IN MEXICO. 



2G5 



and with what delight they exercised the new pri- 

 vilege of speaking out ; a privilege, it may be re- 

 marked, which is at once cause and effect : since 

 we know, that, in former times, when no freedom 

 of speech was permitted, the faculty of thinking 

 to any purpose was equally repressed ; a truth 

 which, though a mere common-place, it is not, on 

 that account, the less interesting to see confirmed 

 in practice. At this time every one not only 

 took a pride in saying what his opinions were, but 

 seized every opportunity that occurred, or could 

 be devised, to manifest his political sincerity. 

 The borders of the ladies' shawls were wrought 

 into patriotic mottos ; the tops of the newspapers 

 and play-bills bore similar inscriptions ; patriotic 

 words were set to all the old national airs ; and I 

 saw a child one day munching a piece of gilt gin- 

 gerbread, stamped with the word Independencia ! 



I am aware that all this bustle can prove but 

 little ; and that nothing is more prostituted 

 than this sort of verbal enthusiasm, which evapo- 

 rates at the first show of opposition ; and cer- 

 tainly, taken singly, it would be of small moment 

 in a political point of view, however amusing 



