American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-07-20
NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE MEX
leans.
From '' Notes on .uerico. made IN 1922"
BY THE HON. JOEL a. PoiEsETT.

people, who have treated me with much kindness
and hospitality. The gentlemen with whom have
associated are intelligent men and those who have
had it in their power to pursue liberal studies, are
fond of literature and science. The Creoles in
general possess good natural talents and great la
cilly Of Acquiring knowledge. They are extreme
ly mild and courteous in their manners, kind and
benevolent towards each other, and hospitsbIe 10
strangers. Their besetng sin is gambling The
married women very pleasing in their manners.
They are said TO be faithful the favored lover, and
tiaision Of that nature docs not affect the lady s
reputation. The young women lively and &C
compIished. They sing and play agreeaby, dance
well. and know all they have an opportunity OF
learning. II they would leave off the detesiable
practice of smoking, they would be very pleasing
and amiable. This is to be understood charac-
terlling the society generally. There GER
tanly some young ladies livery few am afrad) who
do not smoke some married women (many hope)
who have no lover, il this would be interpreted to
derogate from their charms, who consider him only
as convenient dangler, and are fondy and faith
fully attached to their husbands and there GER
tanly are many gentlemen who are not gamesers
Il is difficult TO descl be accurately a nation com.
posed Of such various ranks, and of so many dit
ferent casts as New Spain. The most important
dstnctionciv and poiilical."a founded the color
OF the skin. Here, to be white 10 be noble and
the rank OF the different casts is determined by their
nearer or more distant RELATION 10 the whites the
LIST IN scale being the direct or unmixed descen
daa,s OF the Africans or Indiana.
The character of the Indian population, which
exceeds Two millions and hail, remains very much
the same as that of the lower lass OF the natives is
described have been at the time Of the conquest.
} he same Incidence, The same blind submission to
their superiors and the same ahject misery are to
be remarked The forms and monies OF their
Religion are changed, and they perhaps better
pleased with the magnidcence oil the Catholic rites
than with their former mode of worship. They
take childish delight IN forming professions, 10
which they dress themselves most IAntsstt ally and
the priests in many parts oil the country, have
found necessary to permit them TO mingle theirI
dances and their mumneres with the Catholic Ger !
euiones They were oppressed and roddep under
iont ny their emperor and caclques; and ever since
the conquest, they have been oppressed by laws
intended 10 protect them. For the most part they
are distributed in villages, and on the most Gatren,
unproducnye lands and under their own ca.
ciques who are charged with the civil government
abd With the collection Of the tribute tax of about
Two dollars each male from ten TO f!ty years OF
age.
he casts, that is to saw, the mestizOS, defendants
OF whles or Indians mutattOeS defendants Of the I
whites and negroes sainboes defendants OF negroes
and lndians-are scattered over the country as labor
sts' or live IN towns as arzyus, workmen or beg
lated property and some few Of the casts may be
seen living in comfort and responsibility in the CT
ties and ~ the counry but these instances are rare
rom Inc caclque or Indian magistrate of the village
70 me most abIect Of his fellow sufferers, they are
INCIDENT and poor. The ouly difference between Ii
them Is that the cacque dnes not work at all By
law passed since the revolution. they are decla, ed
tose'her with all the estates 10 be possessed of the
same rights as he whites. The tribute is abolish
~ Natt cGr L.,
10 me acd5ala or tax on the internal commerce Il
from which they were heretofore exempt. This !
declaration VIII produce no alteration in the charac-
yer o. ms class OF the population. Measures must
be aiken TO educate them, and lands distributed a
among them, before they be considered as form
ihS part OF the people OF free government. 4
Inc titled nobility are white creoles who satIs- Ia
ntd with the enjoyment Of large estates with the a
consideration which their rank and wealth confer I
seek no other distinction They are not remarka a
"e i"r ther ataInmelt or for the stricness OF their
.hn'ais' ne lawyers, Who 10 fact, exercise muc O
lnnoehce over the people rank next to the mobiles
hey are the younger branches Of noble h4uses or
the sons o. LuroPeans and are remarkably shrewd II
ana intelligent. Next in importance are The mer.i
chants and shopkeepers for The ormer are no, sur
ncientiy numerous TO form separate class They {
arc wealthy and might possess Influence but have II
hherto taken lltlle part in the politics OF the coun
'y-most probably the lear Of losing their property
winch is in tangible shape. The la5orinp class n
IN the cities and towns includes all casts and colors
they are industrious and orderly, and view with b
interest what is passing around them. Most of a
'ne read, and in the large cities papers and pam
pne's' are hawked about the seeis, and sold at a n
cneap rate to The people. The laborng class in The
county IS composed, in the same manner, Of diff S
lereh' casts They sober, industrious docilc, "
'SoFan' ana superstitious and may BIZ led by their
ot Masters to good or evil Their apathy I
mas 10 some measure been overcome by the strur- Il
gle Tor independence, in which most Of them bore 4
part, but they are sill under the influence and b
directions OF the priests. They are merely labor e
srs without any property in the soil and cannot be
expected to feel much interest in tho nresaryt;o L.