New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-23
WILSON'S kEXICO.


THB AUTHOR or ssw HISTORY or THE con-
QUEST or HEuco TNCULpATE> HIMSELF
/ FROM THg CHARGES OF FRAUD AND mutt
IATIEG AUTHORITIES.
/ D. n. Ee,kr1 The y. y TrtbVa>
sn: The lengthy notice OF my New History OF
the Conqnest Of NtXoo, 10 year issue OF shs I'm
rst is mott s.vsre, bar, eompsred with the person'
aties and peitfoggrg ssssats OF thoss Jurnas TIA,
selsv the LEAD o the Atlantic Monthly, It's criticism
10 at,ssliy refreshing Whether the $50 GOO IL publish
ers Metsrs Philips, Sampson s Co. paidon the copy
rights Of The late Mr. Prescott, hiss mad snythng TO DO
with the seton of that msgszne, or their advertising
patronage CT that Of certain local journals, cannot
ssy. Bn; il is certain thSt notices of the vo'k shch,
for tie fret month were exceedingly favorable, have
entirely casrged since tie Atlantic opened upon II.
Thi. .xrsordIsry state Of things Induces - solicit
hearing in yonr columns.
IPseems that you were prepared to receive II with
"favor, but for two explanatory clauses inserted IN
p.rsgrsph copied from one Of the commenes works 70
lie found in the oooi Of NewYors. Should not
chHty have suggested tnst, either in copying the Ms
or in printing the brackets that once inclosed t7em
were dentally omitted. An author who does not
live in Boston, bu. in obscure vusge, with noun
tain almost, 20 be climbed to reaeh railway with
proof readers as ignorant OF his suoec' as are oe OF
!
be selrelsIf ought certainly 10 be excused Ter teT
deeots in ore OF the most elegant volumes that ever
issued from the American prsss. the staple OF the
charges thu. lar i. come bemsh IN note or 90 ne
errorn punsusiiou long since detected and corrected
SForesuers the Old system of Spanish orthogrs-
ply while the modern writers of that country use the
new Yet il is cited evidence of my Ignorance,
that quoting from modern writers, have adopted
their style So too, discsrdpg Berns Disz SO cOun-
terfeit old solder, monk in srmor prsting theology
| VAS compelled 70 follow Corsez 10 the matter OF
Incisn u8mes.
berr consulted IL it not allowable TO use that OF
which have general knowledge simply by its index
II the latter eourse is sanctioned by custom why Is It
10 be made point against my integrity Way an l
charged with suppressDg the TRUTH because soms pas
ssge bearing on the subsct may have eecsped my
tce : was not aware that Stephens had denounced
Dup.ix or rather Castanada's cross az translucent
nutistion. With s my dlstrust OF Spanish auth0rI-
ties had The most implicit confidence IN them. Du-
psx was placed at the head OF scientific Com
mission by the most enlightened King Spain ever
had to explore the ruins found in New SPAN IL was
his duty TO make notes of bis explorations as an engl
neer and this lie did 10 the uost brief and professional
way possible. CsstSnaja took the drawings. 10
have muts.ed them would have required the concur
renee Of the whole Commission. The explanatory
rotes Of Dnpax are in one volume, the drawings IN
arother. studed the notes diligently aud casually
verified them by casting my eyes occasionally on the
plates. But wrote from the notes. SO much for my
copniving at "the fraui Of Dupai1"
scrbed standing out boldly boldly as to be the lead
ing object in the plate referred TO; al else was faint
lined. To take il naked end alone, would destroy its
effect. Surrounding il was faint cross, winch
formed to il pleasant relief This outer cross, ct the
extremity of its Sims was connected with the aegor
cal accomplishments that through and smong the
lines Of hierogly phcs and the personages OF the
group Influenced as much by the notes.of Dupah as
by the drawings believed the cross to terminate as
have termn sted IL and that all ese even including
the stranger bird part and parcel Of scene en-
acting before it. II have erred, it is st most 40
error Of Judgment, and hardly lusthes such hsrSh
words as ''fraud and "connivng at fraud.
AL the illustrations bu. two were designed slmpyto
render the notes little more explicit, and were d.
rected to be made of diminutiye size. Those that
were borrowed were only traced, and marked with
proper references while the artist Mr.. Lauderbsch,
was directed to consult the originals; and have 10
doubt he did so, he could not have made them IRON
ny rude outlines.
The artist and the stersotyper young and an.
bilious men, and seem to have combined 10 cnangeth
whole mechanical plan Of the work, and have made !,
what never detigned il should be-sn illustrated
book. In workmanship they have entirely echpsed
the oriensl pictures also; yet yerily believe they
hsve faithfully preserved their spirit and design.
But why waste words over Irrelevant msttcrsH
have shown Mr.. Prescotts History to be an impossi-
billy from the Typographical surveys of our military
engineers and his famous Zezeucan Enpire-another
Babylon, with hanging gardens-artifcal dew-psl-
aoes-equeduCts-snd council OF music, fancy orea-
ton of De Ava. This transparent moonshine, thor
ougbly exposed in the first chapter of my work you
have passed over 10 assai my integrity in confessedy
urmportant particulars, You cay it is too late 70
question Benal Daz. Without producing any eyi'
dence OF that apocrypbal existence prior 70 lO you
quote him against me.
have called attention TO the important fact that
Mr.. Prescotts Monkisb Chronicles are but hearsay
Witnesses while sufficient direct and circumsantlsl
testimony exists elsewhere to write history Of the
Conquest Of Mexico without resoring to their doubt
ful authority. And / have shown too that the con-
srant under which they wrote, and their employment
moreover as priests Of Rome left them open to sns-
picion, even # their evidence had been otherwise
legitimate. Why rot meet these points instead Of
wasting columns in mi.csrp.ng erui4ue!
Daa,riL<, ". Y, April 10, 1883.