Page:Mexico (1829) Volumes 1 and 2.djvu/454

 414 MEXICO. the New World, under the influence of which most of the capital, now employed in Mining speculations there, was invested. In every other commercial enterprise, some previous ac- quaintance with the subject might have been thought neces- sary ; but the Mines were to be an exception to all ordinary rules ; and, on the principle, I suppose, of taking omne ig- ' notum pro magnificO) vast sums were embarked in schemes, of which the very persons, who staked their all upon the result, knew literally nothing, except the name. I am far from wishing to lay unnecessary stress upon this circumstance, but it is essential to a right understanding of the delays that have occurred in the realization of the hopes of those, who sought a profitable investment in the Mines, to state, that the only knowledge which the British Public pos- sessed, three years ago, of Mexico, was derived from a super- ficial acquaintance with the Essai Politique of Baron Hum- boldt ; which, although it contains more valuable information than any other similar work, that has ever been given to the world, was, nevertheless, calculated to create an erroneous impression with regard to the actual state of New Spain, by descriptions of a splendour, which had long ceased to exist. No allowances were made for the moral, as well as physical, effects of fourteen years of civil war ; — the dispersion of the most valuable portion of the Mining labourers ; — the dete- rioration of landed property ; — the destruction of stock ; — and the difficulty of reorganizing a branch of industry so ex- tensive in its ramifications as Mining, and so dependent upon other branches, not immediately connected with the Mines themselves, and consequently, not under the control of their Directors ! This was to be effected, too, in a country, in many parts of which it was necessary to create a population, before a single step could be taken towards repairing the ruin, which the Revolution had occasioned. And yet, nine- tenths of those who engaged in the arduous task, did so