ECUADOR.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 240, 7 December 1877, Page 7

ECUADOR.

Affairs in Ecuador have not yet begun to assume a better aspect* and that is the same as to say that they continue to grow •worseAfter the assassination of the Archbishop of Quito and various other less significant acts of tyranny, now comes the expulsion of the vicargeneral of the diocese that was so violently deprived of its spiritual ruler ; and this is why he had to leave his flock for a time. A street brawl took place in a small town on the northern frontier, in which women were the principal combatants. This was industriously magnified into a rising of the opposition by the actual government, and a body of soldiers were accordingly sent to quell the insurrection, as it was called. Though the military found no insurrection to quell, yet upon their return home public rejoicings were ordered, as if they Bad gained a great battle. As part of this every bell in the city was ordered to be rung continually for twenty-four hours, An idea may be had of the noise thus caused by reflecting that Quito may be preeminently called the city of hells. Of course this annoyed almost everybody, and many complaints were made in consequence, none complaining more effectually than the vicar-general ; for, by virtue of an unrepealed law, as virtual head of the Church there, he could impose a fine of forty dollars on anyone who should cause such a public annoyance. The ringing ceased at his bidding, and as the bell-ringers would not resume work again by order of the usurper Veintimilla, this latter sent for the vicar-general and gave him the alternative of paying a fine of four hundred dollars or of going into exile. The faithful pastor chose the latter. But "before leaving he placed the whole city under an interdict, thereby preventing the performance of any religious ceremony whatever within its limits. It would be impossible to form an exact idea of the impression produced' by such an order on the intensely devout people of Quito. It is their religious devotion that makes them so tolerant of usurpers and tyrants like Veintimilla. As if to sanction this spiritual eclipse, an unusual physical phenomenon came on the 25th of June to increase the consternation of the people. Heaven apparently sanctioned the action of the vicargeneral by throwing a complete gloom over the earth for three whole days. The volcano of Cotopaxi, which is thirty leagues distant from Quito, began to belch forth flame and ashes, and the cloud of dust and smoke enveloped the unhappy city in total darkness for the length of time mentioned. The heat that issued from the crater melted the snow on the lofty mountain tops, and floods ensued which have been unprecedented in their destructiveness. Property was destroyed in large quantities and many human lives were sacrificed. Total darkness, torrents of rain, and. destructive floods came all together to make up a picture of horror that cannot be even adequately imagined, Many also "believed that they felt shocks of earthquake. The vast majority were convinced that the cause of so many misfortunes must be traced to the divine wrath provoked by the conduct of General Ventimilla. On account of this impression exasperation against the head of the State knew no bounds — so much co that on the evening of the 26th many women were seen running frantic through the streets, some with revolvers in their hands, others with clubs, and some more with stones, and all haranguing the populace and calling the men cowards because they would not do away with the tyrant, the cause of all their misfortunes. The government was obliged to call out all the troops ; very many were wounded in in the melee and a few lives sacrificed. Peace was restored, but discontent still prevails. Both the physical and moral effects of these events, both on the country and on the people, will not be obliterated in a day. ' The destruction of property beings misery upon the people, and this misery'is only increased by the foolish, unjustifiable conduct of a tyrannical government.— Catholic Review.

Germans are slaves, and they do not know it. A few days ago I read of a police ordinance at Weimar which holds out a penalty of two shillings to anyone practising on the piano with open windows. The paper -which published that order called it a timely one? — Catlio ie Times. Duhing- the seven years just completed since the Italian army took forcible possession of Borne, thirteen non-Catholic churches have been opened in the capital of Catholicism. How perversely active man is in the propagation of error ; it would be impossible to withstand such activity, but for its works being wanting in the essential quality of stability. Each and all of these buildings are built upon the sand of untruth ; the very rapidity with which they have sprang up shows that they belong to the fungus family, — Examiner,