a. See Note, p 119 1. Exclusion court b. See p. 327. tration of the govern ico in the the 18th cen tury. ANALYSIS. Seville alone, was opened to seven of the principal ports 3. The condition of diately pre Revolution. people. 13. The same writer thus forcibly describes the conMerico imme- dition of Mexico immediately previous to the events which vious to the led to the Revolution. "The condition of Mexico at the 4. Different beginning of the present century was stamped with the classes of repulsive features of an anarchical and semi-barbarous society, of which the elements were-an Aboriginal population, satisfied with existing in unmolested indigence; a chaos of parti-colored castes, equally passive, supersti tious, and ignorant; a numerous Creole class, wealthy, mortified, and discontented; and a compact phalanx of European officials, the pampered mamelukes of the crown-who contended for and profited by every act of administrative iniquity. "Public opinion was unrepresented; there were no popularly chosen authorities, no deliberative assemblies of the people, no independent publications, for the miserably meagre press was but a shadow,- —a light-abhorring phantom, evoked to stifle free discussion by suppressing its cause, and bound to do the evil bidding of a blind, disastrous, and suicidal tyranny." 5 Public opinion:-the press, &c * Kennedy, in his History of Texas: 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1841. CHAPTER III. MEXICO DURING THE FIRST REVOLUTION. 2 1808. 1. Prelimina ry remarks separation of from the mother coun upon the the colonies try. Situation of Spain at this period. Divisions 1. 'The iniquitous system by which Mexico was governed during a period of nearly three centuries, has been briefly explained in the preceding chapter. As it was not in the nature of things that such a system should be endured any longer than the power to enforce it was retained, we are not surprised to find that the subversion of the Spanish monarchy in Europe was followed by the separation of the colonies from the mother country, and the final establishment of their independence, Those European events that led to this crisis require a brief explanation. 2. 'Spain, at this period, was a divided and degraded nation. The King, Charles IV., old and imbecile, was ruled by his queen, whose wicked passions were entirely under the influence of the base and unprincipled Godoy, who had been raised, by her guilty love, from a low station, to the supreme conduct of affairs. This ruling junto was held in hatred and contempt by a powerful party, at the head of which was Prince Ferdinand, heir to the throne. While Napoleon, emperor of the French, was Napoleon. secretly advancing his long-cherished schemes for seizing the throne of Spain, the royal family was engaged in petty conspiracies and domestic broils. "Terrified at 3. Charles IV. length by a popular outbreak against himself and his minister, the king abdicated the throne in favor of his son Ferdinand. among the and in the royal family. Spaniards, abdicates the throne. ence of the French. a. March 23. 5. Charles IV. invokes the Napoleon. assistance of 3. A suitable opportunity was now presented for the 4. Interfer interference of Napoleon. In the general confusion which prevailed, French troops crossed the frontiers, occupied the important posts, and a large army under Murat took possession of the capital. "In the meantime, Charles IV., regretting the steps he had taken, and asserting that his abdication had been the result of fear and compulsion, appealed to Napoleon, and invoked his assistance in restoring him to the throne. "Napoleon, however, having suc- 6 The result ceeded in enticing the whole royal family to Bayonne, com- interference. pelled both father and son to renounce the throne; and a few days later Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, was proclaimed king of Spain. 4. Although the schemes of Napoleon were abetted by a party among the Spaniards themselves, yet the spirit of the nation, generally, was roused by the usurpation, and first a central junta, and then a regency, was established, which was declared to be the only legitimate source of of Napoleon's 7 Govern ished in the schemes of Napoleon ment estab opposition to ANALYSIS. power during the captivity of the sovereign. 