Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

STATE OF IMIEXICAN MANUFACTURES. 267
The manufactory was a very substantial structure, two
stories high, and built of acdobes. Its machinery (about forty
looms and twelve hundred spindles,) was made in New Jersey. The native operatives seemed sufficiently active and
intelligent. A small chapel was erected for their accommodation near the mill, in order, perhaps, that they might lose
but little time in paying their devoirs to the many inferior
divinities of the Mexican church, every saint's day prompting to idleness.
European merchandise. In 1790, the trade was thrown open; and private capitalists engaging in it, it soon reached from $11,000,000 to $19,000,000. This trade
was, however, still burdened with most onerous impositions under four general
heads: first, on articles of Spanish produce in the markets of Seville or Cadiz;
second, on shipments for Mexico; third, at Vera Cruz; fourth, transfer duties at
every step from merchant to consumer. Under such arrangements, the trade did
not prosper much but on the breaking out of the civil war, the new government
opened the leading ports of commerce. The Spanish merchants withdrew to Cuba
and Cadiz, and their places were supplied by British and Americans, who, settling
in the interior, supplied the people with goods in exchange for dollars. Thejealousy
of the natives, who, themselves exceedingly indolent, are instantly enraged at
contemplating the prosperity of a diligent foreigner among them, caused an imbecile government to make absurb threats against foreign artificers and traders; and
thereby prevented the growth of enterprise in the country. These circumstances
conspired to leave Mexico, at the era of the war of independence, in 1822, entirely
without those great conservative commercial and industrial interests, without
which the military inevitably obtain the mastery and control of affairs. The long
war of independence turned all the energy the nation possessed, into a military
direction. From 1808 to 1821, the history of the revolution is only that of a sanguinary guerrilla warfare, leading to no results other than destruction to trade and
insecurity to property. In 1821, the sudden secession of Iturbide from the royal
cause, in favor of liberalism, resulted in his ascending the throne as Emperor
Augustin I. Fromn that time down to the present day, the political history of Mexico, has been one rude scene of violence and military anarchy. A turbulent banditti, as faithless in their foreign dealings as they were rapacious, cruel and treacherous in their domestic affairs, have, for twenty-six years, held possession of' that
unhappy country. Room for enterprise, encouragement to industry, or security for
property, there were none. The roads, particularly the splendid way constructed
by the merchants of Vera Cruz firom that city to the upper county, were suffired to
go to decay; not even the injuries they sustained during the war have been
repaired. Their antipathy to carriages, and means of transport and communica