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ELECTION OF KINGS.
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matter at this period.[1] Afterward, the duty of electing the king of Mexico devolved upon four or five of the chief men of the empire. The kings of Tezcuco and Tlacopan were also electors, but with merely an honorary rank ; they ratified the decision of the others, but probably took no direct part in the election, al- though their influence and wishes doubtless carried great weight with the council. As soon as the new king had been chosen, the body of electors was dis- solved, and others were appointed in their place, whose duties also terminated with their first electoral vote.[2]
- ↑ After the death of Acamapichtli, the first king of Mexico, a general council was held, and the people were addressed as follows: ' Ya es fallido nne^ftro rey Acamapichtli, i qnien pondr^mos en su lugar, qne rija j ^obier- ne este pueblo Mexicano ? Pobres ae los viejos, nifios y mugeres yiejas que hay; que serd de noeotros & donde iremos i demandar rey que sea de nuestra patria y nacion Mexicana ? hablen todos para de cual parte elegir^mos rey, 6 ninguno puede dejar de hablar, pnes i todos nos importa para el reparo, y cabeza de nuestra patria Mexicana est^.' Upon Uuitzilibnitl being pro* posed, ' todos juntos, mancebos, viejos y viejas respondieron i una: que sea mucho de enhorabuena, que i €1 quieren por sefior y rey.' Tfzozomoc, Crd' nic.t Jfex.f in KingiAorough's Mex, AtUvji., vol. ix., p. 10. Sahagun's description of their manner of electing kincn appears sIbo to be more appropriate to this early period than to a uiter oato: ' Cuando moria el seflor <5 rey para elcger otro, iuntibanse los senadores que llamaban tecutlcUoque^ y tam- l>ien los viejos del pueblo que llamaban achcacauhtij y tambien los capitanes aoldados viejos de la guerra que llamaban laidequioaquCf y otros capitanes que eran prmcipales en las cosas de la guerra, y tambied los S&trapas que Uaoiaban Tlenama4xtzque d pcmaoaque: todos estoe se juntaban en Is^ casaa reales, y alli deliberaoan y determinaban quien habia de ser seflor.* IlisL Otn.y torn. iL, lib. viii., p. 318; Acoata, HIH. de laa Ynd., p. 439.
- ↑ The exact number and rank of these electors is hard to determine. ' Si le souverain de Mexico mourait sans heritier, les principaux chefs lui choisissaidnt un successeur dont T^lection ^tait confirmee paries chefs sup^- rieurs de Tezcuco et Tacuba.' ZurUa, Ra-ppoH^ in TemoMx-Comparuif Voy., serie iL, tom. L, pp. 15-16. Pimentel follows this, Mem, sobre la Rassa In- dlijtna^ p. 26: 'lutti e due i Re [of Tezcuco and TlacoxMin] furono creati. Elettori onorarj del Re di Messico, il qual onore soltanto riduoevasi a rati* ficare Telezion fatta da quattro Nobili Mcssicani, ch'crano i veri Elettori.* Clarifjero, Starki Ant. del Messico, tom. i., p. 224. 'Despues en tiempo de Izooatl quarto Re)vpor consejo y orden de vn sabio y valeroso hombre, que tuuieron Uamado TlacaellM se seflalaron ouatro electores, y a estos junta- mente con dos eefiores, o Reyes sujetos ai Mexicano, que eran el de Tez- ciico, y el de Tacuba, tocaua hazer la elecion.' Acosta, Hist, de las Ynd., p. 439. These four electors 'de ordinario eran hermanos, o paricntes muy cercanos del Rey. Llamauan a estos Tlacohecalciitl, que significa el Prin- cipe de las lan^as arrojadizas, que era vn geuero de armas que olios mu- cho vsauan.* /</., p. 441. *Seis electores eleeian el Emperador, dos do coales eran siempre los principes de Tcscuco a de Acolhuacan y do Ta- cuba, y un prlncipe de la sangre real.' Carli, Carttis, pt i., p. 114. * Four of the principal nobles, who h^ been chosen by their own l>ody in the pre- ceding reign, filled the office of electors, to whom were added, with merely aa honorary rank, however, tha two rcycl uUlca cf Tezcuco and Tlacopau,
