"Among the modern objects is the standard raised by Hidalgo in 1810, in the revolution which ultimately resulted in the independence of Mexico from Spain. The gun, handkerchief, and cane of Hidalgo are also shown, together with other mementos of that hero. Then there are a portrait of Cortez, and the standard which was carried at the head of his columns in the conquest of Mexico; and there are the armor of some of his companions, and portraits of the successive viceroys that ruled the country by authority of the King of Spain.
"Maximilian has been repeatedly brought to our minds by the relics of his ill-fated reign. Here is his table service of silver; and they tell us that the metal is not solid, but plated. The Mexicans consider it typical of the plated empire which he undertook to set up in America through the aid of the charlatan emperor, Louis Napoleon. His state coach is also preserved and shown to visitors; evidently it is highly prized, as the doors of the room where it is kept are always locked, and a fee is required to open it. The vehicle is the finest in America, and it even surpasses, so it is said, the state carriages of many of the imperial and royal establishments of Europe.
"It is lined with white silk brocade, and the trimmings are of heavy silver thread. The wheels are so thickly gilded that you might suppose them to be of solid gold, and the body of the coach is dark red in color. The harness is in keeping with the coach, and altogether the vehicle makes an interesting show. We are told that Maximilian negotiated large loans in England to set up his empire here, and that the debt he incurred forms one of the financial burdens now resting on Mexico."
THE NATIONAL PALACE.
From the museum our friends went to the palace, which occupies the eastern side of the Plaza Mayor, and is said to be the largest building in the city. Before the Conquest, Montezuma's palace stood on the site which fell to Cortez when the conquerors drew lots for the possession of the city of Tenochtitlan, or, rather, the place where it stood. Cortez erected a building here which remained until 1692, when it was destroyed in a great riot, and the present palace was begun. It has been added to from time to time, so that now it is neither symmetrical nor handsome. Several departments of the Government, including the Presidency, are located in the building, and its great extent renders it of decided utility.
"We went through the palace in charge of a guide from the hotel," wrote Frank in his journal, "and found it well worth the time and trouble of a visit. In one respect it reminded us of the Capitol at Washington, as it seemed to be the resort of office-seekers, claim-agents, lobbyists, and all that sort of people which every resident of Washington knows so well and so numerously. They were in all the patios, and in the corridors in all directions. We asked how many rooms there are in the palace, but nobody whom we asked could tell us, and after repeating the question several times we gave it up.
"Some of the rooms are magnificently furnished; they represent, to a certain extent, the varying fortunes of Mexico under different rulers. One room, called the Hall of Iturbide, has its walls hung in crimson damask, and displays the Eagle and Serpent of Mexico; this room is not far from the Hall of the Ambassadors, the largest room in the palace. It is over 300 feet long, but is narrow in proportion to its length. In this hall we saw portraits of the principal heroes of the Mexican War of Independence, together with portraits of Juarez, Diaz, and other Presidents. They are mostly by Mexican artists, some being well, and others badly, painted.