288 PROCLAMATION BY THE JUNTA MORELOS. 



abandoned his European possessions for New Spain. When 

 Morelos, joined the Junta he disapproved this last concession to 

 the royalists, though it was chiefly defended by Rayon as an expe- 

 dient measure when dealing with people over whom the name of 

 king still exercised the greatest influence. This Junta was finally 

 merged in the congress of Chilpanzingo. Its manifesto, directed 

 to the viceroy in March, 1812, is worthy of rememberance, as 

 it contains the several doctrines of the revolution admirably ex- 

 pressed by Dr. Cos, who was its author. He paints in forci- 

 ble language the misery created by the fifteen months of civil 

 war, and the small reliance that Spain could place on Creole 

 troops, whose sympathies, at present, and whose efforts, in the 

 end, would all be thrown into the scale of their country. He as- 

 sumes as fundamental principles that America and Spain are nat- 

 urally equal; that America has as much right to her Cortes as 

 Spain has to hers ; that the existing rulers in the Peninsula have 

 no just authority over Mexico as long as their sovereign is a cap- 

 tive, and, finally, he proposes that if " the Europeans will consent 

 to give up the offices they hold, and allow the assemblage of a 

 general congress, their persons and property shall be religiously 

 respected, their salaries paid, and the same privileges granted them 

 as to native Mexicans, who, on their side, will acknowledge Fer- 

 dinand as the legitimate sovereign, and assist the Peninsula with 

 their treasure, whilst they will at all times regard the Spaniards 

 as fellow subjects of the same great empire." 



The alternative of war was presented to the viceroy together 

 with these moderate demands, but he was only requested to abate 

 the personal cruelties that had hitherto been committed, and to 

 save the towns and villages from sacking or destruction by fire. 

 Yet the insane Venegas would listen to no terms with the rebels, 

 and caused the manifesto to be burned in the great square, by the 

 common executioner. The principles of the document, however, 

 had been spread abroad among the people, and the flames of the 

 hangman could no longer destroy the liberal doctrines which were 

 deeply sown in the hearts of the people. 



The distinguished revolutionary chief Morelos, a clergyman, now 

 appears prominently upon the stage. He had been commissioned 

 by Hidalgo as Captain General of the provinces on the south-west 

 coast in 1810, and departed for his government with as sorry an 

 army as the troop of FalstafF. His escort consisted of a few ser- 

 vants from his curacy, armed with six muskets and some old 

 lances. But he gathered forces as he advanced. The Galeanas 



