gest
possible revenue for the Spanish treasury. Finally came the successful
revolution which separated the country from continental Spain and
achieved the independence of the nation.

We must not, however, blind ourselves to facts. Hateful as the Spanish
rule in Mexico appears to us, we must admit that Cortez introduced
European civilization, such as it was, into the country, and it has
virtually continued until the present day. We see that under his rule
great cities sprang into life, magnificent buildings were erected,
national roads, viaducts, bridges, and aqueducts were built, on so grand
a scale as to still challenge our admiration. Silver and gold were
extracted from the mines, and together with ornamental woods, precious
stones, dyes and drugs were shipped in unlimited quantities to Spain,
whereby her already richly endowed treasury became full to repletion.
True, it was a period of false gods, of high living, and of vice; might
made right; morality had not the same signification then as it has in
our time. The conventionalities of one century become the vices of the
next. Virtue and vice must, in a certain degree, be construed in
relation to latitude and longitude. That which is sacred in Samoa to-day
may be considered impious in Boston.

Cortez's expedition, which landed at Vera Cruz, April 21, 1519, was not
the first to discover the continent in this neighborhood; he had been
preceded nearly two years by a rich merchant of Cuba, who fitted out a
couple of small vessels on his own account, mainly for the purpose of
trading, and being also in search of that great lure, gold, which it was
supposed existed in large quantities among the native tribes of the
mainland. This adventurer, Francisco Hernandez de Cordova, landed near
the present Cape Catoche, April 8, 1517, having brought with him only
about one hundred men. As to the final result of that enterprise we are
not informed, except that his landing was opposed by the natives, and a
battle was fought in which fifteen or twenty Indians were killed and a
number of Spaniards were wounded.

The fighting instinct of the people of Mexico was never exercised to
better purpose than during the period between 1810 and 1821, in the
gallant and successful war with the home government to establish their
freedom. On the 15th day of September, 1810, a solemn declaration of
independence was made, and for eleven years, under various patriotic
leaders, such as Hidalgo--their