Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-07-02
The civ of Mexico.


resided in that country the American Minister:
1.-The city of Mexico is said to be the finest built
city on the American continent. In some respects IT
certainly In the principal streets the houses are
all constructed according 10 the strlctest architectural
rules. The foundations of the city were laid, and
the first buildings erected by Cortes, who did
every thing well which he a.tempted-from building
houses or writing couplet to conquering an empire.
Many of the finest buildings IN Mexico are still
owned by his descendants The public square is said
to be unsurpassed by any in the world; II contains
some twelve or fifteen acres paved with stone. The
cathedral covers entire side, the palace another
the western side is occupied by 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
sagacy, and ayarice which equally characterized
him in the latter part of his life, selected the best
portion of the city for himself
The Presidents Palace, formerly the palace of the
yiceroys is immense building of three stories high,
about five hundred feet in length and three hundred
and fifty wide; it stands the site of the palace Of
Montezuma. 1t Is difficult TO conceive of so much
stone and mortar being put together in less tasteful
aud imposing shape; II has much more the appear
ance of cotton factory or penltentary than what
it really is the windows small, and parapet
wall runs the whole length of the building, with
nothing to relieve the monotOny of its appearance
except some very Indifferent ornamental work IN the
centre; there doors in the front either of the
second third stories-nothng but disproportionatey
small windows and too many Of them; the three
DOORS and there only three in the lower story
destitute of all architectural beauty Only
very small part of this palace is appropriated to
the residence of the President; all the public off,
here, including those of the heads of the
different departments; ministers of war, foreign
relations, finance and justice, the public treasury,
&C., &c. The halls of the house of deputies and Of
the senate are also in the same building, and last and
least the botanic garden. After passing through all
sorts of filth and dirt on the basement story, you
come to dark, narrow passage, which conducts you
to a massive door, which, when you have succeeded
in opening, you enter apartment enclosed with
high walls on every side, but open at the top, and
certainly not exceeding eighty feet square, and this
is the botanic garden Of the palace of Mexico; few
shrubs and plants and the celebrated manta tree are
all that it contains.
| have rarely in my life seen a more gloomy and
desolate looking place. 1t is much more like prison
than garden. decrepit, palsied old man, said to
be than hundred years old, is the superintend-
ent of the establishment; could have been
selected more in keeping with the general dilaplda-
ton and dreariness of this melancholy affair.
But the cathedral, which occupies the site of the
great idol temple of Montezuma, offers striking
contrast 1t FIVE hundred feet long by four hundred
and twenty wide. 1t would be superhuous to add
another to the many descriptions of this famous build
ing which have already been published. Like all the
other churches in Mexico, it is built in the Gothic
style. The walls of several feet thickness, made
of unhewn stone and lime. Upon entering it, one is
apt to recall the wild ictions of the Arabian Nights
it seems as if the wealth of empires was collected
there. The clergy in Mexico do not, for obvious
reasons, desire that their wealth should be made
known to its full extent they therefore, not dis
posed to give very full information upon the subject
or TO exhibit the gold and silver vessels, vases, pre-
cous stones and other forms of wealth quite enough
is exhibited strike the behoder with wonder. The
first object that presents itself entering the cahe-
dral is the altar the centre of the building;
is made of hgh-wrought and highly-polished silver
aud covered with a prOfusion of ornaments of pure
gold. On each side OF this altar runs a baustrade,
enclosing space about eight feet wide, and eighty
a hundred feet long. The balusters are about four
feet high, and four inches thick in the largest part
the hand-rail from six to eight inches wide. Upon
the top of this hand-rai, at the distance of six or
eight feet apart, are human images, beautifully
wrought, and about two feet high All of these, the
balustrade, handrail and images, made of COM
pound of gold silver and copper-more valuable than
silver. | was told that an offer had been made to
take this balustrade, and replace 1t with another of
exactly the same size and workmanship of pure sill
yer, and to give half million of dollars besides.
There is much more of the same balustrade in other
parts of the church, should think, in all of it, not
lees than three hundred feet.
As you walk through the building, on either side
there different apartments, all filled, from the
floor the ceiling with paintings statues vases huge
candesticks, walters and thousand other articles
made of gold or silver This too, is only the every
day display of articles of least value the costly
are slowed away in chests or closets What must it
be when all these brought out, with the immense
quantities of precious stones which the churc is
known to possess And this is only one of the
churches of the city of Mexico where there are be-
tween sixty and eighty others, and of them
possessing little less wealth than the cathedral and
it must also be remembered that all the other large
cities, such Puebla, Guadalajara, Guanajuato
Zacatecas, Durango, San Louis, Potosi, have each
proportionate number of equally gorgeous establish
ments."
GA letter dated at the city of Mexico and pub
lished in the Union," says
Many of the Mexicans are not sorry at the
defeat of their army, but rather inclined to believe
that the of their country has been served by it,
and would like to see the whole of their army des-
troyed, as it is of use to the country, and only
the of Military aspirants, and to keep
them in eternal revolutions"
"The people not entirely ignorant of what is
going for the destruction of the elective franchise