Texas Baptist [Anderson, TX], February 2, 1860
Knowing the interest felt by the brethren throughout the State in establishing a Mission in San Antonio, we have visited the city to examine the prospects.—Doubtless the brethren would be glad to learn all the facts which have any bearing upon the building up of our Redeemer’s Kingdom, in the largest city in Texas.—The facts are laid before the reader to enable him to reflect and conclude for himself.
The population of San Antonio is estimated to be eight or ten thousand.—One third of these are Mexicans, one third Foreigners, and the other third Americans. If there is any error in this calculation it is in not giving a larger population to the Mexicans. The foreigners are Germans, Irish, French, Poles, &c. We had an Arabian to hear us preach.
El Paso, Chihuahua, and the Southern part of New Mexico obtain merchandise and other supplies from San Antonio.—One of the merchants has a contract for furnishing twelve hundred bales of cotton to a factory in Saltillo. The cotton factories in Monterey also purchase cotton in San Antonio. Many of the towns in Texas, north and west of the city, go there for their goods. Here, too, is the head-quarters of the United States troops for Texas. The general government is erecting large buildings for army purposes. The stock trade with Mexico mostly passes through San Antonio, and much of it is transacted in the city. A large number of new buildings are going up, built of stone, and many of them three stories and of splendid architecture. A company has been formed, with a capital stock of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, to light up the city with gas.—The factory is built, machinery obtained, pipes being laid down, and the enterprise to be completed by next April. The road has been graded from Lavacca to Victoria, and the iron purchased, and this thirty miles of the Railroad is soon to be finished. It is supposed that the road will be completed to San Antonio in two or three years. The San Antonio river runs through one side of the city and the San Pedro creek through the other. Both these streams come from springs just above. Channels are dug carrying water through various other parts of the city. The gardens are irrigated, yielding vegitables most of the year. In former times the Mexicans irrigated vast fields below town; these have been abandoned for years. Recently the old channels are being opened, and some eight hundred acres irrigated last summer. Until the last four years corn and cotton grew abundantly in the West, since then the droughts have caused serious failures in the crops. The country about San Antonio is prairie, only populated on the water courses. The population is very sparse, and will not increase unless the seasons become more favorable.
The Catholics have two cathedrals.—They have a male college with students varying from one hundred and fifty to two hundred; the institution is prepared to take in boarders. The Catholics have a convent with three hundred and seventy-five girls, taught by twenty or thirty nuns. Every half hour the scholars are required to make the “sign of the cross,” and to repeat this prayer: “Holy Mary! Mother of God! pray for us now and till the hour of death.” They have to attend chappel once a day, and cross themselves with “holy water” as they pass in and out. We were told by one of the young ladies that Protestant children observe all these forms. As the monks and nuns have given themselves to the Papacy they need no salaries, and hence tuition is very cheap. Below the city are three ancient buildings, used formerly as Mission stations, to each of which belongs a tract of land; these stations are two and five and eight miles below. The Catholics own the Alamo, which they rent to the Government as a military storehouse. The Mexican population is Catholic. There has never been a convert from Catholicism to Protestantism, except a few cases owing to intermarrying.—The foreigners are nearly all Catholics. Those who are not are Lutherans. Probably half the population are Catholics.
The Lutheran preacher speaks the German, English, Mexican and Polish languages. He preaches in a public school room, and is much esteemed.
The Methodists have about seventy members. Dr. Boring is their stationed preacher. We believe he is M. D. and D. D., and is regarded by the Methodists as one of their ablest preachers. Joseph Cross, D. D., teaches a female school in the basement of the meeting house.—This house is about fifty by thirty feet.—The Rio Grande Conference resolved to raise sixty thousand dollars for a male and female school, and the citizens of San Antonio are to raise the additional sixty thousand. The one hundred and sixty thousand is to be expended in buildings and college grounds. The friends of the enterprise are purchasing the lots and obtaining the charter and carrying up the subscription. These schools are to be finished in five years or less, and to be controlled by the Conference.
The Presbyterians number about one hundred. They are erecting a house of worship one hundred feet by fifty. The walls are up as high as the second story, and the edifice will be of a beautiful style of architecture. For thirteen thousand dollars the house is to be suitable for worship, and to be completed for eighteen thousand. The minister, Mr. Bunting, has collected five thousand dollars in the North, and expects to raise another thousand before returning.
The Episcopalians are putting up a house of worship to cost about the same as the Presbyterians. The officers of the army give their influence to the Episcopalians. Mr. Jones is their minister.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Mission Board has just appointed a Missionary, from Tennessee, who is expected in the city soon. We heard of only one member.
We found thirteen Baptists—five males and eight females. It is somewhat doubtful whether all these will remain permanently. There are a number of families and persons who are Baptist in sentiment. And some who were inclined to the Baptists have joined other denominations; and our members have been persuaded to join other denominations till there might be a Baptist church organized. Several years ago the Baptists could have commenced with advantages like those of others, but we have postponed till the ground is pre-occupied to a great extent; and the longer we neglect our duty the greater will be the difficulties. Others are establishing preemption claims, and possessing the strongholds, and will soon have all the vacant lands. Our prospects might almost be expressed by the declaration: “Now or never.” Let us beware of that fearful lementation , “Too late!” Shall all other denominations excel us in zeal?—Shall not our gospel principles be preached in the largest city of our State?
The first step will be to secure a minister. From the foregoing facts our readers are prepared to judge what kind of a minister will be needed. He must be a preacher capable of building up a church in other cities. Indeed the difficulties to be overcome are greater than in other cities. It requires a strong team to break up new ground, and hard licks to get wild lands into a plantation. In other cities where the church is already established, a young minister might be upheld by the membership. It is doubtful wherether an experienced minister could overcome the many disadvantages that would oppose him at San Antonio.—He ought to be a preacher who would attract a congregation by his preaching.—Above all he must “walk by faith—be instant in season and out of season”—constrained by the love of Christ, glorying alone in the cross; and whose labors the Lord will bless. A few Texans, under Burleson and Milam, took the city when its strong fortress were garrisoned by hosts of Mexicans. Paul rejoiced in his trials for when weak in himself he was strong in the Lord. “If God be for us who can be against us?” “And Asa cried unto the Lord his God and said, Lord is it nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power. Help us, oh Lord our God, for we rest on thee and in thy name we go against this multitude. Oh Lord, thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa.”—II Chron. 14:11-2.
If we send a missionary we must expect to aid him by our prayers and contributions. A man and wife could get boarding and room rent, exclusive of washing, for five hundred dollars a year. He could commence preaching in the court house, or some school room. A good stone wall could be put up for three dollars a perch. The walls of a meeting house sixty by forty would cost twelve or thirteen hundred dollars. The lumber would cost high. A plain building of this size would be sufficient. A portion of the money would be raised in the city.
T.