'A demo1. lis charac- cratic constitution, and the sovereignty of the people, were now substituted for the royal prerogative, and the divine right of kings; and the form and spirit of the Spanish government were essentially changed. ter. these events upon the 2. Effects of 5. These events created a powerful impression upon the generally ignorant population of Mexico, where, until population of then, Spain had been regarded as the mother of kingdoms, Mer.co. in whose dominions the sun never set, and whose arms Spanish ciple on nies were the mother 3. The prin- were the terror of the world. As it had ever been an which the established principle that the Spanish possessions in Spanish colo-America were vested in the crown, and not in the state, attached to the king was the only tie that connected the colonies with the mother country; and they could perceive no justice in the claim by which their obedience was demanded to a government which the Spanish people had adopted, in the absence of their monarch. and country, affected by the recent events. was regarded nies at this Spanish colonies. 4. How Spain 6. Moreover, Spain itself, overrun by the arms of by the colo France, was regarded as lost the Spanish regency, time:-The swayed by the interests of the merchants at home, and Regency; and little disposed to correct the abuses that had so long revolt of the existed, but urged by the clamors of the colonies, pursued a course of policy vacillating in the extreme, until at length, in the early part of 1808, the Spanish American colonies, finally convinced that the mother country would relinquish no attribute of her former power, deposed the European authorities, and transferred the reins of government to juntas, or councils, composed almost exclusively of native Americans. With this general statement of the situation of all the Spanish American colonies in 1810, we return to trace the progress of the revolution in Mexico. 5. Conduct of the Mexican learning that capital reas sion of a the Merican 7. 'When tidings of the dethronement of the Spanish Viceroy, on monarch in 1808, and the occupation of the capital by a the Spanish French army, reached Mexico, the viceroy solicited the in the poes support of the people, and declared his determination to French army preserve, to the last, his fidelity to his and their sovereign. 6. Conduct of The people, flattered by the importance which was so unexpectedly conceded to them, gladly availed themselves of the opportunity to express their devoted loyalty, and 7. Natimal resolved to support the authority of the viceroy. A kind feeling immediately grew up between the government and the Creoles, and as a farther means of conciliating the latter, it was proposed that a national assembly should be called, composed of deputies from the neighboring pro people. assembly proposed. 8. Opposed by the European vinces. 8. "This measure, however, was violently opposed by Spaniards. the European-Spaniards, as being an infraction of their 1808. 1. The ViceToy imprisoned by the a. Sept. 15. Spaniards. of the Creoles. New charac ter given to the controversy. Efects proviolent meaAudienc duced by the sui es the rights, and in violation of the prerogatives of the crown. 'Finding that the Viceroy was determined to admit the Creoles to a share in the government, the court of the Audiencia, the highest judicial tribunal of Mexico, com- Court of the posed entirely of Europeans, seized the Viceroy, whom Audiencia. they imprisoned, with his principal adherents. The 2 Arming of Europeans, both in the capital and in the interior, then the European formed Patriotic associations for the defence of what they termed their rights, and armed themselves against the Creoles. Although the latter, unused to arms, submitted 3 Submission for the moment, yet their spirit was aroused, and the subject of controversy became one, not between their sovereign and themselves, as subjects, but between themselves and the comparatively small number of EuropeanSpaniards, as to which should possess the right of administering the government during the captivity of the king. 9. "The violence and arrogance of the Audiencia increased, among the Creoles, their feelings of hostility to the Europeans, and a general impatience to shake off the yoke of foreign domination was manifested throughout the entire province. The first popular outbreak occurred in 5 the little town of Dōlórés.