MEXICO. 



115 



and England : and this fancy extends itself in many cases 

 to the trappings of the horses, as well as to those of the 

 rider ; and not a few of the young Mexicans now use the 

 English saddle, instead of the high Mameluke saddle and 

 furniture of their fathers. 



It is evident that the lamentable effects of the political 

 state of the country, and the constant struggle between 

 parties for mastery, are felt throughout the whole struc- 

 ture of society. There is no frankness and no forgive- 

 ness between those who are for the moment in power, 

 and those who have in any way shown favour to another 

 modification of the constitution, or abetted other rulers. 

 The instant that the struggle is at an end by the defeat 

 of one party the other takes advantage of its victory to 

 crush its humble adversary by confiscation, exile, and 

 domestic oppression. 



Unhappy Mexico ! No sooner has a government 

 seemed to be fairly seated, and felt itself called to exer- 

 cise authority, and to enforce the laws, than some discon- 

 tented partisan runs off to a distance from the capital, gets 

 a band of malecontents together, sets up a u grito" or 

 bark, to give warning that something is brewing; follows 

 it up in due time by a pronunciamiento against the existing 

 rulers ; proposes a modification of the constitution ; and, 

 collecting an army, makes a dash at the metropolis. Per- 

 haps, as was the fate of Canalizza's party, while we were 

 in the country, he gets beaten on his way, and running 

 abroad to escape the vengeance of his conqueror, leaves 

 his adherents to make their peace as well as they may: 

 perhaps, like the hero of the day, Santa Anna, he suc- 

 ceeds, and gets possession of the presidential chair, to be 

 kicked out in his turn, without a shadow of doubt, sooner 

 or later. It would fill a volume, and be a perfect jest- 

 book, to give a history of all the changes experienced by 

 this country since the expulsion of the Spaniards ; and 

 the real intentions, ends, and characters of those by 

 whom they have been brought about. 



The most serious evil is, that in this state of affairs 

 nothing can be accounted stable. The sound principles 



