MEXICO (HISTORY). 



797 



state of deplorable ignorance. The policy of the 

 mother country was calculated to keep down all that 

 portion of the inhabitants who now form the popula- 

 tion of the republic. All civil, military, and eccle- 

 siastical dignities were in the hands of Europeans, 

 and any attempt towards instructing even the higher 

 classes was discountenanced. The natural sciences 

 were taught, and have been cultivated with some 

 success. The moral state of the country is also far 

 from being- favourable. An attempt was made, at 

 one time, to establish a navy, and, in January, 1827, 

 it consisted of one ship of the line, two frigates, five 

 corvettes and brigs, and a few smaller vessels ; but 

 even this force has not been kept up. The army, 

 in 1827, consisted of 58,955 men, of whom 32,161 

 were actually under arms. The confusion which 

 has prevailed for some time in the country, renders 

 it impossible to give much statistical information of 

 a recent date. The revenue, under the old govern- 

 ment, was 20,000.000 dollars ; during the revolu- 

 tion, it became exceedingly embarrassed, and did 

 not exceed 4,000,000 or 5,000,000 dollars. In 1825, 

 it was 10,500,000 dollars, and the expenditure was 

 nearly 18,000,000. Several loans were made in 

 1823, and succeeding years, but at an enormous 

 rate of interest. 



Under the government of Spain, Mexico was one 

 of the four great viceroyalties of Spanish America. 

 The viceroy was endowed with all the prerogatives 

 of the king. The only checks upon him were the 

 residencia, or investigation into his conduct on his 

 return home, and the audencta, composed of Euro- 

 peans, and of which he was himself president. 

 The recopilacion de las leyes de las Indias was 

 the name given to the heterogeneous mass of 

 decrees by which the colonies were governed. 

 Special fueros, or privileges, were conferred on dif- 

 ferent professional and corporate bodies, which ren- 

 dered the confusion complete. All the higher < St- 

 eers, in church and state, were Europeans. A system 

 of dilapidation, beginning with the chiefs, extended 

 through all the offices of government, and a mon- 

 strous corruption perverted the whole administration. 

 The colony was not allowed to manufacture any arti- 

 cle which could be supplied by the mother country, 

 the whole trade was confined to a single port in Spain, 

 and all foreigners were rigidly excluded. Books 

 were prohibited, schools discouraged or suppressed, 

 and every measure taken to prevent information from 

 being spread among the inhabitants. The present 

 form of government is that of a federal republic (re- 

 publica representative, popular federal), each member 

 of which manages its own internal concerns. The 

 legislative power is vested in a congress, divided 

 into two chambers, the house of representatives 

 (camara de diputados), and a senate (senado). The 

 former is composed of members elected for two years, 

 by the citizens of the states, one member for every 

 80,000 inhabitants. The senate is composed of two 

 senators for each state, elected by the state legisla- 

 tures, the one first named for four years, and the 

 other for two years. The congress is a high court 

 of impeachment, and its powers are to maintain the 

 union, regulate commerce, promote information, 

 open roads and canals, lay taxes and imposts, declare 

 war, approve treaties, &c. The supreme executive 

 power is vested in a president, chosen by the legisla- 

 tures of the states for four years. He has powers 

 very similar to those of the president of the United 

 States. The council of government (consejo de go- 

 bierno) exists only during the intervals of the sessions 

 of congress, and is composed of one senator from 

 each state, with the vice-president of the republic at 

 its head. Its duties are to watch over the observ- 

 ance of the federative act and the federal laws, to 



advise the president to call out the militia, to ap- 

 prove the nomination of officers, &c. For the des- 

 patch of business, the government is divided into de- 

 partments, with secretaries at their head. The judi- 

 cial power is lodged in a supreme tribunal of justice, 

 and in inferior courts, as determined by congress. 

 The supreme court takes cognizance of all matter? 

 between different states, or individuals of different 

 states, admiralty cases, treason, construction of the 

 constitution, &c. It may itself be called to account, 

 by a tribunal constituted for the purpose by the 

 chamber of deputies. The states are organized in a 

 similar manner, with much the same powers and 

 rights as those of the North American Union. See 

 Acta Constitutiva (Jan. 31, 1824), y Constitution 

 Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Mexico, 

 1828). This constitution was sanctioned Oct. 4, 

 1824. For information on subjects connected with 

 Mexico, see Bullock's Six Months' 1 Residence, fyc., 

 in 1823 ; Hall's Journal on the Coasts of Chile, Peru 

 and Mexico, in 1820 22 ; Lyon's Journal of a Resi- 

 dence in Mexico; Beaufoy's Sketches; Poinsett's 

 Notes; the works of Robison, Brackenridge, and 

 Hardy; Ward's Mexico (2d ed., London, 1829); 

 Humboldt's Essai Politique sur le Royaume de la 

 Nouvelle Espagne ; 2d ed., 1828. 



History. Numerous remains of antiquity which 

 have been discovered in different parts ef the coun- 

 try testify to the state of civilization at which the 

 natives had arrived previous to the arrival of the 

 Spaniards. In 1519, Cortez discovered the country, 

 and having landed on the western coast, founded the 

 city of Veracruz, and penetrated into the country of 

 Anahuac, occupied by the Aztecs. Montezuma then 

 reigned over the country. The capital Tenochtitlan, 

 bore the title of Mexico, which signifies the residence 

 of the god of war, and which was finally extended to 

 the whole region. (See Mexico, Antiquities of.) 

 After the death of Montezuma, the capital was taken 

 by the Spaniards (1521), and the whole country fell 

 into their hands. Cortez called it New Spain, and 

 was created captain-general, but, in 1535, was dis- 

 placed by a viceroy. We have already given some 

 account of the colonial policy of Spain, and the con- 

 dition of the colony under the Spanish dominion. 

 Such was the condition of the country for three centur- 

 ies (see Robertson's History of America ; Clavigero's 

 Storia Antica del Messico, translated into English ; 

 Solis's Historia de la Conquista de Mexico; new 

 edition, with notes, Madrid, 1825), when the events of 

 1808 in the Spanish peninsula led to a change in tlie 

 state of affairs. The Mexicans were, in general, 

 loyally disposed to their sovereign, but the assump- 

 tion of authority by a new body, the cortes, and their 

 unwise and inconsistent proceedings tended to alien- 

 ate their feelings of attachment. Don Jose Iturriga- 

 ray, the viceroy, in order to conciliate the Americans, 

 proposed to constitute a junta, formed of representa- 

 tives from each province, and composed equally 

 of natives and Europeans, which should organize a 

 provisional government. The latter, however, fear- 

 ful of losing some of their former superiority, arrested 

 tlie viceroy, and sent him out of the country. The 

 new viceroy, Venegas, displayed an offensive partial- 

 ity for the Spaniards, and exasperated the Creoles 

 by the severity of his measures. An extensive con- 

 spiracy was organized, and the insurrection broke 

 out in September, 1810. A priest, Hidalgo, a man 

 of strong mind and great firmness, put himself at the 

 head of the insurgents ; but, after some fighting, and 

 the commission of great atrocities on both sides, 

 Hidalgo was captured and put to death in 1811. 

 Morelos, a priest in the southern part of the country 

 who had been named captain-general of the south- 

 west by Hidalgo, had meanwhile raised a considera- 



