The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-03-30

m.ssst Da.er.n.. ll,.s.r, Of Mckee.

The second volume OF the capacious Hs-
tory Of Merioo projected by Mr.. HUBERT Howl
BANCROFT. covers the three quarters OF CEN
fury between 1891 and 18OO-that IL to say, tho
eventful period which succeeded the conquest
lof Anahuao and Witnessed the successive 90
'cupation Of the outlying vassal provinces Of tho
Aztec empire. together with the settlement and
consolidation OF the whole country under Span.
fish rule Here. as IN the preceding volume the
author is at patns TO conform to q practice
sanctioned BY all tho writer's OF history
who have ventured TO challenge criticism and
to supply IL with all the appliances at their own
disposal. He Is careful TO furnish the authority
for all the important assertions put forward In
his text. not only BY volu nous foot notes. but
BY attaching long appendices. replete with
substantive or bibliographcal Information to
almost overy chapter This Is the only course
by which historian can commend his work to
verltable students. though II Is not the manner
by which the writer OF a merely popular mar
rative might prefer to appeal to the audience
which Is usually reached BY articles In reviews
and magazines,
In his account Of the period comprehended
In the present volume Mr.. Bancroft has mar
shalled a great deal Of weighty. though indi-
rect and unprecedented testimony against the
paradoxical theory advanced by small but re-
spectacle coterie OF American srch@oogists
regarding the true character OF tho Aztec civili-
cation portrayed In the impressive chronicles
OF the conQuistddores. Their view. stated
roughly and in its extreme form. Is that tho
descriptions given by the Spanish invaders
were egregiously overcolored and essentially
mythical. and that the grade OF Indigenous
civilization attained In the valley OF Anahuac
was little II at all higher than that OBJ
served by French and English colonists at
o later epoch In the confederacy OF the Six
NQfinna M cd lad Il irol.,
to underrate the solid and illuminating
work which. sipce Nebuhr. has been wrought
In the field OF historical inquiry by tho skspti-
cal spirit and rigorous application to crude
materials OF scientific processes. Yet even Of
so good thing as the skoptcal spirit we can
have little too much and it seems 10 us that
the dsdainful and minimizing conception Of
Aztec development propounded by certain
psychologists rests on fundamental assump-
ton that imposes II far greater strain on our
creduty than any OF the tales related by the
wide-eyed and ardent laureates OF the first at
tempts at conquest. The theory in question
hinges on the incredible postulate that all the
documents emanating from eye witnesses no
matter how unskilled in the artful methods Of
literary fabrication the authors may have BEEN
or how impelled by jealousy and rancor to be-
little the achievements OF one leader and en-
bellish the exploits of his rival are marked with
an aH-perNaSlVe. lnulSctlnlnat6 menQuClty
the result OF a deliberate. concerted determine
ton to propagate a hugo. elaborate system Of
lies, and dazzle with gorgeous legends the eyes
OF men at homo. who. however. had but to yield
to the temptations offered. and cross in their
turn the Atlantic to discover the real facts.
This primary assumption. which only needs.
We think. to DO clearly formulated in order to
be rejected. involves some ancillnry hypothesis
equally venturesome. and which are unin-
tentionally routed by the tenor OF the authori-
ties cited in the present section OF Mr.. Ban
crofts narrative. Toinsure lasting acceptance
for wildly extravagant and unfounded state
ments. the nccomplices in the singular literary
conspiracy. which has sometimes becn imputed
to the first chronicers must have founded
species OF secret society. for which they must
have arrogated the exclusive right of compos-
ing Mexican history during at least a century
after the invasion. and into which they
must have had tho good luck to initiate
successive generations Of newcomers from
Spain. who would naturally be animated by
envy and the spirit OF dctrnction. and who. as
matter OF fact. repeatedly evinced implacable
hostility When we observe the savage enmity
with which tho sturdy conqueror OF Mexico
himself was hunted into his grave by his ira
duoers. and note the malice and brutality
vented on his son. Martin Cortes. Marques dol
Vale. by the Spanish officials, Muhoz and
GARLIC. we cannot doubt that any gross or
extensive exaggeraton In the reports OF the
highly organized and splendid character OF the
empire overthrow BY the invaders-reports on
which the claims OF the detested Coites familyto
>A,nor and emoument wore largely founded
would have been eagerly exposed by its powerful
and cunning enemies. We find. however. that
the picture given by Mr.. Bancroft OF the period
OF transition. during which Aztec modes OF
government. Industries. and habits were
gradually displaced or modified by customs
introduced from the Old World-a picture
drawn from the accounts Of writer's contempo-
rary with the three generations Of fresh settlers
naturally disposed to dispute the credit and
the spoils OF the original invaders-is In no ma
terisl respect discordant with the tone and
purport OF the earlier description and there.
fore furnishes signal justification OF tho i'm
preston made on the minds OF the first Euro
pean beholders by the Aztec and Toltec civili-
cation.
The effect. however. Of the matter presented
In this installment Of Mr.. Bancroit's History
on the paradoxical conception OF Nahua de-
ve!opment. to which we have adverted. Is mere
~ incidental. and the historian. so far as we
have observed does not allude to 1t.
The topics which have properly en-
gagged the authors attention. and which he
has done we'll to discuss In the order OF logical
consecutiveness instead Of following the chro-
biological procession Of events are. firstly. the
territorial extension OF Spanish rule. special
attention bsing paid to tho conquest
OF Yucatan secondly the executive
and fiscal administration established in
New Spain under Viceroys deputed from
Madrid; thirdly. the foundation OF o
vast and opulent ecclesiastical establishment
supplemented by the introduction OF the re-
lgous orders. and ostensiby justified by the
zeal displayed in propagandism: and lastly