GENERAL CHARACTER. 210 



cheeks look as fresh and ruddy as the natu- 

 ral darkness of their skin will permit 



The New Mexicans appear to have inherit- 

 ed much of the cruelty and intolerance of 

 their ancestors, and no small portion of their 

 bigotry and fanaticism. Being of a highly 

 imaginative temperament and of rather ac- 

 commodating moral principles — cunning, lo- 

 quacious, quick of perception and sycophan- 

 tic, their conversation frequently exhibits a 

 degree of tact — a false glare of talent emi- 

 nently calculated to mislead and impose. 

 They have no stability except in artifice ; no 

 profundity except for intrigue : quaUties for 

 which they have acquired an unenviable ce- 

 lebrity. Systematically criftging and sub- 

 servient while out of power, as soon as 

 the august mantle of authority falls upon 

 their shoulders, there are but httle bounds to 

 their arrogance and vindictiveness of spirit 

 While such are the general features of the 

 character of the Northern Mexicans, however, 

 I am fain to beheve and acknowledge, that 



there are to be found among them 

 instances of uncompromising \drtue, good 

 faith and religious forbearance. 



_ But taking the Northern Mexicans Avithout 

 distinction of class or degree, there is scarcely 

 a race of people on the face of the earth niore 

 alive to the dictates of charity— that is, alms- 

 giving ; wluch is more owing perhaps to the 

 force of rehgious instruction than to real sym- 

 pathy for the sufferings of the indigent and 

 the helpless. The law making no promion 



