Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican, Vol. 1 of 2: A Historical, Geographical, Political, Statistical and Social Account of That Country From the Period of the Invasion by the Spaniards to the Present Time.Mayer, Brantz
History
Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican, Vol. 1 of 2: A Historical, Geographical, Political, Statistical and Social Account of That Country From the Period of the Invasion by the Spaniards to the Present Time.
Tirol seems to have been a man upon whose nerves such appeals had but
little effect. He was a blunt soldier, who received the orders of his
superiors and performed them to the letter. He had been ordered to
arrest the archbishop wherever he found him, and he left the
ecclesiastical scandal to be settled by those who sent him. Beckoning
to a recreant priest who had been tampered with and brought along for
the purpose, he commanded him in the king's name, to wrest the
sacrament from the prelate's hand. The clergyman, immediately mounting
the steps of the altar, obeyed the orders, and the desecrated bishop
at once threw off his pontifical robes and yielded to civil power. The
cowardly Mexicans made no attempt to protect their intrepid friend,
who, as he left the sanctuary, paused for a moment and stretched his
hands in benediction over the recreants. Then bidding an affectionate
farewell to his clergy, whom he called to witness how zealously he had
striven to preserve the church from outrage, as well as the poor from
plunder, he departed as a prisoner for Vera Cruz, whence he was
despatched for Spain in a vessel expressly equipped for his conveyance.
* * * * *
For a while the people were panic struck at this high-handed movement
against the archbishop, but when the momentary effect had passed away
and they began to reflect on the disgrace of the church as well as the
loss of their protector, they vented their displeasure openly against
Mexia and the viceroy. The temper of the masses was at once noticed by
the clergy, who were still faithful to their persecuted bishop, nor
did they hesitate to fan the flame of discontent among the suffering
Indians, Mestizos and Creoles, who omitted no occasion to express
their hatred of the Spaniards, and especially of Tirol, who had been
the viceroy's tool in De la Serna's arrest. A fortnight elapsed after
the occurrences we have just detailed, and that daring officer had
already delivered his prisoner at Vera Cruz, and returned to Mexico.
Popular clamor at once became loud against him; whenever he appeared
in public he was assailed with curses and stones; until, at last, an
enraged mob attacked him in his carriage with such violence that it
was alone owing to the swiftness of the mules, lashed by the
affrighted postillion, that he escaped into the viceroyal palace,
whose gates were immediately barred against his pursuers. Meantime the
news had spread over town that this "Judas,"--"this excommunicated
dog,"--had taken refuge with Gelves, and the neighboring market place
became suddenly filled with an infuriated mob, numbering near seven
thousand Indians, negroes and mulattoes, who rushed towards the palace
with the evident intention of attacking it. Seeing this outbreak from
a window, the viceroy sent a message to the assailants desiring them
to retire, and declaring that Tirol had escaped by a postern. But the
blood of the people was up, and not to be calmed by excuses. At this
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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