Michoacán

“ If Morelia has gained that name, it is not alone because of her many distinguished sons, who have long since passed from these living scenes, but, without intending or wishing to detract from the men of any other part of the Republic, the members of the legislature of Michoacan were the most commanding in appearance of any assemblage that I saw in the country. The dark, Indian type prevailed, with large, well-shaped heads, eyes of unusual brilliancy, broad, square shoulders, erect figure, and graceful bearing. ”

“ Towards the afternoon we entered the state of Michoacán, by a road (destined to be a highway) traced through great pine-forests, after stopping once more to rest at Las Millas, a few huts, or rather wooden cages, at the outskirts of the wood. Nothing can be more beautiful or romantic than this road, ascending through these noble forests, whose lofty oaks and gigantic pines clothe the mountains to their highest summits; sometimes so high, that, as we look upwards, the trees seem diminished to shrubs and bushes ”

“ Besides, in our last journey through Michoacán, we have passed among scenes even more striking and beautiful than these. Then the dresses, which at first appeared so romantic; the high, Moorish-looking-saddle, the gold-embroidered manga, the large hat, shading the swarthy faces of the men, the coloured petticoat and reboso, and long black hair of the women, though still picturesque, have no longer the charm of novelty, and do not attract our attention. The winter also has been unusually severe for Mexico, and some slight frosts have caused the flowers of this natural garden to fade ”

“ The tidings of the fall of Mexico were borne on the wings of the wind over the plateau, and down the broad sides of the Cordilleras. Many envoys made their appearance from the remote Indian tribes, anxious to learn the truth of the astounding intelligence and to gaze with their own eyes on the ruins of the detested city. Among these were ambassadors from the kingdom of Michoacán, a powerful and independent state, inhabited by one of the kindred Nahuatlac races, and lying between the Mexican Valley and the Pacific. ”

“ The success of his administration both as visitador and prelate was signally marked. The influx of friars was maintained with regularity, and convents and educational and charitable institutions were rapidly multiplied in Michoacan during this period. His powerful influence in the political government of the province is evidenced by the amelioration noticeable in the condition of the Tarascans. The wanderers in the mountains were won from their wild retreats, and settled in pleasant towns and villages, where they were taught manufacturing and agriculture. ”

“ Olid in Michoacán.—The same year, 1522, marks the extension of Spanish rule into Michoacán, the territory of the hitherto independent Tarascans. The cacique Tangaxoan visited Cortés and made submission, and in return Olid was sent to found a settlement at Pátzcuaro on Lake Chápala. Before the end of the year [Pg 37] part of the settlers moved to the seacoast and settled at Zacatula, in the modern state of Guerrero, where a post had been established. ”

“ The climate is for the most part temperate and healthy, but it is hot and unhealthy on the coast. Michoacán is essentially a mining region, producing gold, silver, lead and cinnabar, and having rich deposits of copper, coal, petroleum and sulphur. ”

“ If we should go beyond the limits of the great Mexican valley, we should find that there were yet other peoples. There was the powerful nation of Michoacan, which, though the period of its foundation is not exactly known, is thought to have been contemporary with that of Anahuac. ”

“ Maximilian's severe decree was prompted as well as felt especially in Michoacan, which, owing to its favorable geographic features, with rich valleys, mountain fastnesses, and approachable sea-coast, formed a good field for guerrillas. They held forth in the south and west, under Régules, Pueblita, Salazar, Riva Palacio, and others; the last named now appointed governor by Arteaga, who, after his defeat in Jalisco, continued here to wield the supreme command. ”

“ Its name is an imitation of the noise of humming birds, which, in the Tarascan days, as now, darted in multitudes over the gay flowers that border the lake in profusion. This people loved birds as they did flowers, and excelled in the delicate feather-work still practised in Mexico, in which bright-colored plumage is daintily made to serve instead of paints. The monarch of Michoacan held court at Tzintzuntzan, but his pleasure-house was at Patzcuaro, eighteen miles away. ”

