Year: 1860




."S9s m& IT.
Special to the New Orleans Crescent


VERA Cruz, May %, 1860.


1fr. EdIor-I have on several occasions since
residing in this city, written hurriedly to your
paper to inform your readers of the current events
happening in this torn and distracted country. I
have heretofore had no opportunity of leisure
from more pressing occupations to do either you,
your readers or myself, justice as correspondent
for the Crescent in portraying Mexico as it has
been, is now, and in what it may become. In
these respects, this country affords most fruitful
themes for interesting contemplation, and pro-
pose in this essay to make amends for my past
delinquencies.


propose to review or sketch Mexico as in
dicated per caption, by presenting the prominent
features in its history, from the period Of the
Spanish conquest to the present time, and will
aim to show the causes of its present condition.
In order to do so must claim quite a latitude in
the columns Of the Crescent in view of the in
teresting familiarity shall seek to establish be-
tween your readers and the substance here sub
mitted. While there may appear useless digres-
sions as proceed, as the matter to be treated is
mapped in my mind, il can SO reduce it here,
think the general harmony Of my themes will be
preserved.


When fernando Cortez, the renowned Spanish
adventurer quilted Spain for Mexico he had little
save the chart Of Columbus and the compass to
guide his course, and there was perhaps scarce
more in his contemplations than in our day i'm
PEELED Sir John Franklin to seek green fields be-
yond polar seas. Columbus had been actuated
and was persistent in his quest of search for Amer
lea from the lack Of that harmony which the three
other grand subdivisions Of the earth failed in per-
fecting and rendering the world complete. With
him. the speculations Of theorists relating to ocean
currents-ebbs and flows Of tides and sea drifts
were unsatisfactory. The mariners compass
haunted him with its speechless intelligence, until
he prevailed in attaining the royal favor and sane
ton towards the grandest enterprise known in the
history of man, and which lead to the discovery Of
America. Of what avail was the sextant and
quadrant in determining to the becalmed or tenn
pest-tossed mariner whittier he was driven, save
onward and westward through unknown seas
Amid the dark and dismal heavings of the ocean
and bowling storms was mingled the fierce rage Of
mutiny from his worn and disappointed followers,
and with perhaps any other man than Columbus
the enterprise would have been forced to abandon
ment. 1t was reserved to him, and him alone, as
his great share and destiny in life, to explore un
known seas-calm down mutiny, and discover the
New World. We will not dwell in reveries over the
excitement produced in the mind of the great voy-
ager at the moment America rose up from the sea
to perfect the grandeur OF his thought, the great
ness of his purpose, the falfilment of his hopes.
What a contemplation is here to awaken refec-
ton! The alternating of hope and fear, as to OBJ
tanning the favor and sanction by which to en-
bark on his voyage; the hidden and unknown
obstacles that lay upon his trackless and chartess
path the uselessness of all calculations of latitude
and longitude, save in determining day by day the
receding of his country the uncertainty of the
true foundation of his search the horrors of i'm
| pending mutiDy; the fainting and dropping des-
| pondency to be overcome, as hope deferred sick
ened his heart; the quickened thrill the rebound
ing long,cogged lifecurrents enkindled, tempt me
to abandon the aim of investing lesser eontempla-
tons with interest Returning to Spain with proofs
of his discovery, it but natural that spirit OF
adventure, such would animate the mind of Cor
tez, would be aroused to explore the hidden mys-
teries that lay concealed beyond the shores of the
| newly discovered world. He was to be the next
grand actor in the events which to mark that
age as the most remarkable in the worlds history.
| He was man of genius and talent, indomitable
| will and courage, and fitted by nature in all the
| elements of intellectual power to adorn any sta
| tion in any age country. But he was capable
| of any act in the adornment of great and noto.
rious life of crime. He was traitor to his friend
| a hypocrite in religion, pirate, robber, assassin
and usnrper. He was just the character to father
the expedition which lead to the conquest of Mexi
| CO. and to leave such spectacle and condition as
| Mexico now presents to the civilized world.


On the 2lst day of April, 1921, he arrived at the
| point en- which the Castle of San Juan de Uloa is
| situated, about one mile from where am writing
| this letter. On leaving Spain, he did not forget
| the immense influence !" The Cross" exerted, and
would continue to exert, in the minds of his follow
ers, and his first act on landing to plant thai
Cross with all the imposing ceremony that should
| impress them, and reflect his name and deeds
| throughout all time.


From that day Mexico was dedicated and or
dained Catholic province of Spain. The country
here presented the most forbidding aspect. Sane
hills and reefs, without SO much as single spear o
grass to inspire him with contemplations Of tht
grandeur and wealth, and rich harvest, hitherto
shut out from the world and that lay upon his patti
of conquest. The golden spendor that blazet
around the throne Of tile Indian monarch Monte
yuma, the immense masses of gold and silver am





at the capital, the grand center then, as now, o
this country was unknown, and had not aroused
the fierce fires of avarice in the Spanish heart, no
sunk the novelty and excitement Of adventure t,
the unloly purposes of plunder and deeds OF blood
that resulted in the Spanish conquest. Here wa
a hitherto nnexplored country, bounded on eithe


side by seas beyond which lay nothing to the com
prehension of the natives but the vast expanse 0
waters Where Mexico touched the oceans tn


earth ceased-all beyond was wide waste Q
desert sea. Here, now, was the cross on tn


shore, and the Spaniards bowed down before it o


the soil of people that they had never seen o


heard of, save that America was inhabited by
strange race. In the center of this vast empire


gold and gems, of fruits and flowers, of ever


character of soil and climate adapted to the USE


the adornment and the necessities of man. hithert


had reigned in sublime security and grandeur til
, Indian Prince. He was not only in person an


possession secure and powerful, but he was n


garded with superstitious sacredness that mad


him scarce less than the God of Christian worship
= This was his country-these his people-this h
: power when the Spanards landed upon his shore


By the power of might, under the construction


enlightened sentiment and human law, from Il
. . discovery of portion of the continent by Spa
n ish subject, all America became possession