at the time of the conquest argentina did not possess a large indigenous population. wandering tribes dwelt in all parts of the country from tierra del fuego to brazil, but the proportion of these indians was very small when compared with the extent of territory occupied. on the slopes of the andes were found tribes that were very closely allied with and subject to the incas, who ruled all along the pacific coast from ecuador to chile, and there was continuous intercourse between them. no ruins of temples dedicated to the sun have been found in argentina, although some reminders of the inca civilization have been uncovered in the northwestern part of the republic. the principal strongholds of the native tribes were in the northeastern sections of the country, on the rich plains and low hills which border on the great rivers of the country. indians who[288] were related to the tupi-guarani tribes who inhabited brazil, had established themselves there in considerable numbers.
these indians were not so bloodthirsty as those in the extreme south, although some of them were given to cannibalism. their slaying of human beings, however, was for the purpose of food and not as a part of their religious worship. they were not especially hostile to the incoming spaniards, until the members of the tribes began to be impressed into slavery, and they then resisted the advance of that race in a feeble way. their religion was simple and consisted of a few good deities and a number of evil ones. the former they tried to honour in their simple way, but a great deal more attention was given to appeasing the latter, in order to avoid physical suffering, for which they believed these malevolent deities were responsible. theirs was an ignorant belief and a simple faith, and they rather welcomed the teachings of the priests who first came among them. the new doctrines were accompanied by ceremonies which appealed to their childlike natures. the chanting in an unknown but sonorous tongue, the visible emblems and the incense cast a spell over these simple people,[289] who did not attempt to grasp the abstract idea of a trinity or the sacrifice of a saviour.
church in corrientes, built in 1588
by far the most persistent and determined attempt to convert these aborigines was made by the jesuit priesthood. as a result of its tireless and systematic efforts this order succeeded in establishing in paraguay, and the country adjacent to it on the east and south, about the beginning of the sixteenth century, a seat of power which lasted for two centuries, and which has been referred to elsewhere in a general way. it developed into an ecclesiastical autocracy, with the heads of the jesuit body as the actual as well as nominal rulers. this remarkable order subdued the indians living between the uruguay and paraguay rivers, and brought all of them under its domination. this was done without resort to the sword. although these pristine people were reduced to a condition of peonage, or serfdom, they remained loyal to the jesuits and assisted them in repelling all invaders. so secure did the clerical rulers feel in their position, that all other white persons were forbidden to settle within the territory over which they claimed jurisdiction. it was perhaps well for the natives that they did take this position, for the[290] spanish adventurers would have enslaved the indians, just as did the portuguese “paulistas” in brazil.
when the jesuits were expelled from brazil they crossed over the paraná river into paraguay and northern argentina. then was founded misiones, a series of missions along the eastern shores of that river. although these religious settlements have long since crumbled into ruins, the name still clings to one of the territories of argentina. the jesuit effort did not extend all over argentina, but it was felt even to the foothills of the andes. the jesuit emissaries encountered the spanish advance guard who had crossed the cordilleras from peru and met with a repulse. the lack of gold in the section occupied by the jesuits was also in itself a protection, because it did not excite the cupidity of the gold-seekers. these settlements were engaged solely in agricultural pursuits. their increasing wealth and prosperity, however, did finally excite this cupidity, and the arrogance of the order aroused an intense jealousy in the rulers of the province. as a result of these two influences this order was forcibly expelled in 1768, and their property was confiscated. some of[291] it was bestowed on other religious orders, but the most of it was devoted to secular uses. the power and prestige of the jesuits among the natives were not at once destroyed by the blow. for a long time their influence was paramount, because of the blind obedience of their followers who had been gathered together in little settlements and had been taught useful pursuits.
in other parts of the country the subjugation was not so peaceful. those spanish troops who crossed the andes and entered argentina from that direction pursued different tactics. gold was sought and everything was sacrificed to that one ambition. the conquerors were determined to acquire wealth, or at least to secure a means of livelihood without the necessity of manual labour. the natives were maltreated if they resisted, and enslaved when once subdued. where agriculture was attempted these indians were compelled to do the work, with no compensation except the right to live. the priests were always ready to accompany the soldiers on the most arduous campaigns. without raising a hand against indiscriminate slaughter they held up the crucifix to the survivors, and then turned about and risked their[292] own lives to spread the christian faith into hitherto untrodden regions. even the desolate interior of patagonia was not too distant or too inaccessible for these indefatigable missionaries. sword in one hand and the cross in the other these teachers of religion spread the doctrines of their church over the whole of the la plata basin and the rest of south america, and gave roman catholicism such a grasp on the continent that it will probably never be broken. the one difficult thing to understand is how the church of rome could countenance the harsh and bloody methods of subjugation pursued under the very eyes of its commissioned representatives, and the violation of all the ethics of humanity as well as christianity, unless it was simply the spirit of the age with which even the heads of the church were also imbued. the jesuits founded schools for the natives, in their settlements, but the other orders did not do this, although they aided in inculcating orderly ways among them.
