Year: 1868

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HERALD


Tho Coming Conflict Between Church and
State-Presumption of the Hierarchy-An-
other Revolution on the Isthmus-Destruc.
tive Fire at Aspinwall-LOss of Cars and


PANAMA, March %, 1885,


Nit Is true that "coming events cast their shadows
beforen the present conduct Of the Roman Catholic
clergy in several States Of this Union indicates
fierce struggle between the civil and ecclesiastical
governments, which will be accompanied by a sad
retardaon Of the moral and material progress Of the
country, and may lead to very serious results. The
Importance Of the matter induces me to enter little
more minutely into the details of recent develop
ments, to which have already briefly alluded In my
last. Ever since the overthrow OF Mosquera, whose
impolitc as well as unjust proceedings against the
Church did not little contribute to his fall,
o reaction has set In which bids fair to carry
things to the opposite extreme, and has al
ready converted the Roman Catholic clergy
into the aggressors. New instructions appear to
have been received from Rome, and the bishops and
priests who suffered under Mosquera's senseless per-
secution are evidently bent upon taking reveng on
the administration which followed that crazy dicta-
tor The first bold champion OF the ecclesia mill
tdrts who stepped into the ring was the Bishop of
Paste, DR.. Garcia Tejada, man of gy, who has
had to suffer persecution and Punishment from Mos
guerra. He had hardly returned to his see when,
towards the end OF last year. he issued circular to
the clergy OF his diocese In which he set forth that
oil sales Of church property and redemptons Of pious
mortgages on private property null and void ac
cordng to the decrees OF the Council OF Trent and
the bulls OF the actual P0pe that all persons engaged
Church, and that only he himself can redeem the
property.


THIS extraordinary and very bitterly written letter.
which violates In the grossest manner the consttu-
tlon ana laws about mortmain, was communicated
to the national executive by the local authorities.
the importance OF the matter, at once laid
os oeoTe Gatsa Congress- sst, In MESSAGE which
states that it was supposed the clergy
would be satisfied by the friendly and conciatory
spirit Of Congress shown In 1867 by the abolition Of
former oppressive laws against the Church; but in.
stead OF that some members OF the clergy persisted
principles Of the constitution. He begs Congress to
pass law which explicitly provides for the submls
the punishment Of those who prove refractory. The
nessage Is accompanied BY copy OF the above men,
TONED circular and by letter from the highest civil
Boyaca in which it is stated that the priests in that
section have openly defed the laws disregarded the
authorities and meddied with politics.


On the 10th the Attorney General addressed to the
House OF Representatives a long statement Of his
n se Mp Sa nea 's porsS sat the latter had vo
lated the constitution and was therefore liable to
punishment but that he could not act as accuser
on the part of the country, because there
was no especial law providing for such cases,





to them. He prayed that Congress would take i'm
mediate action in the matter. Although my dates
from Bogota reach to the last OF February do not
perceive that Congress up to that time had done any
thing only notice one BILL brought in by member
from Cuadinamarca, proposing settlement OF the
difficulties by an arrangement with the Holy See
through the Arccbishop. the Bishop OF Carthagena
Is now engaged in dispute with the government OF
the state Of Bolivar about certain church property
which he claims, to be delivered up to him with
repairs and together with the rent which the gov
ernment has derived from since taking possession
OF IL.


Not alone the civil authorities however are at pres
the object OF the presy ire for we have recently
witnessed in the State OF Panama spltefui hostility
OF the Bishop against Masonry. Bishop Vazquez Is
In general a man OF apparent tolerance, proof OF |
which s that he paid visit to the new Episcopalian
Clergyman on his arrival. But in the Instance men
tion now he has either shown his former hatred OF
Masonry or an inexphcable personal rancor against
O private individual. Dr. Manuel MORO, OF whom
| have spoken on previous occasions, died on the
2ith the Bishop several days before his death refused
TO give him the last sacrament because he was
biason. Afterwards he offered TO reent, II Morro
would renOunce Masonry, an offer which the latter
FIRMLY rejected. The bishop then ordered that no
priest Should assist him IN his death struggle, nor
any religious ceremony be performed over the body.
Some months ago when Mr.. de fa Espriella died IN
Carthagena, the Bishop OF that diocese himself con-
Quoted the ceremonies OF the funeral at the church,
but after their conclusion the Masons took possession
Of the body and buried 1t In their fashion. In the
case OF Morro the Bishop OF Panama acted certainly
very imprudenty whatever may have been his mo-
lives for the Masonic funeral provided by the fu:
ternity was more solemn and more largely attended
than IL would have been under different circum
stances.


In regard to other political matters in the interior
There Is very little to report in this letter. Congress
Is rather lax In the despatch OF business day
there were neither the President any OF the vice.
The bill providing for the payment by the national
government to the several States of all expenses
curred during the time and for the purpose OF over
throwing Mosquera's administration had been passed
In both houses by twothrds vote over the veto OF
the President. The bill had been laying over from


has only recognized thres out Of the i've @e
Gt.ta
Der OF its inhabitants only entities 1t to three.


The people on the lsthmus had lived In hopes OF
fiIi the elections for President took place These
hopes have, however, been rudey dispeed by the


M when nc os, he n r, Te Montuo
was to leave David on the 23d but the proprietor
ceived Information that q revolution would break
put on the 22d at noon and that his steamer might
perhaps be seized He therefore quickly left q few
hours before. AS far as 1t is known from the reports
ion Is headed by q Colonel Nepomuceno Herrera, .
countryman and cousin OF the late President Olarte
who IL said to have had the intention to favor the
formers election as President at the end of his own
term. Together with the otncial announcement o
Sctng President Diaa to return to Panama with the
forces he had been entrusted with by Olartc. But
Herrera took no notice whatever OF this order and
proceeded at once TO prepare for his own pr0clams
Hon az President He lis said to nave about 800 men
with him and arms enough for about az many more,
and with these resources and his popularity II ID
thought that he may easily maintain himself the dis
liant departments. When the Montijo touched at soma
for az disturbance Of the peace were entertained line
there. Although the news Of Herrera's intended
pronuncidnte1lto may have been exaggerated, Pres.
bent Daz considered 1t prudent at once to take steps
for a peaceful settlement OF the threatening difi
tulties. lie chartered the Montjo and despatched
her the 26th to carry q deputation consisting Of
N NJ. Diaz thIs father). Dr. @. fcaza Arosemana, NJ
berm1dez the Secretary OF State) and Colonel L. vii
larcal. These gentlemen were to proceed as closely
~ possible to the supposed forces OF the rebellion
with the object 10 persuade Herrera to desist from
bis foolish aud ruinous designs


Some apprehension was even felt here In Panama
pi rising among the negroes OF the dtTdbdl on
the night Oh the 2Ith. The government sent agents
70 the diierent importing houses to buy up all per-
cussiOn caps but found that this would he too great
tup. \