Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-06-02

THE CITY OF MEXlCO.-Thc new work
on Mexico BY the Hon. Waddy Thompson re-
Gently American Minister 10 that country, gives
the following sketch of the city OF Mexico, TO
which il is evidently the intention OF Gen. Taylor
10 march his army.
"The civ OF Mexico is said 10 be the finest
built city on the American Continent. In some
respects il certainly So In the principal streets
the houses are all constructed according 10 The
strictesl architectural rules The foundations OF
the civ were laid and the first buildings were erect
ed BY Cortez, who did everything well which be al
tempted -from building houses or writing coup
lei TO conquerins an empire. Many OF the finest
buildings 10 Mexico are still owned by his des-
cendants The public square is said 10 be IN
surpassed by any in the world; il contains some
twelve or fifteen acres paved with stone. The
cathedral covers one entire SIDE, The palace an-
ether the western side IS occupied oy row Of
very high and substantial houses, the second sto-
ries of which project INFO The street the width OF
the pavement; the lower stories are occupied by
the principal retail merchants OF the city. The
mos, OF these houses were built by Conez, who,
with his characteristic sagacily, and an avarice
which equally characterized him in the later part
Of his life, selected the best portion OF the city for
himself.
The Presidents Palace, formerly the palace OF
!
stories high about FIVE hundred fee, in length, and
three hundred and fifty wide; il stands on The site
of The palace Of Moniezuma. IL is difficult
conceive ut SC much stone and mortar being put
together in less tasteful and imposing shape; II
has much more the appearance OF a cotton fac
tory or penitentiary than what II really Isl the
windows are small and parapet wall runs the
whole length of the building, with nothing to re-
ljeve The monolony offs appearance, exceptsome
y>ry ;od;Rarant ornamental work in the centre:
there are no doors in the front either of the Sc
cond or third understanding but disproporton-
ately small windows, and too many OF them; The
three doors, and there are only three 10 the lower
story are destitute of all architectural beauty or
ornament Only a very small part OF this palace IS
appropriated to the residence OF the President; all
The public Offices are here, including those OF The
heads OF the different departments; ministers oil
war. foreign relations, finance an. justice, the
public treasury, &c, &c The Halls OF the House
of IDENTITIES, and OF The Senate, are also in the
same building, and last and least the botanic gar
den. After passing through all sorts OF filth and
din on The basement, story, you come 10 dark
narrow passage which conducts you 10 massive
door, which, when you have succeeded IN open
ing, you enter an apartment enclosed with high
walls on every side bul open at the top, and GER
tainly no, exceeding eighty feet square, and this
is the botanic garden OF the palace OF Mexico; a
few shrubs and plants, and the celebrated manila
tree are all that il contains. have rarely in my
life seen a more gloomy and desolaie looking
Mace. II is much more like prison than gar
den A decrepii, Palsied old man. said TO De
more than hundred years old is the superin-
,endent Of the establishments no one could have
been selected more in Keeping with The genera
dilapidation and dreariness OF this melancholy
affair.
But the cathedral, which occupies The site OF
tbe great idol temple Of Monezuma, offers stri-
king contrast 1t is five hundred feet long BY four
hundred and twenty wide. II would be superf1u-
Gus 10 add another to the many descriptions OF this
famous building which have already been pub
lished Like all the other churches IN Mexico
il is built in the Gothic style. The walls, OF Sc.
yeral feet thickness, are made of unhewn stone
and lime. Upon entering 1t, one IS apt 10 recall
the wild ictions Of the Arabian Nights; II seems
as il the wealth of empires was collected there
The clergy in Mexico do not for obvious reasons
desire that their wealth should be made known lc
its full extent they are, therefore, not disposed o
give very full Information upon the subject, or &c
exhibit The gold and silver vessels, vases, precious
stones, and other forms of wealth; quite enough
is exhibited 10 strike the behoder with wonder
The first object that presents itself on entering The
cathedral is the altar near the centre OF the build
ing: il is made Of highly-wroueht and highly po-
lished silver, and covered with prolusion OF or
naments OF pure gold. On each side OF This altar
runs a balustrade, enclosing space OF aoou'
eight feet wide and eighty or hundred feet long
The baluslers are about four fee: high and tour
inches thick in the largest parl; the hand.ra from
six 10 eight inches wide Upon the top oil this
hand. rail- at the distance Of six or eight feel apart
are human images, beautifully wrought, and
about two feet high All of these, the balustrade
hand-rail and images, are made OF compound Of
gold, silver and copper-more valuable tnan sill
yer. was told that an offer had been made 10
lake this balustrade. and replace il with another
Of exactly the same size and workmanship OF
pure silver, and 10 give halt a million OF dollars
besides. There is much more Of the same baus-
trade In other parts of the church; should think
in all of il not less than three hundred feet.
As you walk through the building, on either
side there are different apartments, all filled, from
the floor TO the ceiling, with paintings, statues,
vases, huge candlestcks, walters, and thousand
other articles. made of gold or silver This, too,
i. only the every day display Of articles Of least
value: the more costly are stored away in chests
or closets What must it be when all these are
brought out, with The immense quantities Of pre-
cious stones which the church is known to pos
.es,? And this i. only one OF the churches Of the
city Of Mexico where there are between sixty
and eighty others, and some Of them possessing
lrle less wealth than the cathedral; and il must
Also be remembered, that all the other large CITIES
such as Puebla, Guadalajara, Guanaluato, Fac
atecas, Durango, San Louis, Potosl have eaeh
proportionate number of equally gorgeous es'ao
lishmen.s."