S0§ M E X 
goods, valued at 1,-300,000 dollar?; and carries back fil¬ 
ler in exchange, with a very fmall quantity of American 
produce, and fome European goods. 
The commerce of New Spain with the mother-country 
is carried on almoft entirely through Vera Cruz. In time 
of peace, Mr. Humboldt eftimates the annual value of 
the exports, in that commerce, at twenty-two millions 
of dollars, and the annual value of the imports at fifteen 
millions. The following is his ftatement of the chief 
particulars: 
EXPORTS. 
Dollars. 
imports. Dollars. 
Gold and filver 
17,000,000 
Bale-goods, in- 
Cochineal - - 
2,4-00,000 
eluding wool- 
Sugar - - - 
1,300,000 
lens, cottons, 
Flour - . - 
300,000 
linens, & filks 9,200,000 
Indigo - • - 
280,000 
Paper - - - 1,000,000 
Salt meat, &c. - 
100,000 
Brandy - - 1,000,000 
Tanned hides - 
80,000 
Cacao - - - 1,000,000 
Sarfaparilla - - 
90,000 
Quickfilver - 650,000 
Vanilla - - - 
60,000 
Iron, manufactured 
Jalap - - - 
- 60,000 
& unmanufactured 600,000 
Soap - - 
50,000 
Steel - - - - 200,000 
Logwood - - 
40,000 
Wine - - - 700,000 
Pimento - - 
<■ 
30,000 
Bees w ; ax - - 300,000 
21,790,000 
14,650,000 
This ftatement, however, muft be confidered as a mere 
approximation by Mr. Humboldt, founded on the average 
of feveral years of peace, and therefore more applicable 
to the period antecedent to 1796, when the war with 
England broke out, than to the prefent times. Thofe 
who wifh for more exact details muft look to his work, 
(p.699-708.) where they will find the accounts of the 
commerce of Vera Cruz, in 1802 and 1803, publifhed by 
the Confulado of that place. It is neceffary further to 
obferve, that Mr. Humboldt does not include, in this 
eftimate, the contraband trade on the coaft of New 
Spain ; and that he has alfo omitted the indigo of Gua¬ 
temala, and cacao of Guayaquil, though exported at 
Vera Cruz; becaule thefe articles are not the produce of 
that kingdom. 
The beneficial effects of the fyftem of free trade have 
been experienced to a greater extent in Mexico than in 
any other part of Spanifh America, Cuba, perhaps, ex¬ 
cepted. This will appear evident, from a comparifon of 
the export of produce from New Spain at different periods. 
The lalt flota, under the old fyftem, failed from Vera Cruz 
in 1778, and exported the produce of the four Dollars. 
preceding years, which amounted in value to 2,470,022 
The exports of produce in 1787-90, the four 
firft years after the new fyftem was com¬ 
pletely eftablilhed, were valued at - - - 11,394,664 
Difference of the four years ----- 8,924,642 
. r j • C1802 - - - 0,188,212 
Export of produce in J igo3 ..... ^*8,283 
The export of 1802 is not, perhaps, a fair fubject of com¬ 
parifon, as that was the firft year of peace after the termi¬ 
nation of a long war, in which the diret commerce with 
the mother-country had been in a great meafure fuf- 
pended. But the fame objection does not apply to 1803, 
the export of which was more- than double that of four 
years under the old fyftem, and nearly ecjual to the ex¬ 
ports of two years immediately after the introduction of 
the free trade. 
After confidering the commerce of New Spain in all 
its branches, contraband included, Mr. Humboldt gives 
the following eftimate of its total amount. 
Dollars. 
Annual importation of foreign goods - - 20,000,000 
-exportation of produce - - - - 6,000,000 
Balance to be difcharged in money - - - 14,000,000 
I c o. 
Dollars. 
Annual produce of the mines ----- 23,000,00® 
Export of money on account of 
the crown, and of private in¬ 
dividuals refiding in Spain - 8,000,000 
Export to difcharge the balance 
of trade ------- 14,000,000 
Money added to the circulation 
of the colony ----- 1,000,000 
- ■■ 23,000,000 
The following tables, felected from a vaft number of 
others, will Ihow the progrefs of the revenues of New Spain, 
their prefent amount, and their general application. 
Dollars. 
f 1712 - - 3,068,400 
| 1763 - - 5,705,876 
Grofs revenue of New Spain in l 1780 - - 15,010,974 
] 1783 - - 19,605,574 
I_l802 - - 20,200,000 
Grofs revenue, according to the eftimate of 
Mr. Humboldt in 1804 ------ 20,000,000 
Expenfe of internal government 10,500,000 
Remittances to the other colonies, 
in order to defray the expenfes 
of their internal government - 3,500,000 
Clear revenue remitted to Madrid 6,000,000 
— - —. 20,000,000 
The military eftablifhment of New Spain was compofed, 
in 1804, of 10,000 troops of the line, and 22,000 militia 3 
about one-half of both confiftingof cavalry. 
As foon as it was known in Mexico, and throughout 
Spaniih America, in the year 1808, that the French had 
got footing in Spain, there was a general determination 
not to fubmit to the government of Napoleon, or of a 
king appointed by him. They therefore very l'olemnly 
fwore to preferve their allegiance to Ferdinand VII. But, 
when Ferdinand had abdicated the government, and the 
colonies found themfelves fo fhamefully treated by the 
junta of regency, (fee the article London, vol. xiii. p. 231.) 
they determined to affert their own entire independence. 
From that period a civil war, attended with various fuc- 
cefs, but every-where marked with cruelty and defla¬ 
tion, has divided the colonifts, and armed them for their 
mutual detraction. Blood has been filed proful'ely in the 
field, and unmercifully on the fcaffold. Flourifhing coun¬ 
tries, that were advancing rapidly in wealth and civiliza¬ 
tion, have fuffered alike from the affertors of their liber¬ 
ties and from the enemies of their independence. The 
revolutionifts and the partifans of the mother-country 
have been equally bloody in their vengeance, and equally 
regardlefs of juftice and confiftency in exacting obedience 
to their decrees. 
In no part of Spanifh America have the flames of civil 
difcord raged with fuch detractive activity as in the 
kingdom of Mexico. No-where has fo much blood been 
fpilt, or fuch irreparable mifchief committed. In April 
1811 it was calculated, that more than 60,000 perfons had^ 
already perifhed in the conteft ; and, though the party of 
the mother-country was then triumphant, the infurgents 
had been difperfed, but were not pacified. Numerous 
parties of guerrillas occupied the mountains and infefted 
the high roads, fo as to interrupt all internal commerce, 
and render the communication of one city with another 
infecure. Hatred and difcontent were as ftrong as ever. 
The rigorous punifhmen'ts inflicted by the conqueror, 
though they terrified for the moment, increafed tiie alie¬ 
nation of the vanquilhed. The difdainful refuiai of all re- 
drels of grievances, as derogatory from tlie dignity of go¬ 
vernment, removed to a diltance all hope ot concord or 
conciliation. Our information concerning this war is 
exceedingly defective. The revolutionary party publiflied 
no declarations to juftify their inlurredion, or explain 
their views; or, if they did, their manifelloes have-not 
2 reached 
