaniard and interpo-
lated whole paragraph for that pur-
pose. Other anti-Catholic writer's
have quoted Butler and fallen into
the same trap.
Determined Efforts with Definite
Object.
In 1908 there went to Mexico a so
cialist writer named John Kenneth
Turner, and with him, as guide and
Interpreter, one Gutierrez de Lara,
also a socialist. Turner's articles,
titled "Barbarous Mexico" appeared
from time to time in an American
magazine, but were dropped when the
publishers discovered the nature OF
the stuff. Turner viewed Mexico
through socialist spectacles, and his
book shows that he was not only ex,
tremely credulous, but was profound,
ly ignorant about Mexico in every re-
spect
While Butler is the accepted author
ity on lies about the Church in Mexico
Turner is the accepted authority on
lies about the economic condition of
Mexico, though he does not fail to
charge the Church with responsible
ity for the assumed evils he describes
so glibly. This monument of false
hood has already run through several
editions and its evil effects are reflect
ed throughout the United States, for
it has been the accepted authority
for everyone not familiar with Mexi-
can history and the real Mexico. In
those morbid minds seeking the spec
tacular to tickle their melancholy
joys, an easy credulity greedily &C,
cepts as Gospel truth each horror
with which the pages are stuffed.
Turner's guide, de Lara, published
a book in 1913, in which he attempts
to Guido Turner, Wilson, Butler and
even F'riar Gage, all of whom be
quotes but whom we hardly think he
believes. If Turner has violated the
Eighth Commandment, de Lara has
broken it beyond repair, for his book
is to be noted for it's successful avoid
ance of the truth about Mexico. Tur
ner might plead ignorance of the Ian
guage and to being misled thereby
but de Lara knows he is lying.
The Propagandists Elect an American
President.
In 1916 the Presidential campaign
gave a decided impulse to the propa
ganda which was used to further the
interests of the Democratic candidate
The Mexican Review, published month
ly in Washington, began with it's first
number just before election. The cover
contained portraits of Carranza and
Wilson, and the interior was devoted
to explaining the "Constitutionalist
Cause eulogies of Carranza and AL
varado and Wilson, and hard knocks
against the Catholic Church. This
publication is still active in the propa
ganda.
The "Latin-American News Associ
ation," of 400 Broadway, New York
City, offers a list of pamphlets to the