CHAPTER VI.

Mexico-Yucatan-Finances of Mexico-Election of President-Popularity of AristaPolitical condition of Mexico-Central America-The canal project—British interference-Proposition for a federative government-Gautemala-Costa Rica-Mr. Chatfield-Difficulties with Nicaragua-South America-Buenos Ayres-Treaty with France-Peru-Chili-Venezuela-Monagas-Brazil-Abolition of slave tradeResources of the country, &c.-West Indies.

MEXICO.

During the summer and autumn of 1850, Mexico was fearfully devastated by the cholera. To the 16th of June-four weeks after its first appearance-there had been 7,846 cases, of which 2,702 were mortal. Of the cases, 4990 occurred in dwellings, and 2856 in the hospitals. The proportion of deaths was 33 per cent. Letters from San Luis Potosi to the 9th of June state that about 80 persons were dying daily in that capitol; the total number of deaths reached 900.

In addition to the calamity inflicted by the cholera Mexico suffered severely from the incursions of the Indians upon the northern States. Arista, the Secretary of the War Department, issued a proclamation or general order in which he alludes to the treaty of Gaudalupe Hidalgo as binding the United States to repress the Indian hostilities, and called on the President to demand of the United States the execution of the treaty. He was accused in the papers opposed to his election as president, of having neglected the adoption of proper measures for resisting the Indian aggressions.

In various quarters of the republic, outbreaks of insurgent chiefs continued to disturb the public peace. In the State of Oajaco, a desperado called Melendez maintained himself in resistance to the Government for some time. At the head of more than five hundred men, he surprised the town of Ixaltepec, killing the sub-prefect and a lieutenant. Shortly afterwards he attempted without success to seize the town of Tehuantepec, where the cholera was prevailing to such an extent that he thought he would have an easy triumph.

In Yucatan the war between the Indians and whites continued to rage as fiercely as ever. The result cannot be anticipated, for success sometimes inclines to one side and then to the other. The papers are filled with accounts of the marches and countermarches of both parties-the whites claiming the superiority-but the insurgents still keeping the field. The former unfortunately

are often divided and distracted by petty quarrels with each other, even in the presence of their savage foes.

At Valladolid at one time great discontent was manifested in the army, and it was supposed that a pronunciamento against the supreme government was in preparation. On the other hand, the Governor of the State, the Commandant General, the Commissary General, and Gen. Lopez de Llergo, had amicably arranged their difficulties, and had announced a determination to work together in future.

The situation of the peninsula, far from improving, is becoming worse every day. Left to their own resources, which are now almost exhausted, the Yucatecos continue the operations of the campaign with languor. Their want of activity encourages their ferocious enemies to persevere in their determination to exterminate the white race.

The most important subject which at this period occupied the attention of Mexico, was the arrangement of the exterior and interior debt. The Minister of Finance announced to Congress that the Government was destitute actually of fiscal facilities of any kind for maintaining its existence. He says:

"Of the $500,000 Congress lately conceded to the Government together with other expenses, $50,000 was paid to the persons who made loans to the Treasury without premium; with the rest the Government has been compelled to face the necessities of four months."

The sums thus borrowed were obtained from private individuals in loans of five and six thousand dollars, as a mere matter of favor. The document concludes thus:

"The President orders me to notify the Chamber that with the payments made to-day the treasury is exhausted."

In this startling crisis the Minister of Finance proposed to obtain a revenue of ten or twelve millions of dollars (the present revenue being only six and a half millions annually) by "a general modification of the maritime tariff, more particularly respecting the duties on cotton goods, regulating and simplifying the collection of consumption duties, applying the additional duty of two per cent., called that of averia, and the one per cent. of importation, the result of the product of tobacco, after the new arrangement with the English bond-holders is made, and the nett profits of the lottery of San Carlos to the General Government, and by other measures."

The Minister of the Interior, M. Paquo, demanded that the $3,000,000 of the American indemnity should be appropriated to meet current expenses. The Chamber of Deputies passed a resolution suspending all but absolutely necessary payments

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with the exception of those on account of the foreign debt. The senate refused to act on this resolution before arranging the interior debt. The interior debt was arranged on the principles insisted on by the Chamber of Deputies. The original amount of this debt was 75,000,000, which was reduced by the new regulation to one third its amount.

The foreign debt was settled by giving the creditors (they being willing) an order for $2,500,000 of the American indemnity, and reducing the interest to three per cent. on the capital of something over ten millions; to pay this three per cent., twentyfive per cent. on the duties at the frontier custom house, sixty-five per cent. on the duties on exports from the Pacific, and five per cent. on those from the Gulf ports are mortgaged, besides the other national revenues, when those do not suffice.

The Monitor Republicano, the official organ of the Mexican Government, alluded to the statement that in April last an agent of the Southern States visited that capital incognito, in order to propose a plan of a confederation between Mexico and the Southern States. The Monitor denied on authority this statement, asserting that it was false from beginning to end; that the Government was unaware even of the existence of such an agent; that consequently the plan alluded to never was proposed to the Mexican Cabinet; was never discussed therein; and that the British Minister never had addressed a word to the Mexican Government on such a subject.

