the very army, to which he had surrendered.

On the 18th of March, a decree of amnesty was passed in his favour, and he was appointed Governor of Vera Cruz. He was received there with the most flattering demonstrations of joy, and a splendid ball was given in his honour.

The first act of the chamber of deputies upon their meeting in January, was to contest the votes of the states of Oaxaca, which had been given to Pedraza. They were declared to have been illegal. ly obtained, and General Guerrero, having received the greatest num. ber of legal votes, was declared to be the President elect of the Republic.

Mr. Poinsett was accused by the Escoceses of having taken an active part, in bringing about the revolution. There does not seem to be the slightest foundation for this accusation, except that Mr. Poinsett was a friend to the federal constitution.

As soon as the government became settled, the excitement against the Spaniards again broke out, and a decree for their expulsion was loudly called for by the people. At length, they succeeded, and on the 18th of March, Congress passed a decree for the expulsion of the Spaniards.

This decree included all those born in countries then under the dominions of Spain, with the excepVOL. III.

tion of Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines; and also, the children of Spaniards born at sea. This apparently singular clause, was m serted for the purpose of getting rid of some persons, who were pe culiarly obnoxious to the govern ment; it excepted those who were physically impeded, while the im. pediments should exist. They were to quit the state or territory in which they resided, within one month, and the republic in three months. Those unable to pay their expenses, were to have them paid by government to the nearest port of the north, under regulations of the strictest economy. Those Spaniards receiving stipends, were to have them continued, provided they settled in republics friendly to Mexico. The law of the 20th December was repealed, except the clause prohibiting the introduction of Spaniards into the republic.

The policy of this procedure has undergone much discussion, and will admit of much more. On the one hand it has been contended, that the expulsion of a great body of men, with an immense capital, from the country, would be a dreadful blow to the prosperity of the country, not unlike that which resulted from the expulsion of the Moors from Spain. On the other hand, it is asserted with equal plausibility, that as the class of people expelled were continually sowing dissentions, and exciting rebellion

62

against the government, the repub. lic could not hope for peace, until they were driven from it. The true method of settling the question seems to consist in the application of the old adage, although which is the greater of the two evils is very difficult to determine.

On the first of April, General Guerrero was inducted into the presidential chair, and took the oath of office. Every thing was conducted with the greatest order, and the popularity of the new president seemed to guarantee the fu. ture tranquillity and prosperity of the republic. General Bustamente, the former Vice President, was continued in that office. Zavala was appointed secretary of the treasury, the former secretary having resigned; Bocanegra, secre. tary of state; General Santa Anna, commander-in-chief of the republic, and Don Juan de Dios Canedo, minister to the United States.

On the 9th of April, a bill was introduced into the senate, to extend the time, when the expulsion of the Spaniards should take place to December 1st, which was there passed. It was then sent to the chamber of deputies, by whom it was rejected, and one substituted allowing the government to extend the period to six months to such Spaniards as it thought proper.

General Lobato, who had taken so conspicuous a part in the revolution, died at Guadalajaura on the

7th of March of a fever. He was generally beloved and his death, was much lamented by the Mexicans.

During the month of April, the small pox broke out in Oaxaca, and made great ravages. The country was also infested with rob. bers, who committed many depredations and excesses.

The last event of any importance, which comes under our notice is the expedition under the command of General Isidor Barradas, which was fitted out at Havana against Mexico during the months of May, June and July, 1829. The intelligence of the intended expedition, however, excited but little apprehension in Mexico; and it was generally regarded with contempt, on account of the smallness of the number composing it. The whole number of men, in. cluding soldiers, sailors, marines, &c. amounted, according to the statement of the Spanish commander, to about 7000. supposed, that the expedition would depart from Havana about the 1st of July, and that Vera Cruz would be the first point upon which an attack would be made. General Santa Anna was at the head of an army of 12,000 men at Tuspacu to receive them. On the 5th of July, the expedition left Havana. The troops were landed near Tampico about the 1st of August, but were totally defeated in a very short time by the Mexican army.

It was

The Teras. It is pleasant to turn from scenes of civil commotion, turbulence and bloodshed, to those of a more calm and pacific character. The province of Texas has, through its fortunate location, and the small number of its inhabitants, been entirely exempt from the disturbances which have distracted all the more populous parts of Mexico. About seven or eight years previous to the present period, a number of enterprising individuals founded a colony in the fine country bordering on the Rio Grande. They were nearly all emigrants from the United States, and the colony now numbers from 10 to 15,000 souls.