the alliance of church and state still exists in argentina. the second article in the constitution reads as follows: “the federal government supports the apostolic roman catholic church.” this condition exists in all the[293] republics of south america, except brazil. the president and vice-president must be members of that church. religious liberty prevails and absolute freedom of worship is guaranteed to all persons of whatever belief. protestant or jew has the same right to erect a place of worship as the roman catholic. the alliance of church and state, however, tends to weaken each. it oftentimes drags down the high office of the church to the low level of politics and tends to cheapen its influence. it sometimes ties up the government in ways that work to its detriment. it will be better for the church as well as government when this alliance is separated. it will probably not be many years before the final break will come in argentina, and it is to be hoped that it will come peaceably and without a rupture of peaceful conditions.
although the church is a nominal partner of the state it seemed to the writer that its influence was not particularly strong. the day when the archbishop could dictate government policies has evidently passed away. the bond between them is weak. it appears to be an age of remarkable indifference toward religion. the men openly avow their indifference and say that they “leave religion to the women.”[294] a visit to the churches is a practical demonstration of that statement so often reiterated. the great cathedral of buenos aires, which seats many thousands, will oftentimes have only a mere handful of men at the regular services within its walls. some of the moral conditions in the republic show that the cardinal teachings of the church are not being followed, although practically all are nominal adherents. how much of this condition might be improved by a better priesthood would be difficult to estimate. any statement made might be construed as based upon an erroneous view, or given from a prejudiced standpoint. it is a fact, however, that there is great room for a religious awakening in argentina, as well as the rest of south america, and the roman catholic church appears to be the only one able to propagate this work aggressively among the many millions of inhabitants.
protestantism has not gained much of a foothold among the spanish-speaking population. there are a great many adherents of protestant denominations among the british and german population. in buenos aires, rosario and bahia blanca the anglican and scotch presbyterian churches have edifices and support[295] ministers. they are organized solely for the people of that faith, and do not make any effort to evangelize those speaking other languages, as their services are conducted only in english. occasional services are held in other cities where a colony of english-speaking people resides.
the only church that is aggressively pushing its work in argentina is the methodist episcopal church. this church has about thirty missionaries at work in various parts of the republic, and a number of congregations have been successfully established. buenos aires is naturally the centre of their efforts, and in that city they have organized a half dozen churches. of these the principal one is on calle cangallo, in the heart of the city. this is generally known as the american church, for people who are members of the various non-catholic bodies all unite in the services here, which are conducted wholly in english. the pastor, rev. w. p. mclaughlin, has been in charge of this work for almost two decades and is very much beloved by all. this church is entirely self-supporting and contributes considerable sums to the work in the other churches. the other churches of this denomination in buenos aires[296] are intended for work among the spanish-speaking population, with the exception of an italian mission. congregations have likewise been formed in rosario, bahia blanca, cordoba, santa fé, la plata, mendoza, san juan, chacabuco, junin and other cities. they claim a membership exceeding five thousand and seem to be very much encouraged in their work.
educational work has received considerable attention from this body and a number of schools are conducted by it in which well-qualified teachers from the united states conduct the classes. these schools are recognized as worthy institutions, and many families send their children to them even though they do not accept that faith. their influence cannot be other than beneficial and uplifting, for any effort that aims to spread enlightenment and moral ethics cannot fail to be of service in the general advancement of the country. their work will likewise stimulate similar effort by others, and thus the general cause of education and morality is greatly furthered.
the morris system of schools was founded by an englishman as a missionary enterprise, but the scope of the work has since been broadened, until now it has become a great educational[297] enterprise with several thousand students under its tutelage. the schools receive government aid, and by that means those in charge have been enabled to branch out much more than was permitted by the limited means in the early years of their history.
the young men’s christian association has a very flourishing society in buenos aires which is doing a great work. at present they are hampered by poor quarters, but a campaign had just been ended at the time of the writer’s visit and two hundred thousand dollars had been secured for a new building. a site was purchased in a central location and work was to start at once on a fine new building. with these new quarters and enlarged equipment, the work of this great world-wide organization ought to be increased many fold, and there is room for all the effort it is able to put forth. the young men’s christian association forms a rallying place for young men who have broken away from home ties and started life in a foreign country. the extension of the work among the spanish-speaking people also brings about a fraternizing between the two races which is exceedingly beneficial.