“ The Indian paintings at the end of the MS. copy give incidents of the first visits of the Spaniards to Michoacan, their reception by the Tarascans, labors of Franciscan priests, establishment of the episcopal see, litigation anent the capital of the province, and the last sheet gives colored drawings of coats-of-arms of the principal cities of Michoacan. My manuscript copy was taken from the Mexican archives. ”

“ The temple-service of Michoacan was much the same as in Mexico. Human sacrifices, which seem to have been introduced at a late period, were probably very numerous, since hundreds of human victims were immolated at the funeral of a monarch. The hearts of the sacrificed were eaten by the priests, says Beaumont, and this is not unlikely since the Otomí population of Michoacan sold flesh in the public market. During seasons of drought the Otomís sought to propitiate the rain gods by sacrificing a virgin on the top of a hill. ”

“ All of them were natives of Mexico, and men of learning and character. Friar Angel de Maldonado, of the order of Saint Bernard, who was in charge of the see from 1702 to 1728, was noted for his humility and charity. Ho declined the mitres of Michoacan and Orihuela. The diocese of Michoacan had a chapter consisting of five dignitaries, ten canons, and 12 prebendaries. In early days, when the revenue was smaller, it had only nine prebends. The cathedral was begun in 1640 by Bishop Prado, with aid from the crown and people. ”

“ The gubernatorial changes in Mexico, Michoacan, Oajaca, Puebla, and Guanajuato were in favor of the new order, to which Querétaro and San Luis Potosí also adhered. Petty provinces like Colima and Tlascala bent for the sake of autonomy, and even Yucatan and Tabasco declared for the plan of Jalisco; while Vera Cruz, followed by Tampico, pronounced for Santa Anna, but with a federal system. ”

“ Although the royalist forces occupied all the most important towns and the immediate vicinities, the revolutionists gradually gained control over the country at large. Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Zacatecas, and large portions of Puebla, Vera Cruz, San Luis Potosí, and Mexico at the close of 1811, were almost completely in possession of the insurgents ”

“ Many small mountain ranges rise from the plateau and break the continuity of the rolling table-land. Located on the southern part of the Mexican Plateau in Michoacán are several lakes, the largest of which are Lago de Chapala, Lago de Cuitzeo, and Lago de Pátzcuaro.
Bordering the southern edge of the Mexican Plateau is a nearly unbroken chain of volcanos, the Cordillera Volcánica. The highest peaks in Michoacán, Cerro San Andrés (3930 meters) and Cerro de Tancítaro (3870 meters) , are in this range. Parts of the Cordillera Volcánica in Michoacán are known by separate names ”

“ Instanter, every person in sight of that carriage falls to his knees or upon{85} his face, and remains until the hands of the mysterious stranger are lowered. It is the Bishop of Michoacan on the way to his palace in Morelia, and he stopped to bless the people. Slowly and reverently the worshipers rise from their groveling in the dust, with a radiance upon their dusky faces as though the Son of God had just passed by. This is the class of people that keep Mexico living back in the seventeenth century. ”

“ The story of the introduction of the gospel into the State of Michoacan, as gleaned from the letters of Rev. J. M. Greene, gives a touching feature of humble Christian service in connection with the labors of Rev. H. Forcada and other native brethren among the Indians of that region. Mr. Forcada's first visit was to Junapeo, a small town among clustering villages in the lowlands west of the capital. A few Bibles and tracts had been sold or given by a Mexican bookseller in Zitacuaro a few years before, and these had no doubt been doing a silent work ever since among the people. ”

“ They were the inhabitants of the present State of Michoacan, west of the valley of Mexico. According to their oldest traditions, or perhaps those of their neighbors, they had migrated from the north in company with, or about the same time as, the Aztecs. For some 300 years before the conquest they had been a sedentary, semi-civilized people, maintaining their independence, and progressing steadily in culture. When first encountered by the Spaniards they were quite equal and in some respects ahead of the Nahuas. ... In their costume the Tarascos differed considerably from their neighbors. ”

“ The prospective loss of so rich a province as Michoacan could not be quietly endured, and reënforcements were soon sent, which raised the Juarist army here to about 9,000 men. Under the leadership of Uraga, fire was opened against the city on December 17th, several of the points commanding it being secured, although the imperialists had made efforts to strengthen their position. ”

