Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/774

 REDUCTIONS

694

REDUCTIONS

69, II, 411) asserts that the Jesuits sold 4,000,000 pounds of herba annually, while the amount officiallj- certified is only about "6000 arrohas (1,50,000 lbs.); he also places the number of Indians employed in its cultivation and production at 300,000, or twice the total number of men, women, and children living at any one time in all the Reductions.

How purel}- imaginary the wealth of the Jesuits had been was proved by the inventories taken of their houses and colleges at the time of their expulsion in 1767. These buildings were seized suddenly, without previous warning, so that the Jesuits might not be able to conceal anything. But the only treasures found were the precious church articles. Only a trifling amount of money was found. The college that was most prominent, that of C6rdoba, was barely self-supporting, according to the docu- ments ("Era con escasa diferencia igual a los gastos"; see Cardiel, op. cit., 131 sq.; Funes, "Ensayo de la Historia Civil de Paraguay, Buenos Aires y Tucuman", Buenos Aires, 1816, III, 1. 5, c. ix). "The Jesuits", writes Cuiminghame Graham (op. cit., 204), "strange as it maj' appear, did not conduct the missions after the fashion of a business concern, but rather as the rulers of some Utopia — those foolish beings who think happiness is preferable to wealth."

D. Form of Government. — The local administra- tion of the Reductions was arranged according to the provisions of the lex indica, after the Spanish pattern, and was composed of the corregidor or burgomaster (in the GuaranI language poro quaitara, i. e. one who gives commands); the teniente, or deputy; three alcaldes, i. e. bailiffs or inspectors, two for the work in the town and one {alcalde de la hermandad) for the work in the rural districts; four regidores or council- men (GuaranI icabildo iguata, i. e. one belonging to the council); one alguazil mayor, a sort of prefect of police (GuaranI ibirararuzu, i. e. "the chief of those who carry the stick ") ; one procurador or steward, and one escribano or writer (GuaranI quatiaapobara, i. e. "one who draws or WTites"). Besides these there were the alferez real or standard-bearer (GuaranI, aobebe rerequara, i. e. "he to whom the care of the banner is entrusted", and a number of subaltern officials and assistants. The annual election took place at the end of December. The list of new candidates was drawn up bj^ the retiring officials and submitted to the cura for approval, who had the jus indicum of challenging the nominations. On the first of January the installation of the new officials and the investiture with the insignia of office took place in very solemn fashion at the entrance to the church. Besides their insignia the pubhc officials had a place of honour in the church. Their final confirmation was obtained in each instance from the Spanish governor. On 1 January also the sextons, superintendents of works, the boys' directors, and others were elected. Each day after Mass the corregidor gave the cura a report of all current affairs and received from him the necessary directions, which he transmitted to those concerned. It should be noted that the old hereditary caciqueship, and also the hereditary Indian nobility retained their rights and were honoured in the Reductions, and, it appears, were especially considered in the allotment of higher offices and militarj' charges. The plan of Philip V to make the five hundred caciques of the GuaranI Re- ductions Knights of Santiago was not carried out, owing to the fact that the caciques attached no value to such a distinction.

E. Military Power. — The organization for armed self-defence against the frequent inroads of hordes of savages and of the Portuguese neighbours was not only permitted by repeated royal decrees, but was carried out in accordance with the declared wishes of the king (sec Monner-Sans, op. cit., 99; Cardiel,

op. cit., 238; Charlevoix, op. cit., VI, 366). In con- formity OTth these decrees arsenals were erected in all the Reductions, in which weapons of the best quality, principally fire-arms, were stored, together with ammunition. The king repeatedly sent new supplies of arms, among them some 800 guns, about 1730. Later gunpowder w;is produced in the Re- ductions themselves. Each Reduction was divided into eight companies, with a maestro de campo, gen- erally a cacique, a sergeante mayor, eight capitanes, and other officers at their head. Regularly arranged military exercises and armed drills, together ■n-ith sham battles, preserved and increased the military efficiency of the people. The governors repeatedly sent Spanish officers into the Reductions, to instruct the Indians in the use of fire-arms. The main strength of the Reductions, however, lay in their cavalry. This force had already proved itself very efficient in the defence against "the Paulistas; from 1641 onwards it was called into service by the gov- ernors almost year after year to help in the wars with the savage tribes, with the Portuguese, the English who threatened Buenos Aires, and, last but not least, rebellious colonists and encomienda Indians, and rendered splendid service. Time and again kings and governors expressed their sincerest gratitude for these services, which were all the more valuable be- cause they cost the Crown nothing. The Reduction Indians between 1637 and 1735 entered the field no less than fifty times for the cause of the king, re- peatedly with a large force and under considerable sacrifice of time, money, and life (see among others Sans, op. cit., 105; Lettres edif., op. cit.. 401 etc.).

F. Church and Religious Life. — The Reductions of Paraguay are justly called a model of a theocratic commonwealth. Religion ruled the entire public and private life. The entire community attended Holy Mass and the evening devotions daily. Prayer and religious songs accompanied and encompassed work and recreation alike. Religious instruction was given daily for the children, on several days each week for catechumens, and even,' Sunday for the entire parish. Through the medium of easily sung catechismal hymns the doctrines and the principal events of the life of Christ and those of the saints were impressed upon the minds of the people. A sort of religious handbook bearing the title "Ara poru aguiyey haba yacoa ymomoeoinda" (On the Proper Use of Time), written by P. Jos. de Insauralde (b. at ,\sunci6n; d. 1730), printed at Madrid in 1759-60, in two volumes, and which was very popular, gave directions concerning the performance of various acts at home and in church in a holj- and meritorious manner.

Public religious life in the splendid churches found its expression in an exceedingly brilliant manner, particularl)' on feast-days. Church music was care- fully cultivated, especially under the direction of Italian and German Fathers, and its production would have been, according to the testimony of Don Franc. Xarque (Gay, op. cit., 214), a credit to any Spanish cathedral. In consequence, the church choirs of the Reductions were frequently invited to the Spanish cities. The reports of the celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi, the patronal feasts, the Rogation and penitential processions, the devo- tion to the saints, particularly to the Blessed Virgin, the representations of the Crib and the Passion, mysterj'-plays, sacramental dances, etc. convey a charming picture of the religious life in the Re- ductions. Religious societies also, especially the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin, attained to a re- markable growth (see "Sodalen-Correspondcnz", II, 125). The reception of the sacraments, after the Reductions had become firmly grounded, and a solid body of older Christians had been ob- tained, was, according to the annual reports, and