330 MEXICO. 
iards or their descendants, and by far the greater portion of the more 
elevated ecclesiastics were persons of high birth or influential connections. 
But the rights of primogeniture have been abolished. The laws of the 
Republic have taken away the power to collect tithes by compulsory pro- 
cesses. And the consequence is, that the church has become unpopular 
with the upper classes as a means of maintenance, while a comparatively 
democratic spirit has been infused into its members, who now spring from 
the humbler ranks. Still, however, the remaining wealth and the forces 
of clanship have preserved in their body a most powerful influence. 
While this change has occurred in the church, the army has become 
equally unpopular with the upper ranks as a profession, and as its com- 
mand is consequently intrusted to men who have arisen immediately 
from the people, or, in other words, as the same classes of society fur- 
nish both the church and the army, the church and the army will, in 
all probability, (while forming aristocracies in themselves,) sustain each 
other against the aristocracy of landed proprietors, and all who live upon 
their income without the necessity of labor. 
Between these two classes there will be a constant war of opinion, while 
the only real democracy of the nation is left to reside in individuals, 
who have neither estates to despoil nor wealth to confiscate. The fellow 
feeling between the church and the army, arising from the kindred ori- 
gin of their numbers, is, however, no protection to the riches of the former. 
The Government, pressed by its wants, is beginning to encroach gradually 
on its resources, and, within the last two years, has appropriated parts of 
the real estates of the clergy to replenish an empty treasury. That such 
is an honest and patriotic devotion of ecclesiastical means, no one can 
deny, and the doctrine is sustained by legal writers of the highest author- 
ity.* The church has no need of possessions, except for purposes of 
beneficence and charity. The vow of its members is for chastity and 
poverty. It receives, only to become an almoner for more extensive 
benevolence. And as the State, in the hour of need, must ever be the 
chief pauper, she has an unquestioned right to call upon the ministers 
of God, in the spirit of the religion they teach, to open their coffers freely 
* Vide Vattel, Book 1, Chapter 12, 1 152. 
" The State," says this high legal authority, " has unquestionably the power to exempt the property of tha 
church from all imposts, when tha* Dropertyis not more than adequate to the support of the ecclesiastics. But 
the priesthood has no right to this favor except by the authority of the State, which has always the right to revoke 
it when the public good requires. One of the fundamental and essential laws of society is, that on all occasions 
of need the goods of all ite members ought to contribute proportionably to the wants of the community. Even 
the prince himself cannot, by his authority, grant an entire exemption to a numerous and wealthy body of per- 
sons, without committing an extreme injustice to the rest of his subjects, upon whom the burden would alto- 
gether fall by this exemption. 
Far from the goods of the church being exempted because they are consecrated to God,— it is for that T«?ry 
?eason that they should be the first taken for the welfare of the State. There is nothmg more agreeable to Ilia 
Common Father of men, than to preserve a nation from destruction. As God has no need of rroperty, die con- 
secration of goods to Him, is their devotion to such usages as are pleasant to him. Besides, the property of the 
church, by the confession of the clergy themselves, is chiefly destined for the poor. Now, when the State i* in 
want, it is, doubtless, the first pauper and the worthiest of succor. We may extend this reasoning to the moit 
ordinary cases, and say, that to impose a part of the current expenses on tlie church property in order to relievrt 
the people to that extent, b really to give thos* goods to tha poor, aocordins to the tuirit of their oriEinai 
lestination." 