“ Thus the king of Patzcuaro died without leaving heirs, and his division was added to Tangaxoan's territory. The kingdom of Coyucan, upon the death of Hicipan, was also annexed to Tzintzuntzan, where Tangaxoan's son Ziziz Pandacuare, was then reigning. Michoacan became thus re-united under one head. Ziziz Pandacuare used his great power [525] for the advancement and benefit of his country. He embellished the city of Tzintzuntzan, and made it his capital. His reign was a long and glorious one, and it was chiefly to his able administration that Michoacan owed its greatness. ”

“ Olid thereupon returned with a rich booty, including some pearls, Ávalos being left in charge of the colony, numbering about one hundred and fifty Spaniards, and a force of allies. [46] As in Michoacan, the settlers speedily grew discontented at the rapid dwindling of the much lauded wealth of the country, and many deserted. This encouraged the still hostile royalists in the mountains, and when the remaining colonists demanded their tribute from the repartimientos they found most of the natives united in a general revolt. ”

“ In Yucatan the reactionists possessed only Mérida; Tabasco was beset by the liberals; Chiapas was entirely under the control of the latter; and so were Oajaca, Guerrero, nearly the whole of Michoacan, Sonora, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Chihuahua, Tehuantepec, Colima, and even Tlascala; and among the states where Zuloaga's authority was recognized, such as Vera Cruz, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Mexico, there were some now in most important points occupied by the constitutionalists. ”

“ He went south as far as Iguala; but as Michoacan had been made by Comonfort the centre of military operations, he changed his headquarters to Morelia, where he was received with the honors of triumph. [26] He took Zamora, the insurgents continuing their tactics of not confronting the government forces. He returned to Morelia, and after a while to Mexico, without having obtained any advantage. The revolution was fast gaining ground. Santa Anna now stationed troops between Mexico and Vera Cruz. ”

“ Here the elevation is 8,423 feet. The town lies about a mile north of the track. The traveler may see the boundary-line of the States of Mexico and Michoacan near by. Stone monuments about three feet high are placed in the ground every thousand yards. One of them is very close to the railroad. Presently the line crosses the Rio Lerma and continues through a fertile country. Good pastures for cattle abound here, and the tourist can see many fine haciendas from the car-window. The track has usually been laid some distance from the hamlets and villages. ”

“ The provision of wood for the temple fires was a most important duty; in Mexico it was usually undertaken by the novices, but in Michoacan it was nominally the duty of the king, though in fact the high-priest, as his representative, saw to the matter. The education of would-be priests was a matter of great moment, and the institution at which this was carried out, the Calmecac, deserves a word of description. Parents wishing to dedicate a son to the service of the gods invited the officers in charge of that establishment to a banquet during which they communicated their desires. ”

“ Freedom of the press soon ceased under the oppressive system of Minister Alaman. Only journals defending the government were allowed to exist. [2]
The government was not long permitted to pursue its despotisms in peace. Revolutions broke out in southern Michoacan and other parts of the south, as well as in Mexico, San Luis Potosí, and Puebla, which caused much trouble ”

“ The next year they obtained permission and money to found a hospital on the spot where the city was finally established in later years. The first member of the order to visit the diocese of Michoacan was Brother Juan Curiel; he went there in 1573, was kindly received, and ordained as a priest by Bishop Morales. After the translation of Morales to Puebla, and the death of Bishop Chavez, the chapter at Patzcuaro asked the provincial to establish his order there on a permanent footing. ”

“ According to Torquemada, iii. 381-2, in 1612 the Franciscans possessed about 172 monasteries and religious houses, divided into the five provincias of Mexico, Michoacan, Zacatecas, Nueva Galicia, and Yucatan; the Augustinians had about 90 monasteries in two provinces, that of Mexico and that comprising Michoacan and Jalisco; and the Dominicans 69 monasteries in the provincias of Mexico and Oajaca. ↑ Laws were passed in 1558 and 1566 prohibiting friars returning to Spain from bringing with them more gold or silver than was sufficient to meet the expenses of their passage. ”