On the opposite side of Texas, another colony is fast rising into importance. Two hundred families are already settled on the alluvion of the Red River, near Arkansas. The lands yield as. tonishing crops of cotton, tobacco and corn. Innumerable herds graze on the elevated prairies, and the mountains are known to con. tain the precious metals in great abundance. The colonists are to be exempt from taxation, and the merchandise they import will pay no duties.

Treasury. During all the period which we have noticed, the finances of Mexico, were in a most deplorable state. The most improvident loans

but even these were inadequate to meet the expenses; and the continual disturbances which were taking place, prevented the providing of means to pay the dividends: and although latterly the minister pub. lished repeated advertisements for loans, few were found willing to contract. A loan was offered by the agent of the Barings, in October, 1828, on the security of lands in Texas, but the offer was subsequently withdrawn.

Commerce. The commercial policy of Mexico is illiberal, and at variance with the freedom of trade. A new tariff was instituted in December, 1827, imposing heavy du. ties upon imported articles, of various descriptions. Exports were left free of duty, with the exception of gold and silver, the duty upon which remained the same as that imposed by the provisional gubernatorial junta, in 1821. The gold and silver bullion in bars, lumps or ingots, which might be transported from the interior to the seaports of the republic, were required to be numbered, and to bear a mark in. dicating their weight and alloy, and that they had paid the tax of one fifth; or showing in such other man. ner as the several states, or the general congress, should direct, with respect to the districts and territories, that they had paid the duties above mentioned, as well as those on mines. The export duty was

lorem.

Naval. The navy of an infant nation will always be found to be in an imperfect, feeble, and inefficient state, and none can be maintained where the navigation is carried on in foreign bottoms. That of Mexico forms no exception to this rule.Commodore Porter joined the Mexican navy upon his suspension from that of the United States, under strong hopes of being able to be. come serviceable; but even the talent and skill of such an officer, were insufficient to surmount the numerous obstacles which presented themselves. The only naval action of any note, that took place during the period which has fallen under our notice, was that between the Mexican brig of war Guerrero, mounting 22 guns, and 136 men, and the Spanish frigate Lealtad, of 54 guns, and 500 men. The action took place on the 14th of Feb. ruary, 1829.

The Lealtad was su perior in every respect, and had put to sea in pursuit of the Guerre

of the Commodore,) was killed in the engagement. The courage displayed in the defence of the Guerrero, created throughout the Mexican states, a desire to improve and increase the naval force. The citizens of Vera Cruz opened a subscription in order to build a brig exactly like the Guerrero, with the intention of presenting her to the government. Nothing, however, was effected.

In July, the crews of the whole Mexican squadron which lay in or dinary at Vera Cruz, (consisting of the Congress, Libertad, Victoria, and Bravo,) were discharged. The Commodore, after repeated applications to the proper authori. ties, soliciting the payment of his seamen's wages, finding his requests unattended to, at length, on the 28th July, ordered his flag to be hauled down, declaring himself no longer able to support it. This example was followed by the remainder of the squadron. Almost all the foreign officers in the service tendered their resignations, and retired without being able to obtain their pay; but received cer. tificates in lieu thereof, many of which were sold at a great depreciation.

Ar the close of the year 1827, Colombia, happily escaped from the impending horrors of a civil war, remained apparently tranquil, and under the joint administration of Bolivar, and Santander, seemed destined to assume a permanent station among the nations of the earth.

The insurrection of Paez, had been attended with no visible bad effects; and the prompt, decisive, and at the same time, moderate conduct of the Liberator, had again directed the devious and hostile interests of the country into one uniform current, that now flowed on smoothly towards the meeting of the grand convention, which was appointed to assemble at Ocana, on the 2d March, 1828. Yet under all this seeming calm, there was, to the acute observer, too much cause to apprehend that the flames of discord were but

temporarily smothered, and that sooner or later, they wouid burst forth with increased fury.

The year 1828 was destined to verify these mournful presages, and may be considered as an unfortu. nate æra-annum nefastum in the history of Colombia.

One of the last acts of the extraordinary session of congress, was the decree of September 24th, continuing in force the regulations of the Liberator in the east.

After the termination of the session, Bolivar remained at Bogota, governing with full sovereignty in the north, with Paez for his second; while the south returned to its former allegiance, to the constitutional powers of the nation; the centre, meanwhile, remaining firm in its adhesion to the general law.

The conduct of Bolivar was still of an equivocal character; and the