Though my journal terminates here, I trust I shall be pardoned, by a portion of my readers at least, for soliciting their attention to some further particulars connected with the present political condition of Yucatan, and also to a brief criticism of the Maya language, to which allusion has already been made. However imperfect these discussions may be, I trust they may not be found wholly without profit to the very large portion of my countrymen who, like myself, have never before had their attention distinctly called to the consideration of these subjects. [Illustration: Decoration] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XIII. Political History of Yucatan—The Rochelanos—A Civil Revolution—A Tumultuary Movement in the Interior—Santiago Iman—Attack on Espita—Retreat to San Fernando—Quiet Restored for a Time—Colonel Roqueña—Attack on Tizimin—Return of the Troops—Attack on Valladolid—Capitulation—Succession of Events—A New Constitution—The New Congress—New Party—Opinions—Physical Incapacity for Independence—The Press of Yucatan. It might be well enough for me to adopt the example of Fielding, so far as to precede this chapter with a stage direction of this kind: “To be skipped by those who are not fond of politics.” The political history of Yucatan necessarily possesses but little interest to any class of foreign readers, and yet I could not but think that some notice of that kind might add symmetry to a work which relies so much for its value upon its record of institutions and customs, which are indebted for their shape and character to the political condition of the people to whom they belong. For that reason I present the substance of my own observations and inquiries, without pretending, however, that the following remarks will answer half of the questions pertaining to this subject, which a student of political science would be disposed to ask. Yucatan, since its conquest by the Spaniards, and until the year 1839, was a province of the great Mexican Confederacy, and formed one of the United Provinces of Mexico. For several years, however, previous to 1839, the tranquillity of Mexico had been disturbed by a party called Rochelanos, who insisted upon the independence of Yucatan, or else a more liberal central government. Their agitations finally placed their party at the head of the government. In the year 1837 this party was overthrown and removed from power, having lost the elections by an overwhelming majority; indeed, so decided was the triumph of their opponents, that they dared not resist, and a civil revolution was effected, for the first time since the independence of the country. They immediately commenced agitating and plotting, but with no decided success until the year 1839.