Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/494

 476 MEXICO the rapid transmission of news, towers were erected at intervals of six miles along the high roads, where couriers were always in waiting for despatches, which were transferred from hand to hand at each stage. Despatches were thus carried 800 miles in a day. The different trades were commonly grouped into a species of guild. The women shared equally with the men as well in social festivities as in labor. The Mexicans were simple in dress, but given to an inordinate display of ornaments. The people were courteous and polished, and strict observers of the proprieties of life. Cowering was their posture of respect. In their ban- quets, which were frequent and costly, human flesh was often served as a special delicacy, particularly in feasts connected with their re- ligion. The first European to visit the shores of Mexico was Francisco Fernandez de Cordova in 1517 ; but he only discovered the coast of Yucatan. The discovery was continued in the following year by Juan de Grijalva, in command of a squadron sent from Cuba by Velazquez, who sailed round the north coast as far as the mouth of the river Panuco, and landed on the islet on which now stands the castle of San Juan de Ulua. After his return, his brilliant account of his discovery excited the desire of conquest. On Good Friday, April 22, 1519, Hernan Cortes landed at that part of the coast where Vera Cruz was afterward built, and founded a town, to which he gave the name of Villarica de Vera Cruz. On the very day of his landing occurred the first of a series of battles which only terminated with the taking of the city of Tenochtitlan, Aug. 13, 1521, and the capture of the young and valorous Guatemozin, the last of the Aztec monarchs. (See CORTES, GUATEMOZIN, and MONTEZUMA.) The other smaller states were subdued after a short resistance. A military government was immediately established, Cor- tes taking the supreme command; but aynn- tamientos had already been formed, the first at Villarica, and these continued independently of the new military power. Many of the laws emanating from the ayuntamientos still exist in full force in the Mexican republic. By a de- cree of Charles V., Cortes was constituted gov- ernor of the new territory, which had been named New Spain, Oct. 15, 1522. The Indians, though converted, were distributed among the conquistadores and other Spanish officials and immigrants, and compelled as slaves to till the ground and labor in the mines. This sys- tem of repartimientos or distributions had already been applied and found fatal to the aboriginal inhabitants of the island of Hayti ; but the Mexicans, a hardier people, did not so readily succumb. In 1528 was inaugurated the iirst audiencia, with Nufio de Guzman as presi- dent, and four auditors. The arbitrary and oppressive measures of this body caused con- siderable discontent in the colony ; which, coming to the ears of the emperor, led to the suppression of the audiencias, and the estab- lishment of a viceregal government in New Spain. The first viceroy, Don Antonio de Mendoza, ruled the country from 1535 to 1550. During his administration discoveries were ac- tively prosecuted in the north ; the first money was coined in Mexico ; the printing press, the first in the new world, was introduced; the university of Mexico and several colleges were founded ; and numerous important reforms were effected. Of the 64 viceroys who suc- cessively governed the country till 1821, but one was of American birth, Don Juan de Acu- fia, a native of Lima (l722-'34) ; and the most celebrated after Mendoza was Don Juan Vi- cente Gu ernes Pacheco, second count of Revi- llagigedo (l789-'94). In his time were accom- plished many important improvements: the streets of the principal cities were drained, paved, and lighted, and provided with a tolera- bly efficient police ; persons of known probity were placed in the public offices ; and municipal revenues were introduced. At the beginning of the present century, society in New Spain consisted of four classes, of opposite tendencies and interests: the pure-blooded Indians, the Creoles or pure-blooded descendants of the ear- ly Spanish settlers, the mestizos or half-breeds, from the union of whites and Indians, and the Spaniards of European birth. The condition of the Indians had but little changed under the viceroys ; they were compelled to pay tribute, and were held in a sort of tutelage which only ended in the tomb. The Indian nobles or ca- ciques were exempted from the degrading re- strictions which weighed upon the others. As for the Creoles, whose numbers were continual- ly increasing, a policy due to ignorance of their real position in the community excluded them from all places of trust in the government, and even from the higher grades in the regular army. Upon such as had amassed great wealth titles of nobility were conferred, while con- ciliatory crosses were distributed to those of smaller fortunes; but the home government considered it imprudent to allow them to take part in the public administration, and placed it exclusively in the hands of the Spaniards. This, with other grievances, caused profound discontent among the Creoles, who would prob- ably have resented it by open rebellion, had they not been restrained by the apprehension that the Indians, aided by the mestizos, might avail themselves of that event for the destruc- tion of all the whites. An ineradicable antip- athy had already sprung up between the Cre- oles and the Spaniards, whom they distin- guished by the sobriquet of gacJiupines ; yet probably no outbreak would have immediately ensued but for the events of 1808 in the Penin- sula. The usurpation of Ferdinand's throne by a Bonaparte was unanimously protested against by both Spaniards and Creoles in Mexi- co ; but the public mind was agitated by intem- perate discussions concerning the provisional government which the state of things made it necessary to organize ; and the excitement was