SOUTH AMERICA. 99 



would thus address you : " Ungrateful English- SECOND 



- JOURNEY. 



man, you have drawn a great part of your in 



formation from the writings of the Society of 

 Jesus, and in return you attempt to stain its 

 character by telling your countrymen that ' we 

 taught the idolatry we believed !' In speaking of 

 me, you say, it was my happy fortune to be sta- 

 tioned in a country where none but the good 

 principles of my order were called into action. 

 Ungenerous laureate, the narrow policy of the 

 times has kept your countrymen in the dark 

 with regard to the true character of the Society 

 of Jesus ; and you draw the bandage still tighter 

 over their eyes, by a malicious insinuation. I 

 lived, and taught, and died in Brazil, where you 

 state that none but the good principles of my 

 order were called into action, and still, in most 

 absolute contradiction to this, you remark we 

 believed the idolatry we taught in Brazil. Thus 

 we brought none but good principles into action, 

 and still taught idolatry ! 



" Again, you state there is no individual to 

 whose talents Brazil is so greatly and permanently 

 indebted as mine, and that I must be regarded 

 as the founder of that system so successfully pur- 

 sued by the Jesuits in Paraguay; a system pro- 

 ductive of as much good as is compatible with 

 pious fraud. Thus you make me, at one and the 

 same time, a teacher of none but good principles, 

 and a teacher of idolatry, and a believer in 



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