Mexican literature -- Translations into English; Mexican prose literature
would be worth nothing without truth, supported by good testimonies. As
regards Spain I shall take my testimonies from no foreign authors--lest
the bourbonist writers might reject them as disaffected and prejudiced,
and so shield themselves--but from Spanish writers; with the exception
of one and another Mexican, accepted by all Spaniards as trustworthy,
such as Alzate and Beristain.... And among Spaniards I will refrain from
citing Emilio Castelar and others of the extreme left.
DISTRIBUTION OF OFFICES IN NEW SPAIN.
With regard to the public offices in New Spain, of consequence for the
honor connected with them, or because of the fat salary, Señor Zamacois
says:
“It has been said, in regard to official positions, that the Mexicans
filled only the less important; in this, another error has been
committed. The monarchs of Castille considered those born in the
American colonies as Spaniards, and made _no distinction_ between them
and Peninsulars; all had equal rights and, therefore, in making an
appointment, there was no question whether the person named came from
the provinces of America or those of the Peninsula.... The offices and
appointments were conferred in equal numbers on the sons of America and
Peninsulars.”
By way of digression, I may present a few penstrokes, but they will be
sufficient for any intelligent man. Padre Mariana, high authority in
history, states this maxim: _History takes no sides until shown a clean
record_. Señor Zamacois shows no clean record for his assertions. I will
present mine. There were sixty-two Viceroys of Mexico, and of these
fifty-nine were Spaniards of the Peninsula and three were creoles--Luiz
de Velasco, native of the City of Mexico, Juan de Acuña, native of Lima,
and Revilla Gigedo the second, native of Havana; in consequence, only
one was Mexican. There were thirty-three Bishops of Guadalajara and of
these twenty-six were Spanish Peninsulars and seven were creoles; these
were ...; that is to say, only five were Mexicans. I confess my
ignorance; I do not understand Señor Zamacois’s arithmetic--the equality
between 26 and 7. There were thirty-four Bishops of Michoacan, and of
these there were thirty Spanish Peninsulars and four creoles; these were
...; that is to say, only two were Mexicans. Thirty equals four? Please,
Señor Zamacois. There were thirty-one Archbishops of Mexico, of whom
twenty-nine were Spanish Peninsulars and two creoles; these were ...;
that is to say, only one was Mexican. Twenty-nine Spaniards and two
creoles are equal.
* * * * *
Adolfo Llanos, in treating this matter, goes (as is his custom farther
than Zamacois, saying that the ecclesiastical offices of importance were
obtained by the creoles, not equally with the Spaniards, but
preponderantly over them.) He says:
“Americans were preferred by the Spanish Kings over Europeans, in the
assignment of high ecclesiastical dignities.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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