The Viceroy of New Spain . By Donald E. Smith (University of California Publications in History, Volume I, No. 2, Pp. 99-293. Berkeley: 1913.)

To one who is looking for an exhaustive treatment of the office of viceroy in New Spain, this book will prove to be somewhat disappointing. Although the title would lead the reader to expect a general study, the author does not claim to have attempted to treat the viceroy throughout the entire period of that official's existence in New Spain. On the contrary, he states, in his conclusion, that his work deals only with the functions of the viceroy “as they were in the closing years of the Spanish reign.” With such an avowal as this, it would be manifestly unjust to criticize Dr. Smith's book in the light of the broad and more comprehensive title which he uses. It would doubtless have been better, however, had he indicated the narrow limits of his work in the title itself.

As a matter of fact, the study made by Dr. Smith is confined almost entirely to the period from 1789 to 1803, comprehending the administrations of Revillagigedo, Branciforte, Azanza, and Marquina. A glance at the footnotes reveals the paucity of primary sources to which Dr. Smith has had access. Indeed, the constant references to the Instrucción Reservada of Revillagigedo might cause the superficial reader to think that the book is little more than a digest or analysis of that important document. It is to be regretted that the author could not make use of the vast store of rich materials to be found in the Spanish and Mexican archives in the nature of unprinted sources, for until such documents have been utilized, the final word cannot be said even upon the brief period of which Dr. Smith's book treats.

The author begins his study by presenting a summary of the history of the office of the viceroy in Mexico from its establishment to the time of Charles III, which includes a very helpful brief exposition of the changes wrought in the office of viceroy by the introduction of the intendancy system in 1786. The body of the work consists of five chapters, whose contents may be indicated as follows: Chapter II treats of the relations of the viceroy with the home government; Chapter III, of the functions of the viceroy as governor; Chapter IV, of his functions as captain-general; Chapter V, of his functions as vice-patron of the church; and Chapter VI takes up more in detail the reforms of Charles III that are mentioned in the introductory chapter, especially the so-called free trade decree of 1778 and the decree of intendants of 1786.

In considering the relations of the viceroy with the home government, Dr. Smith departs from the limits he has set himself, showing the connection of the viceroy with the various institutions of the Spanish colonial system. He has added nothing to the accounts given by Bancroft, Moses, and Desdevises du Dézert, although he has done a service in presenting the facts in a more accessible form. He takes exception to the view held by Desdevises du Dézert that the viceroy was an oriental satrap, and shows that, on the contrary, he had practically no independence, being subject to the constant interference, even in the most trivial matters, of the home government. Here again the author depends almost entirely upon the Instrucción Reservada, and does not attempt to characterize the viceroy of an earlier period. In discussing the duties of the viceroy in connection with the negro slave trade, Dr. Smith says that it was by means of this traffic that the Spaniards were able to avoid the enslavement of the Indians in New Spain, since they could import sufficient laborers to produce an ample supply of food. Negro slavery, however, played a very small part in the economic system of New Spain, comparatively speaking, and it certainly did not prevent the Indians from being reduced to a state of practical slavery or serfdom.

In his chapter on the viceroy as governor Dr. Smith says: “There was little real danger to Spain of losing her American empire as the French lost Canada, as long as her rule was acceptable to the great mass of the colonial population, and thus the real problems before the viceroy were civil ones” (p. 160). He seems, however, to take an entirely different view when he comes to discuss the viceroy as captain-general, and points out, what seems to be more in accordance with the true facts, that the military functions of the viceroy completely overshadowed his civil duties. “On the eve of Spanish-American independence,” he says, ... “the viceroy was becoming more and more exclusively a military ruler” (p. 194). Again, he quotes Revillagigedo as saying that “by the last decade of the eighteenth century the powers which belonged to him as captain-general were not only more distinctive, but more important than those which he possessed as governor, as vice-patron, or as superintendent-general of the real hacienda” (p. 196). Dr. Smith goes on to make in this same chapter what appears to be a more correct statement of the international situation than the one referred to above. He says: “After the experiences of the Seven Years' War, Spain realized the possibilities of serious trouble from the English, who had taken Manila and Havana in 1762, and had generally terrorized the Spanish-American coasts.” Again: “The expedition of the English against Buenos Ayres in 1806 showed that the Court of St. James was in earnest in its designs upon certain parts of the Spanish colonial dominions.” These statements, together with many others of a similar nature, seem to indicate that the real opinion of the author is that, on account of the danger of foreign aggression, the viceroy in the period of which he treats was primarily a military and not a civil official. Indeed, Dr. Smith could not more emphatically state his belief that such was the case than when he says that the military functions “were the very heart of the viceregal office and were historically and actually the most important things which the viceroy was called upon to do” (p. 228). The excellent account given of the organization of the militia system of New Spain in the last years of the eighteenth century (and how difficult such a task is only one familiar with the field can realize) is a welcome contribution, and clears up many obscure points concerning the methods of controlling the disorganized forces of the viceroyalty during this period. In this connection, we might wish that Dr. Smith had been more specific in describing the functions of the various officials and councils that co-operated with the viceroy in matters of defence. Such important features as the auditor de guerra and the junta general de guerra y hacienda are passed over without explanation of their peculiar duties. We should have liked to see also some discussion of the viceroy's duties in regard to the frontier provinces, to which only indirect reference is made.

The absence of any table of contents, index, or sub-headings in the text makes the reading of the book rather difficult. Various repetitions are to be noted, and some carelessness is apparent in the use of “ibid.” in the footnotes.

On the whole, Dr. Smith has written a book which will prove of value to those interested in Spanish colonial institutions. Since it is a pioneer work in its particular field it is not surprising to find some shortcomings, which however will not prevent its being of use to the student who wishes to work along the same lines and make a more general study of the office of viceroy than Dr. Smith has professed to attempt.

W. E. Dunn .

How to cite:
Dunn, William Edward, "The Viceroy of New Spain", Volume 017, Number 3, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 315 - 318. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v017/n3/review_27.html
[Accessed Mon Nov 23 0:47:20 CST 2009]