Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1874 — The Paiace of Montezuma. [ARTICLE]

The Paiace of Montezuma.

The ancient palace cf Montezuma, in the heart of the city of Mexico, where that unfortunate monarch was seized and made Captivc by the treacirery ot under Cortez, is described as having been a place of great magnificence. It was full of sculptured arches, pillars and beautiful fountains. On the consumation of the Spanish conquest, it was converted into the Roman Catholic convent of San Francisco, and became one of the most wealth and powerful religious institutions of the kind iu the New World. Church and State have, until within the past few years, been always united in Mexico; but A few years a go, under President Juarez, the Congress decreed a separation, and ordered the sale of all church property. . ’ . • The American Methodists bought the palace last year for mission purposes, for thejßum of $16,500," and, on last Christmas day,- having cleaned up and repaired the building, it was publicly dedicated to Protestant worship. The walls are five feet thick, and it is built in the most strong and endurable manner. Much of.the beautiful original sculpturing still remains, and it could not now be recut, it is said, lor less than SIOO,OOO. The Methodists have room upon the premises

for printing ofiicea, schools, parsonages, etc., and expect, one of these days, to make it the center of a very extensive scene of educational operations — Scientific American.