184 EXTENSION OF ORIENTAL TRADE GUERRA VICEROY. 



together with two hundred Spaniards and Mestizos, to attack them 

 in their fastnesses. Several skirmishes took place between the 

 slaves and these forces, and at length the negroes yielded to the 

 Spaniards, — craving their pardon, inasmuch as their "insurrection 

 was not against the king," — and promising that they would no 

 longer afford a refuge to the blacks who absconded from the 

 plantations. Velasco at once granted their request, and permitted 

 them to settle in the town of San Lorenzo. 



In 1610 and 1611, there were but few important incidents in the 

 history of New Spain, which was now gradually forming itself into 

 a regularly organized state, free from all those violent internal 

 commotions, which nations, like men, are forced to undergo in 

 their infancy. The viceroy still endeavored to ameliorate the 

 condition of the Indians, and despatched a mission to Japan in 

 order to extend the oriental commerce of Spain. The true policy 

 of Castile would have been, instead of crushing Mexico by colo- 

 nial restrictions, to have raised her gradually into a gigantic state, 

 which, situated in the centre of America, on the narrowest part of 

 the continent between the two oceans, and holding in her veins the 

 precious metals in exhaustless quantities, would have surely 

 grasped and held the commerce of the east and of Europe. Such 

 would seem the natural destiny of Mexico if we examine her 

 geographical features carefully ; nor do we venture too much in 

 predicting that the time will come when that destiny will be 

 fulfilled. 



Velasco was now well stricken in years and required repose. 

 His master, appreciating his faithful services and his unques- 

 tionable loyalty, added to his already well earned titles that of 

 Marques of Salinas, and creating him president of the Council of 

 the Indies recalled him to Spain where he could pass in quiet the 

 evening of his days, whilst he was also enabled to impart the 

 results of his vast American experience to the king and court. 



Fray Garcia Guerra, Archbishop of Mexico, 

 XII. Viceroy of New Spain. 



1611 — 1612. 



Velasco, as an especial mark of royal favor, was desired to re- 

 tain his power as viceroy until the moment of embarkation for 

 Spain, and then to depose it in favor of the monk Garcia Guerra, 

 who had been the worthy prior of a Dominican convent at Burgos 