* The parish priest, Hidalgo, a man of activity and intelligence, first raised the standard of revolt "for the defence of religion and the redress of grievances." "He had long labored with great zeal to increase the resources of his curacy, by introducing the duced him to cultivation of the silkworm, and by planting vineyards in the vicinity of the town, when a special order arrived from the capital, prohibiting the inhabitants from making wine, by which they were reduced to the greatest distress. Private motives of discontent were thus added to those 8. Beginning which the cura felt in common with his countrymen, and of the revolt. having been joined by one of the officers of a neighboring garrison, and ten of his own parishioners, on the morning of the 16th of September, 1810, just two years after the arrest of the Viceroy, he seized and imprisoned seven Europeans, whose property he distributed amongst his followers. First popu 1810. 6. Hidalgo. lar cutbreak. 7. Causes which in take a m8. Sept. 16. asm of the peuple, and capture of San Felipe and San Miguel. 10. The news of this insurrectionary movement spread • Enthust rapidly, and was everywhere received with the same enthusiasm. Within three days the force of Hidalgo became so formidable that he was enabled to take possession of San Fělípět and San Miguel,‡ the former town contain- b. Sept. 17-18. • Dolóres is about twenty-five miles N.E. from the city of Guanaxuato, and about 190 miles N.W. from the city of Mexico. ↑ San Felipe, in the N. W. part of the state of Guanaxuato, is about twenty-five miles north from the capital of that state, and forty-five miles S. W. from San Luis Potosi. San Miguel is in the northern part of the state of Quertaro. the city (Gwah nahwah-to.) ANALYSIS. ing a population of sixteen thousand inhabitants, in both of which places the property of the Europeans was conSept. 29. fiscated. On the 29th of the same month, Hidalgo, at 1. Taking of the head of a force of 20,000 men, chiefly Indians poorly Guanaruato. armed, entered the city of Guanaxuáto,* containing a population of 80,000 souls. After a severe struggle he overpowered the garrison, put the Spaniards to death, gave up their property to his troops, and recruited his military chest with public funds amounting to five millions 2. Of Valla of dollars. "On the 17th of October the insurgent force, already numbering nearly 50,000 men, entered Valladolid without resistance. dolid. Oct. 17. 3. Accessions to the forces Toluca 5. Govern repulsed as ment troops 11. At Valladolid Hidalgo was joined by additional of Hidalgo. Indian forces, and by several companies of well-armed provincial militia; but a still greater acquisition was the a. (Mo-ra-los) war-like priest, Morélos, who afterwards became one of the most distinguished characters of the Revolution. 4. Advance to From Valladolid Hidalgo advanced to Toluca,‡ within Oct. 19 to 28. twenty-five miles of the capital. 'In the mean time Venegas, the new Viceroy, had collected about 7000 men in and near the city of Mexico for its defence; a small corps of whom, under the command of Truzíllo, assisted by Iturbide, a lieutenant in the Spanish service, having advanced to Las Cruces,§ was beaten back by the insurgents. If Hidalgo, at this moment of alarm among the Hidalgo. royalists, had advanced upon the capital, the result cannot be doubtful; but contrary to the advice of his officers, he made a sudden and unaccountable retreat, after remaining two or three days within sight of the city. Las Cruces. c. (Pronoun ced E-tur- 6. Error of 7. Defeat of his forces at Aculco. Nov. 7. Co.) 12. The subsequent career of Hidalgo was a series of disasters. On the 7th of November his undisciplined and poorly-armed troops were met and routed in the plains of e. (Ah-cool- Acúlco, by the royalist general, Calleja, whose force was composed principally of Creole regiments, which had been induced to take arms against the cause of their country. 8. His losses men. "Ten thousand Indians are said to have perished at Acúlco, but Hidalgo and most of his officers escaped. 9. Sangui Calleja soon after entered the city of Guanaxuáto, where he revenged himself and his followers for the excesses which the insurgent populace had previously committed against the Europeans. To avoid the waste of powder and ball, it is said that he cut the throats of the defence in that battle. nary mea sures of Calleja. *Guanaruato, the capital of the state of the same name, is about 190 miles N.W. from the city of Mexico. Valladolid, the capital of the state of Valladolid, or Michoacan, is situated on a plain more than 6000 feet above the level of the sea, and contains a population of about 20,000 inhabitants. The city is about 140 miles a little north of west from the city of Mexico. Toluca is a large town about forty miles S. W. from the Mexican capital. (See Map. p. 509. Las Cruces is a pass in the mountain chain which separates the valley of Mexico from tha of Toluca. It is about twelve miles S. W. from the city of Mexico (See Map, p. 569.) |