Page:Mexico (1829) Volumes 1 and 2.djvu/360

320 MEXICO. system of absolute prohibition, under which it had so long suffered. Foreign vessels were invited to visit the harbours of Mexico, on a footing of perfect equality with those of Spain ; and most of the Spanish capitalists, disgusted by the prospect of such an encroachment upon their former mono- poly, and discouraged, too, by the aspect of affairs, with- drew, with their families, to the Peninsula, or the Island of Cuba. They were replaced by Foreigners, principally British, or Americans, with some Germans and French, who, being all commission-merchants, found it more advantageous to supply the retailers of the Interior directly, without the intervention of any intermediate agent. They, consequently, established themselves in the city of Mexico, having merely correspond- ents at the ports, for the purpose of forwarding the goods consigned to them from Europe. Thus, Veracruz and Alvarado, (which port was opened to Foreign trade in 1823,) became, in their turn, mere places of transit, with the exception of their own actual consumption, which, in the maritime provinces to the East, is by no means considerable, that of Jalapa (the capital of the State of Veracruz,) not being supposed to exceed 600,000 dollars annually. As the commercial interests of Great Britain in Mexico, are the principal object of this Section, I shall beg leave, before I proceed to trace the other effects produced by the Revolution, to express my opinion with regard to the line taken by the British merchants on their first arrival, in con- centrating themselves, as they did, in the Capital. I cannot but think, that, in attempting to supply, from any one point, (however central,) a country of such vast extent as Mexico, they have, in fact, repeated the error com- mitted by the Spaniards, with merely a great reduction in the value of the goods brought into the market, in conse- quence of a great competition.