The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-08-06
MEXICO.


[1-5e The following very interesting article,
relative to the Empire which has lately been
erected on the American Continent, is copied
from the North American Review, Of April,
ls22,--Eds. Yirgiaianl
According to the statement of Don Josef
de Moraleda, examined in manuscript by
M. de Humboldt, in the archives OF the
viceroy of Lima, the southesnmost point of
the Spanish possessions in South America
is the fort Maullln, nearthe small village of
Carelmapu, upon the coast of Chill, oppo-
site the northern extremity of the island OF
Chloe. The point is in II deg. 81 min
south latitude. The northernmost point Of
the Spanish possessions is the mission of
San Francisco on the coast of New-Cali-
foraia 7 leagues north west of Santa Cruz
in the latitude of 81 deg. 4s min. north
The Spanish dominions, therefore, extend
ed a distance of seventy-nine degrees of
latitude, exceeding the dimensions of the
British possessions in India, or even of the
Russian empire and giving to the Spanish
language use more extensive than that
which is possessed by any other national
tuiSUC.- iiiouS iiuut liilS NlOit tAltiIt,
says Humboldt, "under the wise admins
tration of Count Florida Blanca, a regular
post was establishedI for communication
from the borders of + Uruguay to the North
West Coast of II. Ara}rica so that monk
at the mission 6 the Ouaran Indians might
carry on correspondence with missiona-
ry at NewMexico, by a route almost with
out interruption, Through the continental
possessions of SPAIN nd America" We
shall better understal this vast extent of
territory by conside " that from the
southern point of FIJI Ia t. the northern
boundary of the Uni ~ States, are but a.
bout twenty-five degrees of latitude; not
the third of the extent ON the meridian of
the Spgnish dominions.
These vast dominions, under the Spanish
administration, were divided into nine great
governments, which might be considered as
independent of each other These gov
ernments were four of them STYLED vice
royalties, and five Of them general captain
cies, lcaPltan las generales.) The vice
royalties We're those of Buenos Ayres, Pc
ri, New Grenada, ard Mexico, and the cap
taincies those of Chill, Guatimali, Porto
Rico, Caracas and HAVANA. To the lat
ter was attached the region of Florida, be-
fore it was coded to the United States.
Of these several governments, that of
Mexico is PROFESSIONALLY the most inpor-
tant. When we consider, indeed, the Won
deriul natural features of the whole Spa
nlsil America, the unequaled magnitude of
the rlgefs, and the stupendous height of the
uar Of oil M INT
vast range of ATTITUDES, and the richness of
the vegetable and mineral kingdoms, we
shall, perhaps, think it but justice to assert
the first rank among the countries of the
earth for this region. Several circumstan-
ces, however, unite to render New Spain
the most important of these governments,
and il is therefore to this portion of them
that the remainder of our remarks will be
principally limited, not only on account
of its superior Importance, but because,
from various loca causes, this quarter is
the least known TO the North American
public. The superior population, the num-
Der Of great cities, and their proximity to
each other, the vast amount OF the precious
metals, and their Influence on the COM
merce of the worlG, together with the ia
vorable position Gifts ports both for Euro
pean and Asatic fade, seem to confer on
Mexico Tor New SPAIN the right to this
pre-ernlnenGe.
The anpellation If New Spain, in its full
extent is applied D the region subject TO
the Viceroy OF MEXICO, and extending from
the 38th degree Of North latitude to the
aOth of south, n these limits it would
include the captainsy of Guatimala, which,
however, in point CT actual administration,
is independent of lae Viceroy of Mexico,
and for its fertility and population may be
Iadvantageously compared with the most
valuable portions IF Spanish Ameriea.-
The greatest dimensions of New Spain
exclusive of GUATEMALA, are, in length about
1909 miles, aud in breadth about 1l00,-
The isthmns, width unitss the two great
portions of the American Continent, is so
extremely narrow. that the project of an
artificial junction Of the Atlantic and Paci-
fic has often been seriously agitated. 1t is
unfortunate that tie narrowest portion OF
the isthmus is notin that region, which, on
account OF the poas of Acapulco and Vera
rruz, and tie city Of Mexico, is Of most