Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-05-04

huIhO1i VI Iiuiauo do oIdNCS, tHtIC "
ing nothing better to take at the time,
CorteZ accepted them, and became a
planter The governor also named
him notary of the town, an office of
some little emolument. Without ell
tirely neglecting his business, he now
resumed his dissolute habits, and spent
most of his time in love intrigues,
which involved him in several duclS.
After seven years of a life like this, he
joined the forces destined for the con-
quest of Cuba under Valasquez, and
displayed in that affair, so much dash,
activity, courage and gayety, that he
became a favorite Of NalasqueZ, who
named him his ocurc tory.
This friendship was soon changed
into fierce hostility. Cortez, in the
course of amorou5 adventures, had
given promise of marriage to "a young
lady, which he was not inclined to
keep. Governor Vaiasqucz insisted
on his fulfilling the promise. Cortez,
angry at this interference with his
/ pleasures, joined himself to the enc
mics Of Ealasqucz. and prepared to go
to Spain to intrigue for his recall
The governor, discovering the plot,
arrested Cortez II d would have
hanged him, it is said, but for the i'll
terceSsi0n of friends He threw him
into prison. and caused him to he
chained. Twice Cortcz escaped, and
was twice rc-captured, and at length
was glad enough to accept his liberty
on condition Of marrying the Girl he
had betrayed. The governor endowed
the young couple with an extensive
tract Of land in Cuba, and a large
number of Indians. Being now a
married man, he carried on his plan
tatiou with great vigor, imported cat
tie from Spain. and raised better crops
than his neighborS. Gold having been
( discovered upon his land, he kept
many of his Indians at work in mining
it, and so gradually became man oI
considerable wealth. He is said tc
have been a hard taslmaStcr. God
alone knows, writes Spanish histo
rian, "how many Indian lives his gold
cost him, and God will hold him tC
an account for them" In such labors
his life passed until he was thirtv-thrct
wears of age, and there was no pros
pect, at that time, OF his ever cmerg
ing from Obscurity so tar as WE
know, he expected TO live and die g
planter and miner.
But in 1918 there returned to San
tiago, after an absence ofscven weeks
a small fleet which Nalasquez had sent
out to explore the coasts of the adj
..jaccnt continent. This fleet brought
wonderful and most thrilling iutelIi
gence Mexico had been discovered
"a land inhabited, not by poor anC
ignorant savages, but by people con
siderably civilized W h 0 possessed
spacious and costly cdihccs, temples
rich garments, ornaments OF gold; ;
people too, who were ruled by a pow
erful monarch, with disciplined army
aud yet were 50 debascd by super
Slition as to appease the imaginar,
wrath of their idols by sacrifices 0
human beings. How all this appealed
at once to the cupidity and rcligiou
zeal of the Spaniards, can be imagined
by those who know anything Of !h(
character of the SpaniardS Of that day
Governor Naiasquez proceeded i'm
f mediately to organize an expedition
! for the settlement and conversion o
!, Mexico. There were two thing
( .WaDting-mOncv, and q man tit +
, command such an enterprise o.
looking around, the governor though
he saw in Hcrnando Cortez a ma!
rich enough to dclray, in great part
: the expense Of the expedition, and cl
dowcd with the requisite energy an,
+ talents to conduct it.
He sent for C0rtcz, revealed tn
: project to him. and offered him tn
command Cortcz accepted it, ali,
agreed to embark his fortune il til
enterprise. Six large vessels wor
ISpccdily equipped, and three hundred
men eagerly volunteered to follow
Icadcr already known lor lis courag
and skill. The orders given hy Va
asQucL to the commander OF the CXpt
dition enjoincd it upon him to dea
! gently and literally with tie Mex
. cans, since the grand Objects in vie'
were, first, and above all, to CONVEX
= them to Christianity; secondly, t
- open with them a peaceful, honest con
: merce; and, lastly, to get such
knowledge Of the country and its W;
ters as would be of use to future nav
gators. He was directed, howeve
o to impress upon the Mexicars a loft
r idea of the goodness and greatness
h the King Of Spain, to invite them
% conciIiate that monarch by presen
# Of gold and pearles, and acknowledg
him as their sovereign lord.
When the feet was ready to sa
{ Valasquez awoke to the danger {
u trusting with an important, indepen
>, ent command, man so ambitious al
~ resolute as Cortez, and he determine
3 to remove him. Cortez, notified
E. time, hurried Oh board, raised his a
1t chors, and put to sea: SO that wh'
Is Vaiasquez ran down to the beach
II the dawn OF day, November Is, Isl
cr to execute his intention, he saw t
feet standing out to sea. beyond t
il, reach of his orders.
n, Touching at several places on t
h. way for recrtits, Cortez- found himse
" five months after, near the port nc
le named Vera Cruz, with one hundr
be and ten sailors, five hundred and fif
Mt three soldiers, and two hundred
e. dians, fourteen pieces of artillery, a
lv sixteen horses. Discriminating,
:. Il.