﻿uExioa 



KEXICO. 



TM 



IMS. But titer tUl mmt If otbIim bad Um mmomi io hia dariiMr 

 «BtarpriMs ; and in Norambar, 1815, ha waa takao priaoDar, oondaotad 

 to Ilexieo, and abot Other ohiefi sprung up, but ths vioeroy 

 Yanagaa, lopportad by tha gaUantry and ikill of Cslleja, deatroyad 

 aaeoaaSToly tbair armiea, ao that whan Don Xavicr Mina, the iamoua 

 ^■aniah gueriUa diief, Unded in Mexioo in 1817, tha fortune of the 

 iaanigenta waa at so low an ebb, that he waa unable to restore their 

 eaoae, and he perished in tha attempt. 



The ooontry now gradually beoame more tranquil ; but the events 

 which oeoumd in Spain in tha beginninj; of 1820 suddenly changed 

 the aspect of affiurs, and deprived Spain of the most valuable of her 

 poasBSsiona in America, which it had regained at the cost uf niuuh 

 blood and money. The Spaniards and the Creoles, who had formerly 

 maili oonmoa caose, were now divided iuto two parties, royalists and 

 oautitalionaliata, and Don Augostin de Iturbide, commander of a 

 ferae of MO nMn, issnad a prooUmation (February 24th, 1821), since 

 known as the Plan of Igiiala, which, professedly in ordt:r to conciliate 

 all partirf, and at the same time to establish the indepeixlenoe of 

 Mexico and yet prvscrva its union with Spain, proposed to offer the 

 crown of Mexioo to the Kin^ of Spain, and in case of his refusal to 

 •■• of his brothers, provided they would consent to reside in the 

 ao uBhj. The Spaniards of the capital opposed tbo plan, but Iturbide 

 ■■eaii il ed in gaining for it the support of the country generally, and 

 •van in inducing the new Spaniab Viceroy O'Donoju to accept it 

 ooaditionally on ita approval by the Spanish Qovernment. Iturbide 

 was thus enabled to obtain possession of the capital, where a junta 

 waa funned, which declared the convention witli the viceroy to l>o 

 iUemL A oongreaa was convened, and Iturbide soon after (May 18th, 

 1832) procured himself to bo proolaimod Emperor of Mexico under 

 the title of Augustine I. His sovereignty was however of short 

 duration. Ho fint quarrelled with the oongress, bit this ho dis- 

 solved, and formed a new legislative assembly. When however 

 the army declared against him, he lost heart, and in March, 1823, 

 abdicated, and retired to Europe. In 1824 he ventured to return to 

 Maarioo, but upon landing at Padillain Tamaolipas, he waa arreated and 

 thofc On the abdication of Iturbide, Mexioo was declared to be a 

 kl republic, and a oonstitution modelled on that of the United 

 > of korth America waa adopted. The new state of aSairs had 

 I brought about mainly by the army, and, as waa to be expected, 

 the jealonsiss and ambition of different generals soon led to new 

 i a a uii e uti ons and disturbances. It is neither possible nor desirable 

 to give an account of these in the preaent work. It must suffice to 

 say that down to the present time Mexico has witnessed a succession 

 of insorrections and revolutions, and at the present moment (December, 

 1864) one is raging the isaue of which is far from certain. During 

 nearly tha whole ct this period moreover, and at the present time, 

 the Indians and whites have been in a state of hostility. Among 

 tha laadeta of the varioua revolutionary movements the present ruler 

 of Maxioo, Santa Anna, has acquired the preeminence. From 1832 

 among many ehangea, at one moment the supreme chief, the next an 

 •zile, ha baa eontiuuad to be the leading character in Mexican afioirs. 

 By the last grand movement oommeooed in September, 1862, he waa 

 raealled and plaoad at the head of the state; by a general vote 

 (February 7th, 1853) tha nation adopted his scheme of govrrameut ; 

 and in the following December he waa elected president for life, with 

 tha title of moot aersna highness, and full dictatorial powers. In the 

 pUoa of the chambara elaoted by popular vote, there is now to be a 

 tTiwMnil of state composed of 21 members, but the authority of the 

 pvMidaot is practically unlimited. 



