The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-03-23

gence. Mexico had been discovered !
"a land inhabited, not by poor and
ignorant sayages, but by people con
siderably civilized, who possessed
spacious and costly sdilices, temples,
rich garments, ornaments of gold; a
people, too, who were ruled by pow
erful monarch, with a disciplined ar
my. aud yet were so debased by SUI
perstition as to appease the imaginary
wrath Of their idols by sacrifices Of
human beings How all this appealed
at once to the cupidity and religious
zeal OF the Spaniards, can be imagined
by those who know anything of the
character of the Spaniards of That day.
Governor Nelasquez proceeded I'M
mediately to organize All expedition
for the settlement and CONVENTION Of
Mexico There were two things
wanting money, and a man fit to
command such an enterprise. On
looking around, the governor thought
he saw in fernando COrtez man
rich enough to dofray, in great part,
the expense of the expedition, and en-
lowed with the requisite energy and
talents to conduct it.
He sent for Cortez, revealed the pro-
iect to him. and offered him the COM
mand. Cortez accepted it, and agreed
TO embark his fortune in the enter
prise. Six large vessels were speedily
equipped, and three hundred men
eagerly volunteered to follow leader
already known for his courage and
skill. The orders given by Nelasquez
to the commander of the expedition
enioined it upon him to deal gently
and literally with the Mexicans, since
the grand objects III view were, first,
and above all to convert them to
Christianity; secondly, to open with
them peaceful, honest commerce;
and, lastly, to get such knowledge of
the country and its waters us would
be of no use to future navigators. He
was directed, however, to impress up
on the Mexicans lofty idea of the
goodness and greatness of the King of
Spain, to invite them to conciliate
that monarch by presents OF gold and
pearls, and acknowledge him as their
sovereign lord
" hen the fleet was ready TO sail,
Nelas Iuez awoke to the danger of
trusting with an important, indepen-
dent command, man 50 ambitions
and resolute as Cortez, and he deter
mined to remove him. Cortez, noti-
fed in time. hurried on board, raising
his anchors, and pat TO sea; so that
when Nelasquez ran down TO the
beach at the dawn of day, November
Is. 1913, 10 execute his intention, he
saw the feet standing ont to sea, be-
You'd the reach of his orders
Touching at several places on his
way for recruits, Cortez found him.
self, five months after, near the port
now named Vera Cruz, with one hun
bred and ten sailors, five hundred and
fifty-three soldiers, and two hundred
Indians, fourteen pieces Of artillery,
and sixteen horses. Discriminating he
established himself III an entrenched
camp and opened relations with the
Cacique of the district, who treated
the strangers with the utmost hospi-
tally Their first interview began
with the celebration of the Mass, af-
ter which Cortez invited the Cacique
and his attendants to collation.,
which beng ended, conversation began.
Having learned from the CaciQue that
Montezuma, the king Of the country,
resided at great city two hundred
miles distant, Cortcz asked permission
to visit him, to which the Cacique re-
Piled that he would send his request
to the king. A week after the mes
sengers returned, bearing to the Span
iards magnificent presents. and a
message from Montezuma, declining
the protfered visit. \ second request
elected other costly gifts, and IL posi-
tive order from the king for the
strangers not to approach the capital.
Cortez hestated not a moment.
Feigning submission, he prepared at
once to march to Mexico. Some of
his followers, however, not as bold as
himself, murmured, and plotted
against him. Then it was that, be-
sides depressing tho mutiny with the
strong hand, he resolved to make all
turning back impossible. He caused
all his vessels, except the smallest, to
be scuttled and sunk From that
hour, there was no safety except III
the total conquest of the country.
Leaving at Vera Cruz sufficient gar
rison, he began his immortal march,
August Is, 1918, with the following
forces; four hundred foot soldiers, fif-
teen horsemen, thirteen hundred In
dams to draw the cannons and carry
the baggage, and seven pieces OF artil-
lerN.
TO relate the conquest of Mexico
requires volumes. That great empire
fell, like Peru, because it was divided
against itself, At what an enormous
sacrifice Of life the conquest was
made, what pelils Cortez escaped,
what an amazing energy and genius
he displayed, how much wisdom and
humanity were united in him with
bigotry and cruelty-to know these
things, the reader must repair to one
of the many works which relate the
conquest of Mexico.
For twenty-one years, if we deduct
one short, triumphant visit to Spain,