rly appeared that the cause of so many friars and Jesuits
passing from Spain to regions so distant, was libertinage rather than
love of preaching the gospel, or zeal for the conversion of souls. If
that love, if that zeal, were the motives of their conduct, they might
offer their own depravity as an argument in favor of the truths of the
gospel. Wantonness, licentiousness, avarice, and the other vices which
stained their conduct, discovered their secret intentions. Their
anxiety for enriching themselves, their vanity, the authority which
they exercised over the poor Indians, are the motives which actuate
them, and not the love of God or the propagating of the faith."

[6] Essai Politique.

[7] This is the title of this order of friars.

CHAPTER V.

The War of the Secret Political Societies of Mexico.--The Scotch and
the York Free-Masons.--Anti-Masons.--Rival classes compose Scotch
Lodges.--The Yorkinos.--Men desert from the Scotch to the York
Lodges.--Law to suppress Secret Societies.--The Escoces, or Scotch
Masons, take up arms.--The Battle.--Their total Defeat.

As Jalapa is a pleasant resting-place in a journey to the interior, we
will stop here to discuss national affairs for a little while. The
first political subject in order is the furious contest that for ten
years was carried on between two political societies, known as the
_Escoces_ and _Yorkinos_--or, as we should call them, Scotch
Free-Masons and York Free-Masons--whose secret organizations were
employed for political purposes by two rival political parties.

MASONS AND ANTI-MASONS.

At the time of the restoration of the Constitutional Government of
Spain in 1820, Free-Masonry was introduced into Mexico; and as it was
derived from the Scotch branch of that order, it was called, after the
name of the people of Scotland, _Escoces_. Into this institution
were initiated many of the old Spaniards still remaining in the
country, the Creole aristocracy, and the privileged classes--parties
that could ill endure the elevation of a Creole colonel, Iturbide, to
the Imperial throne. When Mr. Poinsett was sent out as Embassador to
Mexico, he carried with him the charter for a Grand Lodge from the
American, or York order of Free-Masons in the United States. Into this
new order the leaders of the Democratic party were initiated. The
bitter rivalry that sprung up between these two branches of the Masonic
body, kept the country in a ferment for