The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-17
MISCELLANEOUS.


Sra have read recently your "Reeollecuons OF
Mexico, and whilst say (and say u with pleas
ure) that | found much IN your BOOK thai Is oo'h
nmnsing and instructive, capdor obliges mo to say,
$50, that there are some things l regret-thngs
which have not my concurrence, which do not APP
prove, and Of which am obliged to think you have
taken decidedly erroneous views. Judging from
what know Of your character, am persuaded that
you will not be displeased, should make few re-
marks upon passages In the "Recollections IN
spirit Of frank and liberal criticism; not for the sake
of finding fault but for the purpose OF neatrazlng
in some degree the effect that your opinions and
assumptions (such as l think wrong) are likeiy
TO have upon your numerous readers Consulting
at once both brevity and perspicuity, wiii bring
together some quotations from your work relative
TO the few topics which propose making, eu'Tenis
ealano, few observations. 80. ..
OfFemando Coriez, the conqueror Of Mexico, you
say that he was "a miracle of a man"-"slaughter
of the Cholulans stain on his character" howey-
er-"xreat and wonderful character Of Cortez."
Bernal Diaz, ga veracious old chronieer the
mos, enchanting book l ever read (Diaz) in any
Language, in which the beauties OF ossian and
Froissart are combined"-''most reliable authority
upon the conquest Of Mexico! Mr.; Prescott has
fallen into some errors to the old chronicler, and
1 think, undertakes his work" -
81 know OF no hero, ancient or modern, ior whom
have more admiration than for Cortez"-"vindr
cate my ayodte hero, Cortez, against the mPutaton
of unnecessary cruelty" ,,,,,
ofthe murder, or slaughter, or staying, or killing,
whichever il was, Of Guatemosin, the Mexican en-
peror, you say "Cortez had satisfactory s'iaepee
that. OF, the march, Guatemosin had formed plan
that was ripe for execution, for the Mexieans 70
rise and massacre the Spaniards. IL Is absurd 70
impute 10 Cortez any other motives Tor inc iaet;
"Cortez was at all points hero himself, ana could
have no other feeling this occasion than that OF
sympathy and admiration Tor Gua'emosin, .he
greatest Of Indian heroesa being of romance rather
Than If hiafoFv.p .
aCor,ez was a Christian, a most sincere and de-
wont one and in this particular he stands at an I'M
measurable height above all other eonquerors, va
poleon, {" &c, &c--that "miracle OF woman, Done
Marina. the Indian interpreter Of Cortez, who's.
great qualities throw into the shade our own foea'
hontas." ,.. Il
or President Santa Ana you say, "his great vice
ia ayaricen "If | may believe half OF what j
heard, he is not free from peculation and bribery
al should be glad to see him at the head Of the gov
ernmentn "Sants Ana has finely formed head
and face; there 10 scarcely feature or point IN
either that Spnrzhem or Layater would desire 10
cbaneen-"ndicatve of talent, frmness, and beneyo-
lence." $50 said a distinguished American states
man" ... r...... ......,
al believe Santa Ana is a patriots" and you adj
init that he is a eoek.fghtsr HE santa Anal SAD
that General jackson expressed himself SATISFIED
with his explanations of massacre at the Alamo,
and of Psnning's command" "Fhe massacre OF
Fanning,s men was not without ilustrous exam
plesn-an "unmitigated murder, however
These are the passages upon which propose 70
make few remarks, and | will begin with the
..veracious old chronicler," Benal Diaz; and re,
speeding him agree with you, except that do not
al all partake of the enthusiasm Of your admiration
for him. think his book very entertaining one,
but do not consider it by any means the most sen
chanting" in any language; and when you said thus
il was not in your mind, probably, that you had
read Robinson Crusoe, Don Quixotte, Gil Bias
Rabelais, and others that might be named-all a.
least as enchanting, though not capable, perhaps Of
exciting the same interest, for the reason that they
are hctons, and the other solemn and serious re-
lation Of facts-the bloodiest, the most arocious,
and most narrowing OF any on record, or, at all
events, as much 30 as any others /
do not think, either, that between Ossian and
Diaz there are many points OF resemblance; and
scarcely know any two books that treat 30 much OF
the same subject, (war, that, in my judgment, are
more unlike each other. But this Is matter OF no
consequence to you, to me, or to anybody else.
think you have done no more than justice to Diaz
when you give him the credit Of being "veracious"-
yerncity being the cream and essence and quintes-
sence Of all history, as veracity Is the glory of
historian; pity U.S. that some OF them have been 30
Indifferent to this glory am of opinion that there
is, perhaps, no book purporting to be narrative OF
facts, written under disadvantageous circun
stances as Diaz wrote, that contains more truth ]
believe that he saw and heard all that he says he
did, or that at all events he regiousy believed that
he did. think so, because the most competent
Judges, whatever fault they may find with his man.
ner or STYLE or his vanity or illiteracy all agree,
believe, that he is truthful. And l have another
reason, which is that his history contains as much
internal evidence of its truthfuness "a any other
book of the kind, probably, though now and then
there are passages to be found, particularly where
he plays the iheoogian and natural philosopher,
that are rather ludicrous and absurd, as when
he says of the virgin Mary prgen aniss del pato
en- Ell pato despues del pato And of horse that died
of heat on the expedition to Guatemala, he says
that the cause Of his death was, that the grease
his body was melted by the excessive heat-(aie der
yi6 Ia aneca el cuerpo con eigran calor-a death
we were all in danger Of dying here in the month
of July last, when, the Hon. C.. J. Ingerse
says, (war of 1922 of this same city of Washing
ton in 1918, "the weather was in canicular sympa-
thy with our condition"
old chronicler against Mr.. Prescott's disparagng
critiaue in which be does not charge him with false
hood or with anything disreputable or criminal,
vet taken altogether the article is unfavorabe, not
outstanding that there is some "feint praise" flung
oyer and through it here and there. But Certez
was the favorite hero of Mr.. Prescott as well as
of YOURSELF and an, inclined to believe that he does
not consider the old chronicler's testimony favor
able to him as you do, and was easily led insensi-
bly, by his Partially to tie one, to nnderrate the
other. And here l will remark, that Mr.. PRESCOTT
has done the work Of withdrawing the character
in the most effectual Manner and with but too much
success; for, with few exceptions, the thousands
and tens of thousands who read his admirable and
eloquent pages, will admit as gospel and historic
truth all that he has said of that bloody and unscru
pulous tyrant and oppressor. And behold the ON
impotence of genius! who believe nothing that Mr..
Prescott has said of Corez that represents him
BILE, and generous and humane, and merciful--I read
his aConquest Of Mexico" with as much pleasure,
suppose, those who believe 1t all, and carried
away with his fascinating style, scarcely think of
regretiDg until get through the work, that much
talent, and learning, and time, have been expended
upon one Of the very worst characters in all history
But he was successful, and success paiates all
wrong consecrates all crime. Had he failed and
survived, a halter and endless infamy would have
been his fate; he succeeded, and an apotbeoss has
been decreed him.
...a oEt viola! comment ecrt phistoirep-
have heard it said that Mr.. Prescott is writing.
or intends to wrte history also of the conquest Of
Peru; and I am curious to know what sort Of a
character he intends to make of Pizaro, who as
much merits laudation as Cortez, though they both