Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/702

This page has been validated.
686
MINA'S EXPEDITION.

    a review of the colonial régime and an outline of operations prior to 1817, and followed by a special chapter on Spanish cruelty, and another on the problem of interoceanic communication, with observations 011 trade prospects, the whole pleasingly interspersed with sketches and reflections on customs and institutions in New Spain, as a rule favorable to the Creoles, although abusive against peninsular connections. The account is woven from different material, the story of Mina being drawn from the journal of J. A. Brush, who accompanied the hero from England, and served a while as commissary-general. Robinson's knowledge of the field adds value to his work. The fresh interest roused by Iturbide's revolution extended also to this work, issued at Philadelphia in 1820, 396 pp., and in the following year it was reprinted at London in two volumes, with a portrait of Mina. Three years later appeared a Spanish translation, somewhat faulty, and with suppression of many facts as disagreeable and needless. Bustamante makes it a task to combat and correct many of Robinson's statements, while praising his ability and claiming to have furnished most of his information—see Cuad. Hist., iii. 377, iv. 306-7—and he certainly adds many new points from different sources, toning his narrative somewhat to suit his conception of Mina as a Spaniard intent mainly on restoring the constitution of 1812. Briefer forms of his versions are given in Cavo, Tres Siglos, iv. 138-66, and Mendíbil, Resúmen Hist., 314-53. I have been able to throw additional light with aid of such recent collections as Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., vi. 647-948 passim, containing among other papers the testimony of Doctor Mier before the inquisition, Declaracion, somewhat vague and distorted by fear, yet valuable; and I have found interesting details in Mier, Vida; Mina, Breve, Extracto de la Vida, Lóndres 1825; in scattered documents in Soc. Mex. Geog., dp. 2, iii. 136, 145-69; Pap. Var., xlii. pt viii., cxlix. pt vi., etc., and I have made a close examination of royalist reports in Gaz. de Mex., 1817-18, and other sources. Alaman's very acceptable version, Hist. Méj., iv. 547 et seq., rests on Robinson, Bustamante, and the Gazetas, and he is closely followed by Zamacois, Hist. Méj., x. 243 et seq., with a few corrections, and still closer by Arrangoiz, Méj., i. 343-63, who nevertheless adds a point or two. The article in Dicc. Univ., v. 381-493, is by Alaman. Liceaga, Adic. y Rectific., 275-307, contributes a personal story of the raid on Guanajuato. On Robinson rest mainly the accounts in Ward's Mex., i. 236-59; Young's Hist. Mex., 129-69; Kennedy's Texas, 291-300, relating mainly to the stay at Galveston; Gregory's Hist. Mex, 42, etc.; Mayer's Mex. Aztec., i. 295-7. In Zavala, Rev. Mex., 68-73; Revista Cien., ii. 15970;Beltrami, Mex., i. 82-161, 351-73, are some observations, the latter showing little regard for facts, however. Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, ii. 65 et seq., bases his account mainly on royalist reports, while favoring the republic. Vigneaux, Souv. Mex., 436, compares Mina to Raousset Boulbon, of later Sonora fame. In Gallo, Hombres Ilustres, iv. 283-95, is a eulogy on Mina; Olavarria y Ferrari, Conde del Venadito, 1-160, is mainly devoted to him, and his story has been specially elaborated for youths in Mina, Biog., Paris, 1872, 1-175. For additional authorities on this and four preceding chapters, see Córtes, Diario, 1813, xviii. 433; 1813, xxi. 151; 1820, ix. 15; 1821, ii. 2; 1821, xiii. 16; Córtes, Diario Congreso, i. 105; Córtes, Act. Ord., 1814, i. 453, 457, 463-4, 489-90; ii. 14, 19, 24, 95, 160, 187, 260, 202, 331, 345, 349, 353; Cedulario, MS., iv. 34, 38; Gaz. de Mex., 1813, iv. 865-9, 961-3, 1082-4, 1088, 1090-1, 1099-1102, 1350-1; 1814, v. passim; 1815, vi. passim; 1810, vii. passim; 1817, viii. passim; 1818, ix. 59-64, 134, 257-61; Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., i. 777-814, v. 45-91, 126-30, 167-75, 238-50, 273-83, 292-335, 375-613, 650, 662-775, 810, 918, vi. 29-100, 215-74, 313-444, 460-514, 529-802, 925-48, 1042-49; Alaman, Hist. Méj., iii. 425-7, 580, 583, iv. 1-309, 328-509, 539638, 724-8, ap. 11-17, 27-40, 45-7, 52-8, 100-7, v. 958, 900; Bustamante, Cuad. Hist., i. 49-51, 103, 119, 325-7, ii. 119, 249-58, 274, 288-95, 407-28, iii. 3-87, 97-399, 422-4, iv. 23-4, 160-7, 171-502, 533-4, 541-7, v. 4, 21-31, 45-53; Id., Elogio Morelos, 8, 20-8; Id., Campañas de Calleja. 9-13, 18, 21, 96, 166, 178, supl. 1-18; Id., Notic. Biog., 18-19, 22-4; Id., Martirologio, 19-20; Id., Mem. Hist. Mex., MS., iii. 41-3; Alegre, Hist. Comp. Jesus, iii. 306--