Page:Mexico, picturesque, political, progressive.djvu/200

196 Free public assemblies for the discussion of political matters are as yet unknown, and must be impracticable for some time longer. "Public opinion" is the expression of class interest; and "class" means now, in Mexico, the landlords, the professional men, the practical politicians (who are generally old soldiers and young lawyers), the students, and the generals of the armies. We were told, by patriotic persons, that the federal government is so unscrupulously centralizing that it practically controls all the state governments. On the contrary, Mr. Wells came to the conclusion that the state governments are less under federal control than in the United States. This contradictoriness embarrasses the visitor at every turn and in every thing. Many of the most intelligent Mexicans we met expressed poignant regret over the fate of Maximilian and the erection of the republic. We put to two gentlemen of equal intelligence and undoubted candor, but of different pursuits, this question: " Which would the people prefer, the empire or a republic?" They answered simultaneously; but one said the empire, and the other said the republic. Each was confident that the other was