Identifier: mexicoitsancient01enoc (find matches)
Title: Mexico, its ancient and modern civilisation, history and political conditions, topography and natural resources, industries and general development;
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Enock, C. Reginald (Charles Reginald), 1868-1970
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Scribner
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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, as indeed is the casethroughout Spanish-America generally. Military titlesare exceedingly numerous. Formerly it was rare thata President, a Cabinet Minister, the Governor of a State,or the official head of a department did not carrythe distinction of general or colonel. The dormantmilitary spirit, indeed—and in view of Mexicos historyit could hardly be otherwise—permeates the whole bodypolitic, and its influence and effects give place veryslowly to civil ideas. The tramp of armed men andaccoutred horses, the roll of drum and call of trumpet,appeal ever to this race of warlike instinct. The gleamof arms and sabre possesses for them an attractionwhich the ploughshare or the miners drill can neverimpart. Their ancestors, on the one side, were thewarlike Aztecs and other aboriginal races, and on theother the Conquistadores and martial men of Spain.A note of their stirring national anthem, with its war-like words and martial strain, and the soldier—andwarrior—instinct arises :—
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THE MEXICAN PEOPLE 173 Mexicanos al grito de guerraEl fierro apretad i el bridon !Y retumba sus entranas la tierraAl sonoro rugir del canon ! Which might almost be translated in the fiery wordsof the— Pibroch of Donnel Dhu ; pibroch of Donnel,Wake thy wild voice anew ; summon clan Connel.Come away ! come away ! hark to the summons,Come in your war array, gentles and commons ! From such stern matters let us turn to a gentler theme—the woman of Mexico. The cultured upper-class areextremely exclusive as regards their women. Any senseof liberty or independence such as characterises theEnglish or American girl is impossible with the Mexican.Between the sexes social intercourse before marriage ismuch restricted; the rigid etiquette and seclusion ofyears gone by—almost Moorish in its character—scarcelygiving way to the more tolerant ideas which pervadesociety in general elsewhere. Nevertheless, there hasbeen some improvement in this condition, partly due tothe influence of the numero

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