Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-06-11
MISCELLANEOUS.
M EAlCO AND The M EXlCf
ISECOND NOTICF.1

We resume our extracts from this interesting
publication and shall begin by pointing out the
wealth and influence of the Church, which is in
fact the real government, although it exercises its
authority indirectly. Nevertheless it is felt to the
remoest throb Of Mexican feeling Mr. Thompson
thus describes the City of Mexico, its Palace, its
Cathedral, and the wealth of the Church,
The city Of Mexico is said 10 be the finest built
city on the American Continent. In some respects
it certainly is In the principal streets the houses
are all constructed according to the strctest archi
tectural rules. The foundations of the city were
laid, and the first buildings were erected by Cores
who did everything well which he attempted
from building a house or writing a couplet to con-
Guerlng an empire. Many of the finest buildings
in Mexico are still owned by his descendants. The
public square is said 10 be unsurpassed BY anv in
the world; it contains some twelve or fifteen acres
paved with stone. The Cathedral covers one en-
tire side, the Palace another; the western side is
occupied by row of very high and substantial
houses the second stories of which project into the
street the width of the pavement; the lower stories
are occupied by the principal retail merchants of
the city. The most of these houses were built by
Cortes who, with his Characteristic sagacity and
an averlce which equally characterized him in the
latter part OF his lite, selected the best portion OF
the city for himself
The Presidents Palace formerly the palace Of
the vceroys, Is an immense building of three stories
high, about hive hundred feet in length and three
hundred and MY wide; 1t stands the site of the
palace Of Montezuma 1t is difficult to conceive OF
so much stone and mortar being put together in O
less tasteful and imposing shape; it has much more
the appearance OF cotton factory or pentientia
nv, than what 1t really Is; the windows are small
and parapet wall runs the whole length of the
building with nothing to !cleve the monotony Of
It's appearance except some very indifferent orna
mental work in the centre there are no doors il
the front either OF the second or third stories =
nothing but disproportonally small windows, anC
too many of them; the three doors, and there arr
only three in the lower story are destitute of al
architectural beauty or ornament. Only yer,
small part Of this palace is appropriated to the res
idence Of the President; all the public offices arr
here, including those Of the heads of the differen
departments ministers Of war, foreign relations
finance and justice, the public treasury, &c. &c
The halls Of the house Of deputies and of the sen
ate are also in the same building, and last and leas
the botanic garden. After passing through al
sorts Of filth and dirt on the basement story yo
come to dark narrow passage which conduct
you to massive door, which, when you have sue
ceeded IN opening, you enter an apartment enco
sed with high walls on every side but open at tn
top, and certainly not exceeding eighty feet square
and this is the botanic garden of tie palace
Mexico; few shrubs and plants and the oelebra
ted manlta tree, are all that it contains. | hay
rarely in my life seen more gloomy and desoat
looking place. 1t is much more like a prison tina
garden. a decrepitpalsed old man said 10 be moi
than hundred years old, is the superintendent
the establishment no one could have been selecte
more in keeping with the general dilapidaton an
drearlness Of this melancholy affair.
But the Cathedral, which occupies the site
the great idol temple of Montezuma, offers str
king contrast. 1t IS five hundred feet long by fot
hundred and twenty wide. 1t would be superhl
Gus TO add another TO the many descriptions of tn
famous building which have already been publish
ed. Like all the other churches in Mexico, it
done IN the Gothic STYLE The walls, of sever
feet thickness are rnade Of unhewn stone and Inn
Upon entering II, one is apt to recall the wild fl
tons of the Arabian Nights; it seems as if Nj
wealth Of empires was collected there The Gle
gy IN Mexico do not for obvious reasons, des,
that their wealth should be made known to its fl