ITURRIGARAY VICEROY GODOY's CORRUPTION WAR. 273 



Don Jose Iturrigaray, 

 Lieutenant General or the Spanish Army, 

 LVL Viceroy of New Spain.— 1803— 1808. 



On the morning of the 4th of January, 1803, Don Jose Iturri- 

 garay reached Guadalupe near Mexico, where he received the staff 

 of office from his predecessor and was welcomed by the Audiencia. 

 tribunals, and nobility of the capital. 



The revolution in the British provinces of North America had 

 been successful, and they had consolidated themselves into na- 

 tionality under the title of United States. France followed in the 

 footsteps of liberty, and, overthrowing the rotten throne of the 

 Bourbons, was the first European state to give an impulse to free- 

 dom in the old world. The whole western part of that continent 

 was more or less agitated by the throes of the moral and political 

 volcano whose fiery eruption was soon to cover Europe with de- 

 struction. In the midst of this epoch of convulsive change, Spain 

 alone exhibited the aspect of passive insignificance, for the king, 

 queen, and Prince of Peace, still conducted the government of that 

 great nation, and their corrupt rule has become a proverb of imbe- 

 cility and contempt. Godoy, the misnamed " Prince of Peace, " 

 was the virtual ruler of the nation. His administration was, at 

 once, selfish, depraved and silly. The favorite of the king, and 

 the alleged paramour of the queen, he controled both whenever it 

 was necessary, while the colonies, as well as the parent state, 

 naturally experienced all the evil consequences of his debauched 

 government. Bad as had been the management of affairs in 

 America during the reign of the long series of viceroys who 

 commanded on our continent, it became even worse whilst Godoy 

 swayed Charles IV. through the influence of his dissolute queen. 

 Most of the serious and exciting annoyances which afterwards 

 festered and broke out in the Mexican revolution, owe their origin 

 to this epoch of Spanish misrule. 



Iturrigaray was exceedingly well received in Mexico, where his 

 reputation as an eminent servant of the crown preceded him. 

 Shortly after his arrival he undertook a journey to the interior, in 

 order to examine personally into the condition of the mining 

 districts ; and, after his return to the capital, he devoted himself to 

 the ordinary routine of colonial administration until it became 

 necessary, in consequence of the breaking out of the war, between 

 Spain and England, to adopt measures for the protection of his 

 viceroyalty. In consequence of this rupture Iturrigaray received 



