Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/727

Rh papal bulls and royal decrees. Some of the orders at once complied with this regulation. The arrangement had, however, its exact counterpart in many cases, entire communities being composed wholly of creoles and others wholly of Spaniards.

Although the alternation system, repeatedly insisted upon by the crown, secured to creoles the right to official appointments, it was not faithfully carried out, and frequent were their complaints of partiality to Spaniards and injustice to themselves. It utterly failed to produce harmony. Criminations and recriminations prevailed down to the nineteenth century, and instances are not wanting of these teachers of peace and humility proceeding to acts of personal violence among themselves.

In the zealous assertion of their privileges the action of friars was not unfrequently marked by turbulency and opposition to the civil authorities, and