This was the scheme which General Houston of the Senate upon some anonymous authority was accused of having favored, and of which, in his place in the Senate he denied any knowledge or connection with, whatever.

The election for President was warmly contested. General Arista and General Almonte were the principal candidates. The former was opposed by the church influence, and the latter supported by it. General Arista obtained the votes of the following States: The State of Mexico, the Federal District (which votes as a State) Queretaro, Vera Cruz, San Luis de Potosi, Guanajuato, Oajaca, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and probably Sinaloa, Sonora, and Chiapas. Yucatan, Guerrero, and Zacatecas voted for General Almonte; Durango and Nueva Leon for Gen. Rosas; Michoacan for Gen. Pedrazza, and Puebla for Mugica. Chihuahua held no election.

The election of Arista produced great satisfaction in the Northern States. More interest was manifested for his success than is usually felt by the Mexican people in relation to any public affair. There is an impression that he will exert himself for the defence of the northern frontier from the terrible ravages of the Indians,

and give some repose to the suffering inhabitants of that desolated region. Civilization has been receding before the increasing boldness of the savages on the upper waters of the Rio Bravo for the last 25 years. The military discipline and fierce domination of Spain repelled them to the deserts and fortresses, from which they emerged during the wars for Mexican independence, and now ranchos and pueblos abandoned and falling into ruins lie scattered over those vast regions where formerly sheep and cattle and horses in immense numbers roamed, and were protected by the terror with which the legions of old Spain had inspired the wild natives of the mountains.

It is said, with what truth we are not able to conjecture, if Arista had not been elected, the Northern States of Mexico were fully and openly prepared to secede from the "Central Despotism," (that is the common phrase,) and form an independent Republic. The first act of the new-born State would be to ask for the closest treaty of amity, if not absolute annexation, with the United States, with a liberal concession of right of way to California and entire relief to our trade along the frontier.

Mexico is undoubtedly surrounded by great dangers, and embarrassed by serious difficulties. The variety of races of which her population is composed, the degradation and ignorance of the largest portion of her inhabitants, the power of the clergy and of the military, constitute elements of future disturbance if not of utter ruin. Arista possesses abilities quite as great as any of his cotemporaries to meet and contend with the dangers impending. But such is the inherent weakness of Mexico it is very doubtful whether her most patriotic and talented citizens can accomplish anything for her permanent relief. Temporary expedients seem to be their only resources. The regeneration of Mexico must commence with that portion of her population which performs the labor of the country, and with the present race of laborers regeneration appears to be hopeless.

The Senate has approved the bill from the chamber authoriz ing the government to negotiate a loan of $400,000 per month for the next six months. It has also annulled the decree of some of the States imposing a duty on foreign tobacco.

According to a statistical work just published, the revenue of the church throughout the republic amounts to $20,000,000 per annum, and the value of real estate belonging to the same in the district of Mexico is valued at $25,000,000. The whole of the real estate of the district is valued at $50,000,000.

A letter from Mexico of the 14th Dec. stated that the flag of Melendez bore the following inscription: "Defence of the property of the church and of individuals. Down with Arista."

The Universal (the organ of the Monarchists) declares those words will soon be echoed from one end of the republic to the other. We cannot tell what kind of an aspect this affair may take, but no person regards it as serious, but rather another of the dying struggles of the revolutionary faction. The days of pronunciamentos have passed.

General Arista is a cautious man, and it is not generally believed by his partisans that he will do anything directly against the clergy. He knows, or ought to know, that, notwithstanding many cling to the church from education and habit, the minds of the great majority of the inhabitants are rapidly becoming alienated from it, and it is probable the time is not far distant, when the people of their own accord will call loudly for a reform in that quarter.

CENTRAL AMERICA.

It was announced early in July that the company which had obtained the charter for the inter-oceanic canal from Nicaragua, had determined to establish facilities for transportation nearly on the line of the contemplated canal from San Juan del Norte by San Juan river and the Lake Nicaragua. The engineers detailed for the survey of the route of the proposed canal, sailed from the United States on the 14th July. The distance from San Juan del Norte to San Carlos, at the head of the river San Juan, which is as large as the Hudson, is said to be ninety miles. The Lake Nicaragua is about fifty miles over in the direction of the route of travel. Fifteen miles further, through an open cultivated country, susceptible of being easily improved by good roads, is the port of San Juan del Sur, on the Pacific. The largest steamers can lie in this port securely in six fathoms water.*

Notwithstanding the treaty of the 19th of April, 1850, concluded at Washington between the British and American governments, much dissatisfaction was known to prevail between several of the republics of Central America and Great Britain. Mr. Chatfield had, on the part of Great Britain, continued to press the payment of the claims of British subjects, and whether for this purpose, or from other motives, assumed for his government the protectorate of the Musquito territory. English agents also prosecuted their design of erecting a custom-house at San Juan, bringing their materials from Jamaica, whilst the English consuĺ

*It may be mentioned that the port of San Juan del Norte is 240 miles above Chagres, on the Atlantic, and the port of San Juan del Sur 870 miles above Panama, on the Pacific-or, rather, that in reaching the latitude of the latter, on the Pacific, it is necessary to sail 870 miles.