CHAPTER XX.

Want of Statistics-Census-Amount of Exports-Specie Exported-Excessive Taxation-Taxes on Internal Commerce-Tobacco MonopolyPeculation-Table of Revenues-Dilapidation of the large Estates.

THERE is no such thing in Mexico as a statistical collection of any sort. It is a characteristic fact that the only attempts which have been made to make such a collection have been by foreigners-by Baron Humboldt, in 1804, and Mr. Brantz Mayer, recently the Secretary of the American Legation in Mexico. Mr. Mayer had access to the best sources of information, of which he has with praiseworthy diligence availed himself. No census has ever been taken since the revolution, not even in arranging the ratio of representation in Congress. With such a population there would be great difficulty in making out a census with any tolerable accuracy. The whole population of the Republic is estimated or rather guessed at as amounting to seven millions. Of these it is supposed that between four and four and a half millions are pure-blooded Indians, about one million of white Europeans or their descendants, and the remainder Mulattoes, Mestizoes and Zambos. My own observation would lead me to believe that the number of mulattoes is very small. I am sure that I never saw half a dozen in the city of Mexico, and the African blood is, I think, easily detected. The appearance of the mulattoes is almost as distinct from the Indian as it is from the white man; there is a manifest difference even in color. Of the

number of Mestizoes, descendants of the Indian and white races, it is impossible to form even a conjecture with any approach to accuracy. As the cross partakes more or less of either of the races, it is difficult to say whether the individual is of pure or mixed blood. When the Indian cross is remote it is difficult to distinguish the person from a swarthy Spaniard, and so vice versâ. Neither do I think that there are many Zambos, for the African blood shows itself as distinctly in the cross with the Indian as with the white man. I have never looked upon any color so horribly revolting as that of the Zambo. Many of the inhabitants of the Pacific coast are very dark, as dark as brown negroes, and darker than mulattoes, but have none of the physical or physiognomical peculiarities of the negro. They are tall, well-formed, fine-looking men, with limbs and faces much. more Grecian than African. If I were to form an opinion from what I saw, I should say that the estimate of white persons is a large one. They are very much confined to the cities, and a few wealthy proprietors, who reside upon their estates. I am quite sure that nine of every ten persons whom one meets in the streets of Mexico are Indians or Mestizoes, and it is in that city that the white population is greater in proportion than anywhere else; in travelling in the country it would be safe to wager that forty-nine of every fifty persons you might meet would be Indians. I have heretofore spoken of the sympathy of race, but it is not half so strong as the antipathy of race. The feelings of the Indians of Mexico towards the Spaniards is very much the same now that it was at the period of the Conquest. Although everything admonishes them that the European is the superior race, they are generally averse to alliances with them, and whenever such are formed, they are prompted more by interest than inclination. How can

it be otherwise? The original wrongs of the invasion of their country, and the horrible massacres which followed it, have been aggravated by three centuries of grinding oppression, without one effort to educate them or to promote their advances in civilized life. The single exception which can be made to this remark is in the efforts to convert them to "nuestra santa fé." And as to the masses, I have before remarked that these efforts have done little more than to substitute one worship of images for another.

In the neighborhood of the cities the natives professed the Christian religion; many of them from fear, others from. interest, and others again in sincerity, captivated by the thousand objects which address their senses and excite their feelings. In the more remote and secluded portions of the country they worship in secret the same grotesque figures which were the objects of the devout adoration of their early ancestors. A very intelligent Indian promised to procure for me some of these idols, which, failing to do, he told me in great confidence, knowing that I was no Catholic, that the Indians who had them would not sell them at any price. "What,” said I, “do they still worship them ?” "Yes, Sir," said he, "with as much devotion as they ever did, but always in secret." The principal difference that I could see in the two superstitions was, that the Christian images were the handsomest. But I am not sure that in this they are any the better suited to the notions of an ignorant and uncivilized people, whose only idea of a God is that he is powerful and revengeful; and hence the universality of the practice of all savage people, of offering sacrifices to propitiate his wrath. With such an idea of God, I can conceive of nothing better than an ancient Mexican idol.

From the best attainable data, the annual exports of Mexico. amount to about twenty millions-less than two millions of

which consist of all other articles than the precious metals. I have no doubt that the amount of specie exported is very much larger than is indicated by the books of the custom houses. A duty of six per cent. is levied upon all that is exported, and no one acquainted with the character and practices of Mexican custom houses, and I may add, of their officers, can believe that the whole amount is returned. The duty upon all that is not returned goes into the pockets of the officers of the customs, and I have no doubt that it amounts to a very large sum. Gold is an article so easily smuggled that enormous sums are sent off in almost every vessel which sails for Europe. The amount of duties on imports varies, of course, with their ever-changing tariff. Those who had the best means of forming an accurate estimate during my residence in Mexico, told me that it amounted to from four to six millions per annum. This, also, would be a most fallacious standard by which to estimate the amount of importations, for the same reason. Eminent writers upon political economy say that any duty above twenty-five per cent. offers temptations to smuggling too strong to be resisted. With all the efforts of Buonaparte to carry out his continental system, he was unable to prevent smuggling upon the very limited coast of France-and the insurance in England upon a cargo of goods intended to be smuggled into France was little more than on the same cargo to be regularly imported. How extensive must the practice be in a country of more than ten thousand miles of seaboard and frontier, and with so sparse a population! The amount of revenue from imports would indicate an importation of not more than fifteen millions of dollars. What goes with the other five millions of exports, to say nothing of the large amounts of specie clandestinely exported?

In addition to the revenue derived from imports, the direct taxes are exceedingly onerous. Everything is taxed, from the splendid palaces, coaches, and plate of the wealthy, to the dozen eggs which the poor Indian brings to market. I do not suppose there is any city in the world where houses are taxed so high, and hence the enormous rents. But after paying the taxes very little is left to the proprietor. A decent house cannot be had for less than twenty-five hundred dollars, and from that price to four and five thousand dollars per annum.

The government seems to have been engaged in the experiment of how much taxation the people can bear, and they have really achieved a miracle almost as great as that of extracting blood from a turnip. There is no country in the world, which, from its unsurpassed climate, variety of productions and lands, to be had almost for the taking, which, in proportion to its population, is capable of producing so much,―certainly none which does produce so little. The population of Massachusetts is about one-tenth as great as that of Mexico, and its productions very nearly in an inverse ratio with the number of the respective populations-excluding the produce of the mines very much more than in that inversed ratio. Where they find the subjects of taxation was a riddle which I was unable to solve.

Besides the sources of revenue which I have mentioned, there is another and a very large one from imposts on internal commerce, that is between one department and another. Every article of commerce thus passing from one department to another, provided it has been opened and the bulk broken, is thus taxed. The principal revenue from the alcaba, internal duties, thus derived is from the duty on specie. The revenue from duties on internal commerce in 1840, amounted to four millions and a half.