THE CURA GARCIA. 



339 



with him. It was Sunday, and, dressed in his black 

 gown, I never saw a priest of more respectable ap- 

 pearance. And he was a politician as well as priest. 

 He had been a member of the convention that 

 formed the constitution of the state, had taken a 

 prominent part in the discussions, and distinguished 

 himself by his strong and manly eloquence. The 

 constitution which he had assisted in forming de- 

 barred priests from holding civil offices, but through 

 the loophole of his retreat he looked out upon the 

 politics of the world. The relations between Mex- 

 ico and Texas were at that time most interesting to 

 him ; he had received a Merida paper, containing a 

 translation in full of President Houston's inaugural 

 address ; and often repeated, " not a dollar in the 

 treasury, and ten to fifteen millions of debt." He 

 predicted the downfall of that republic, and said that 

 the conquering army in Texas would proclaim San- 

 ta Ana emperor, march back upon the capital, and 

 place the diadem upon his head! 



Amid the distraction and civil war that devasta- 

 ted his own country, he had looked to ours as the 

 model of a repubhc, and gave us many though not 

 very accurate details ; and it seemed strange in this 

 little interior Indian town to hear an account of 

 late proceedings in our own capital, and to find one 

 taking so deep an interest in them. 



But the cura had more accurate knowledge in 

 regard to matters nearer home. The village of 



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