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THE WORKS
OF
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT.
VOLUME IX.
SAN FRANCISCO:
A. L. BANCROFT & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS.
1883.
Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1883, by
HUBERT H. BANCROFT,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
All Rights Reserved.
As the third greatest of the world’s republics,wherein society and civilization are displayed undersomewhat abnormal aspects, under aspects at leastwidely different from those present in other thanSpanish-speaking communities, configurations andclimates, races and race intermixtures, civil and religiouspolities, and the whole range of mental andphysical environment being in so many respects exceptionaland individual, Mexico presents a studyone of the most interesting and profitable of anyamong the nations of to-day.
A brilliant though unjust and merciless conquestwas followed by the enforcement of Spain’s institutionsupon the survivors, who were themselves so faradvanced in arts, industries, and intellectual cultureas to render such metamorphosis most disastrous.After the awful success of Cortés, Spain neither exterminatedthe natives, like the United States, nor leftthem in their aboriginal independence, like the fur-magnatesof British America. Aiming at the utmostkindness, the Spanish government fastened on bodyand soul the iron fetters of tyranny and superstition;aiming at liberty and humanity, slavery and wrongwere permitted. With grants of land, grants of menviand women were made. The church fought valiantlyagainst the evils of the encomienda system, andagainst the cruelty and injustice imposed by the colonistsupon the natives. There was here little of thatwholesome indifference to the welfare of her colonieslater manifested by England with regard to her settlementsin America. Spain’s American possessions belongednot to the Spanish people but to the Spanishsovereign; the lands and the people were the king’s,to be held or disposed of as he should direct. Henceamong the people were encouraged dividing castes;commerce was placed under the severest restrictions,and in many ways it became clear that provinces wereheld and governed almost exclusively for the benefitof the crown. And so they remained, Europeans andAmericans intermingling their loves and hates forthree hundred years, which was indeed Mexico’s darkage, two civilizations being well nigh crushed therein.Light at last breaking in upon the people, the threecenturies of viceregal rule were brought to a close bytheir taking a stand for independence, such as theirAnglo-American neighbor had so recently achieved.And now during these latter days of swift progressionMexico is happily aroused from