The moat important event in the external history of the republic 

 is tha war with the United SUtes. In 1835, Texas, the most north- 

 aaatora of the Mexican states, which had long been in a very disturbed 

 oondition, broke out into open revolt against the central government 

 Tha govemmeot troops were unable to put down the insurgents ; and 

 ia 18M tha American aattlers, who were very numerous in Texaa, 

 iutossJed in indnoing the state to declare itself independent On 

 this Santa Anna niarebcd into Texas, but was defeated, wounded, and 

 taken prisonar. In order to obtain his liberty he consented to 

 aaknowledge tha iodapendence of Texaa. His agreement was not 

 wt i tt sil by the Mexican legislature, but no effort waa made to reconquer 

 Temaa, and thv " indepandent republic," having applied for admission 

 !■!• the Msrth Amarioan Union, waa, in 1845, fonnally recognised by 

 *• Cwn n r ani aa ooa of the United Statea. This step waa ondentood t^ 

 toA f«pabitos to be equivalent to a declaration of war. Mexioo waa 

 however in a thoroaghly diaorganiaad condition, and tha arms of the 

 Unilod 8Ut«s wen everywhere suocessfuL Peace waa ratified in 

 FMruary, 1 84H. The result of the war was the loss to Mexico of the 

 whole of tha Dortbam provinosa, comprising the vaat and most valu^>le 

 iMltof ooontry now (otmiaR the North American Stataa of Texaa and 

 O i l l *« ili i Mid the tmitocUa of Utah and Kew Maxioo, an area of 

 ■y w aiJ a of WQ^OOO aqaaia miha. 



The revenue of tha rapubiic in 1849 waa under 9,000,00<M., the 

 sxpeoditura waa S,800,000(. Tha foreign debt amounted in 1 850 to 

 10,841, 7 SOJ. ; tha internal debt to above 6,000,000{. ; but the finanoaa 

 of the repuMie ara altogathar in tha utmoet disorder. The army is 

 •xed at U^bZ aan ; tha dvic guard at 64,»4« men. 



MKXIOO, or MKJIOO, tha eapital of the rapabtio of Mexioo, is 

 ' lmir»' n. bL, M* S' W. Uiag^ 7468 feet above the levei 



of tha aaa. The population is said to amount to 160,000. It stands 

 nearly in the oontrs of an extensive oblong plain, which, from being 

 surrounded by high hills or mountains, is commonly called the Vale 

 of Tenochtitlan, which waa the name given to the town before the year 

 1530. The circuit of this vale, measured along the crest of the ranges 

 which inclose it, is nearly 205 milea, and its area is 1710 square miles ; 

 but about ono-tanth of its surface, or 164 squsrs miles, is occupied by 

 four lakea. Tha largeat of these lakes, that of Tezcuco, which covers 

 a aurfaoe of 77 square miles, occupies the centre of the vale, and is 

 only about three feet and a half lower than the great square of tha 

 city, which stands on ita western shores, on swampy ground. The 

 surface of the other lakes is above tlio level of the city ; and as duriu,'; 

 the rainy seaaon the water, descending abundantly from the ranges 

 which inclose the vale^ is poured iuto these lakes, which have no 

 outlet, it frequently happened that in very wet seasons the water 

 which accumulated in the lakes inundated the lower portion of the 

 vale, and rose several feet in the streets of Mexica To prevent such 

 an occum'uoe the Spanish government caused a canal to be niadu 

 through the mountains of Kochistongo, which lie north-west of the 

 lake of Zumpango, by which the superabundant water from the lake 

 is carried off. This stupendous work, Imowu by the name of the 

 Desague of Haehuetoco, is above 12 miles long, and for more than 

 1000 yards is cut through rocks from GO to 75 feet high. It is justly 

 considered one of the most remarkable hydraulic works in existeuce. 



