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NEW AUDIENCIA — ■ FUENLEAL MENDOZA . 



The Empress, in fulfilling the wishes of her august spouse, at 

 first fixed her eyes upon the Count de Oropesa and on the Marshal 

 de Fromesta, as persons well fitted to undertake the difficult charge 

 of founding the Mexican viceroyalty. But these individuals, upon 

 various pretexts, declined the mission, which was next tendered to 

 Don Manuel Benavides, whose exorbitant demands for money and 

 authority, finally induced the sovereign to withdraw her nomina- 

 tion. Finally, she resolved to despatch Don Antonio de Mendoza, 

 Count of Tendilla, one of her chamberlains, who requested only 

 sufficient time to regulate his private affairs before he joyfully set 

 forth for his viceroyalty of New Spain. In the meantime, however, 

 in order not to lose a moment in remedying the disorders on the 

 other side of the Atlantic, the Empress created a new Jludiencia, 

 at the head of which was Don Sebastian Ramirez de Fuenleal, 

 bishop of St. Domingo, and whose members were the Licenciados 

 Vasco de Quiroga, Alonso Maldonado, Francisco Cainos and Juan 

 de Salmeron. The appointment of the bishop was well justified 

 by his subsequent career of integrity, beneficence and wisdom ; 

 whilst Vasco de Quiroga has left in Michoacan, and, indeed, in all 

 Mexico, a venerated name, whose renown is not forgotten, in 

 private life and the legends of the country to the present day. 



In 1535, Mendoza arrived in Mexico with letters for the Au- 

 diencia, and was received with all the pomp and splendor becoming 

 the representative of royalty. His instructions were couched in 

 the most liberal terras, for, after all, it was chiefly on the personal 

 integrity and discretion of a viceroy that the Spanish sovereigns 

 were obliged to rely for the sure foundation of their American 

 empire. Of the desire of the Emperor and Empress to act their 

 parts justly and honestly in the opening of this splendid drama in 

 America there can be no doubt. Their true policy was to develope, 

 not to destroy ; and they at once perceived that, in the New 

 World, they no longer dealt with those organized classes of civ- 

 ilized society which, in Europe, yield either instinctively to the 

 feeling of loyalty, or are easily coerced into obedience to the laws. 



Mendoza was commanded, in the first place, to direct his atten- 

 tion to the condition of public worship ; to the punishment of 

 clergymen who scandalized their calling ; to the conversion and 

 good treatment of the Indian population, and to the erection of a 

 mint in which silver should be coined according to laws made 

 upon this subject by Ferdinand and Isabella. All the wealth 

 which was found in Indian tombs or temples was to be sought out 

 and devoted to the royal treasury. It was forbidden, under heavy 



