Page:Letters of Cortes to Emperor Charles V - Vol 1.djvu/49

Rh orders. As Cristobal de Tapia brought no letters from the Emperor, but only from the President of the Council, the lieutenant at Vera Cruz, while receiving him with respect, and protesting every intention to observe his commands, declared that his credentials must first be submitted to the Municipal Council. That rather vagrant body was composed chiefly of captains, who were either in Mexico with Cortes, or off executing his orders in various places, and it was not an easy thing to unite them promptly. Cortes claimed to hold his authority from that Council, which he had himself created, and which in its turn recognised no superior short of the Emperor. Treating with Tapia through Fray Pedro Melgarejo de Urea, and members of the Council, it was quickly discovered that he was accessible to golden arguments, so he was loaded with gifts, and, after selling his negro slaves, horses, arms, etc., at a good price, he consented to return to Hispaniola. Here he was sharply censured by the audiencia and the Jeronymites, who had originally forbidden him to land in Mexico, or interfere in any way with the conquests of Cortes.

The foundations of a liberal and independent colonial administration already existed in Mexico, on which a stable system of government might have been built up, but unfortunately these principles, which were better known to Spaniards in that century than to any other continental people, were in their decadence. Under Charles V., began the disintegration of the people's liberties, which affected likewise the government of all the dependencies, and the system of rule by Viceroys and a horde of rapacious bureaucrats was initiated, which lasted in Latin-America until the last Spanish colony disappeared with the proclamation of Cuba's independence.

Cortes was daring but never rash. His plans were carefully formed, and his decisions were the result of