Mexico is one of the finest cities in ths world. In the dry season it 

 is at some distance from the lake of Tezcnoo, whose watt'ts iu the 

 rainy season are sometimes driven by easterly winds to the eastern 

 Iwrder of the city, which is protected against inundations by dykes. 

 The streets are very wide, intersect each other at right anglea, and are 

 well paved. The private houses, though spacious, are rather low, 

 seldom exceeding one story ; but being constructed either of amygda- 

 loid or porphyry, they have an air of solidity and even of magnificence. 

 The moderate height of the public as well aa private buildings is owing 

 partly to the difficulty of laying a good foundation, as water is uni- 

 formly found at a very few feet from the surface, and partly to the 

 frequency of earthquakes. In consequence of the water all tha larger 

 buildings are raised upon piles. The houses are all squares, inclosing 

 open courtu, which are surrounded by corridors, and have flat roofs ; 

 and all the windows are ornamented with balconies. 



The squares are spacious and generally surrounded by buildings of 

 hewn stone in a good style of architecture. The principal square is 

 the Plaza Mayor, which on two sides is surrounded by the cathedral 

 and the palace, and on the two other sides by shops and dwelliug- 

 houaes, with the exception of the Casa del Kstado, or the Palace of 

 Cortes. In the centre of the square waa formerly a bronze equestrian 

 statue of Charles IV. of Spain, which has been removed since the 

 revolution to the court-yard of the university. This square is the 

 market for vegetables and fruita. Manufactured goods are sold in the 

 Portalaa, or covered colonnades, of which there ara several on a large 

 scale. The Parian, or bazaar, is a square building, divided into uni- 

 form compartments by two principal cross streets, and others sub- 

 dividing it. The palooo, in which the viceroy formerly was lodged, and 

 which now aervea aa the residence of the president, and also contains 

 the senate-house, mint, and all the principal public offices, is a building 

 of great extent, including a number of squares and inner courts with 

 separate staircases and suites of aportmenta. One of these courts oou- 

 toins the botanic garden, which however has long been much neglected. 

 The Mineria, or School of Mines, is a large modem edifice, ali«ady in 

 a very dilapidated condition : it contains a rich collection of minerals. 

 The Acordada, or great prison, ia a substantial and large building, 

 which will contain above 1200 prisoners. The hospital, now couverted 

 iuto artillery bamoks, occupies a large site, and is well built The 

 university building contains a collection of Mexican antiquities, among 

 which is the celebrated stone of sacrifice. The academy of arts, 

 which is a fine building, but in a very neglected state, contains a great 

 collection uf models and casts, and a school for drawing. 



The numerous churches and convents, with their cupolas and 

 steeples, give the town a magnificent appearance. The cathwlral 

 stands on the ruins of the great teooalli, or temple, of the god Mixitli. 

 The interior is lofty and imposiug. In the outer wall of this churcli 

 is fixed the ' kellenda,' a circular stone, covered with hieroglyphic 

 figures, by which the Aztecs used to designate the months of the year. 

 [Aziaos.] Among the numerous convents that of San Francisoo is 

 distinguished by its extent, architectunl iMauty, and wealth. The 

 Alamnlo, or public walk, laid out hke a pork, is at the western extre- 

 mity of tlie town. There is a largo Plaza de Toroa, or theatre for 

 buU-figfata. As the ground on which the oity stands is low, all the 

 roods leading to it are raised aix or eight feet above its level ; they 

 are broad, paved in the middle, and planted on both aides with double 

 rows of trees. These roads, cidlad paacos, afford delightful ridea. 



The city is supplied with drinkable water by two aqueduota, which 

 bring it down from sources aituated in the mountains west of the vale. 

 The larger aqueduct, leading from Santa F<i to the Alameda, and 

 thence to the lake, is 11,155 yards long, and in one-tliird of ita course 

 is supported by arohes of stone and brick. Its water, which is very 

 pure, IS distributed through the city. The other aqueduct, that of 

 Chapoltepac, which supphes the scuthem suburbs, is 3008 yards long. 

 The city is partly supplied with provisions and vagetablea by small 



