-- PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
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indulgence prepare for their victims, so did the Spanish Monarchs and their subjects-intoxicated by their unexampled prosperity-fall into almost every species of extravagance, profligacy and corruption which could dishonor and destroy a nation. Amidst their exhuberant treas- ures, all the ordinary pursuits of life were abandoned; and every thing that gives strength and stability to a nation, was suffered to decline. Agricultural industry and the mechanic arts were neglected and con- temned-the manufactories sank into ruins-commerce was given up to foreigners-and their thousand merchant vessels and their great Armadas were allowed to disappear like so many bubbles .on the ocean. In fine the nation continued to retrograde from the reign of Philip the Third down to 1808, when she found herself in a state of hopeless imbecility and degradation. No doubt but that other causes contrib- uted _to this result; among which many unnecessary wars of its am- bitious Sovereigns may not be the least; but it is believed that the pri- mary and most effectual cause of that kingdom's declension, is to be found in the corrupting influence which the profusion of wealth, wrung by oppression from the Colonies,-so suddenly introduced into the Peninsula and easily acquired, exercised over the policy of the govern- ment, and upon the morals and habits of the people.- . No, 2813. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN MEXICO. LAMAR [Richmond ? Texas, 185- ?] The truth is there can be no national faith or public virtue in a country like Mexico, where the Catholic religion prevails to the exclu- sion of all others. It is the nature of this church to darken the under- standing, to corrupt the conscience and to enslave the 'soul of man. Its dominion is founded upon ignorance, bigotry and superstition. It perishes in the light of truth. Wherever it is established by govern- ment and is invested with the exclusive prerogative of of [sic] impart- ing religious instruction and prescribing moral duties combined with the power of enforcin~ obedience to its mandates and precepts, the people must necessarily become whatever the Priesthood may choose to make them- and most certainly these spiritual guides will never choose to make them anything else than fanatical slaves to the Church and blind instruments of its cupidity.- There can be no truth where reason .is not permitted to combat error; and there can be no prevailing piety or virtue among a people who are taught to believe that vice and crime are legitimate indulgences when duly atoned for by filthy lucre. This is the great feature of the Catholic Religion. The vices of the people are the profits of the Church; and the higher the crime, the greater the income. No one is ever dismissed unburthened of his sins who has the ability to pay for their absolution; and the only offense which neither Priest nor Potentate can pardon is a faithful examina- tio'n into clerical abuses and oppressions. Under such a system of moral and religious tuition, the people, as a matter of course, cannot be otherwise than supremely ignorant, supersititious and wicked; and pre- cisely of this character were the benighted inhabitants of Mexico, when they obtained their Independence.- Nor have they yet emerged from that barbaric condition; for although they had valor and patriotism to shake off the yoke of Spanish despotism, they still wanted intelligence
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