GENERAL HISTORY. 



[199 



which he refers to enclosed ga- 

 zettes. In those, also, (the Vice- 

 roy says) will be seen the rapid 

 progress made by his Majesty's 

 arms in the Mexican provinces, in 

 which the insurgents have been 

 beaten at all points, except at the 

 lagoon of Chapala in New Galli- 

 cia, where from the strength of 

 their position, they obtained ad- 

 vantages over the division opposed 

 to them. On this account, it had 

 been necessary to order the com- 

 mandant of that province to col- 

 lect all his troops, and make a 

 fresh attack on the fortified isle 

 where the rebels were entrenched. 

 Nothing new had occurred in the 

 other provinces of the viceroyalty, 

 in which the chiefs were labour- 

 ing to dissipate the remains of the 

 great assemblages that wander 

 about on every side, intercepting 

 the roads, and preventing every 

 kind of commerce. This authorized 

 account of the state of affairs was 

 not thought extremely favourable 

 by persons who were aware of the 

 varnish usually bestowed on go- 

 vernment narratives. On the other 

 hand, a report which came from 

 New Orleans with the date of 

 September 23rd, and the title of 

 "Independence of New Mexico," 

 has probably as little claim to im- 

 plicit credit. It stated, that a 

 vessel from Vera Cruz was then 

 in the river, which brought the 

 information, that as soon as Fer- 

 dinand's refusal to accept the con- 

 stitution framed by the Cortes was 

 known in the kingdom of Mexico, 

 all parties united, the new vice- 

 roy was deposed, and independence 

 was proclaimed at Mexico, Vera 

 Cruz, and the other cities of that 

 j;overnmait. If the principle of 

 loynity in New Spain, icscmbles 



what it has shown itself in the 

 Old, it will not be staggered by 

 the resumption of the ancient pre- 

 rogatives of the monarchy. Mean- 

 time we may be assured that Fer- 

 dinand's government will not act 

 upon the system of recovering the 

 colonies by indulgences, which 

 would compromise the authority 

 of the crown, and of the mother 

 country. Already has the Council 

 of the Indies been re-established, 

 and an expedition has long been 

 preparing for the river Plate, for 

 the purpose of compelling sub- 

 mission by force of arms. 



In the West India islands, the 

 principal object of interest during 

 this year has been the island of 

 St. Domingo, or the modern 

 Hayti. It is well known, that the 

 French colony of St. Domingo, 

 prev ioubly to the revolution, was 

 the most valuable commercial pos- 

 session of France, and that its loss 

 was the cause of very great public 

 and private distress. Its recovery 

 was entirely hopeless, while the 

 seas were closed by the predomi- 

 nance of the British naval power ; 

 but as soou as the return of peace 

 had removed this obstacle, it ap- 

 pears that the French nation and 

 government began to entertain 

 serious thoughts of attempting to 

 regain so valuable a possession. 

 This, however, was become an 

 undertaking of great difficulty. 



The two black chiefs of the 

 island, Christophe and Petion, 

 though they had been engaged in 

 almost constant hostilities with 

 each other, seem to have been ani- 

 mated with an equal zeal for 

 maintaining the independence of 

 the negro state ; and although M. 

 Desfornea\ix, in reporting the sen- 

 timents of a conuuiHce appouited 



