Coming then to the particular matter, the question is one of suppressing the commerce now carried on with the Philipinas Islands by way of the South Sea.  This may be advantageous to Espana in two ways:  in making the kingdom of Mejico absolutely dependent on Espana’s aid, without leaving it any other recourse:  and in increasing the proportions of their present trade by adding to that kingdom [i.e., Espana] that commerce from those islands by way of the Ocean Sea, [55] to which it is desired to direct the trade-route.

In the first place, it will be considered that Nueva-Espana passed many years without any communication with the Philipinas, and that the same will happen now if that commerce be taken away, although at the outset there may be some ill-feeling among them; and that the prevention of a thing so temporary, and in one province only, ought not to over-balance what is of so different an importance, as that Espana (the seat of your Majesty’s monarchy) should have plenty of money.  For all that Mexico sends to Manila will go to Espana, and should have an outlet for its merchandise, since from that must be supplied what Nueva-Espana now receives from the islands.

In order that Nueva-Espana may preserve itself if this trade be suppressed, the years while it lived without that trade have no consequence; for it would be a mistake to compare a period when that kingdom was in so early an infancy [56] that the royal incomes therein scarcely amounted to thirty or forty thousand ducados, and when in the whole kingdom the amount of outside capital employed did not surpass two hundred thousand, with what El Cerro [57] now alone produces, where one reckons the product by millions and takes no account of the tens and hundreds.  From all this one may infer that whoever sits down to a meal, however plentiful, when he sees it growing less would doubtless have sufficient strength to call out and plead his hunger; and much more when we baptise business with the name of diet.

But this has not much force, since it is not intended to suppress, but only to change the mode of this supply.  In order to see whether it be feasible, one should consider, that, barring certain articles of adornment and luxury, the chief exports from Espana to Mejico are wine, oil, and linen, and from the Philipinas woven and raw silk.

The former products, in whatever quantity needed, must always be bought from Espana.  There is no other region that can supply them, nor does Mejico itself produce them; therefore its enforced dependence on Espana follows.  However, in what pertains to linen, Mejico may supply itself in part by using the cloth that the Indians make from cotton.  The rest (namely, silks supplied by Manila) may be obtained in great abundance, without begging it from anyone, by only encouraging the industry in any of Mejico’s provinces.  These are very suitable for it, especially the province of Misteca, [58] where it could be cultivated and woven admirably.