MEXICO TAXED FOR EUROPEAN WARS — FERDINAND VII. 275 



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under this dread infliction, the domestic and foreign trade languish- 

 ed notwithstanding the extraordinary yield of the mines, which, in 

 1805, sent upwards of twenty millions into circulation. Of all the 

 royal interferences with Mexican interests and capital, none seems 

 to have been more vexatiously unpopular, than the decree for the 

 consolidation of the capitals of obras pias, or, charitable and. pious 

 revenues, which was issued by the court ; and Iturrigaray, as the 

 executive officer employed in this consolidation, drew upon himself 

 the general odium of all the best classes in the colony. 



Charles IV. fell before the revolutionary storm in Europe, and 

 signed his abdication on the 9th of August, 1808, in favor of 

 his son Ferdinand VII, But the weak and irresolute monarch 

 soon protested against this abdication, alleging that the act had 

 been extorted from him by threats against his life; and, whilst the 

 Supreme council of Spain was examining into the validity of 

 Charles's renunciation, and Ferdinand was treating his father's pro- 

 test with contempt, Napoleon, who had steadily advanced to su- 

 preme power after the success of the French revolution, took 

 prompt advantage of the dissentions in the peninsula, and, making 

 himself master of it, seated his brother Joseph on the Spanish 

 throne. As soon as Joseph was firmly placed in power, Ferdinand 

 congratulated him upon his elevation, and ordered all his Spanish 

 and colonial subjects to recognize the upstart king. But the ser- 

 vility of Ferdinand to the ascending star of European power did 

 not meet with obedience from the people of Mexico, who, resolv- 

 ing to continue loyal to their legitimate sovereign, forthwith pro- 

 claimed Ferdinand VII, throughout New Spain. The conduct of 

 the colonists was secretly approved by the dissembling monarch, 

 although he ratified a decree of the Council of the Indies, com- 

 manding the Mexicans to obey Joseph. The natives of the Penin- 

 sula, dwelling in New Spain, were nearly all opposed to the Bour- 

 bons and faithful to the French propagandists, whilst the Creoles, 

 or American natives denounced the adherents of Joseph and 

 burned the proclamation which declared hirn to be their king. 

 The orders received at this period by Iturrigaray from Ferdinand, 

 Joseph, and the Council of the Indies, were, of course, all in con- 

 flict with each other; and, in order to relieve himself from the 

 political dilemma in which he was placed by these mixed com- 

 mands, Iturrigaray determined to summon a Junta of Notable Per- 

 sons, similar to that of Seville, which was to be composed of the 

 viceroy, the archbishop of Mexico and representatives from the 

 army, the nobility, the principal citizens and the ayuntamiento of 



