A New History of the Conquest of Mexico.

A NEW HISTORY OF THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, In which Las Casas Denunciations of the Popular Historians of that War Are Fully Vindicated. BY ROBERT ANDERSON WILSON. This History of the Conquest of Mexico is based on the official Dispatches of Cortez and they give a far different picture of the Conquest than the "Popular" Histories pushed upon the public to promote the myths many still believe. The Introduction to this book will explain the need for this New History that revises and corrects the pious statements of previous Histories of this event. And so we quote the "INTRODUCTION - An inspection of the country itself, first shook our belief in those Spanish historic romances upon which Mr. Prescott has founded his magnificent tale of the Conquest of Mexico. In a transition state between faith and disbelief, our first work was written. But, even then it was suggested that Bernal Diaz - who so personal narrative was the foundation of every subsequent account -might yet prove a myth. That proof is now presented in so uncontrovertibly a shape, as to carry with it, to the region of romance, all former histories of the great event which they affect to chronicle. The dispatches of Cortez are our only written authority. These are found to consist of two distinct parts - one an accurate detail of adventures consistent throughout with the topography of the region in which they occurred, as shown by our section maps; the other, a mass of foreign material, apparently borrowed from fables of the Moorish era, for effect in Spain. This clement removed, both the hero and the war occupy a more commanding position than has hitherto been assigned them. To locate these aright has been our effort. In doing so, we have not only had to modify our previously expressed opinions, but also to introduce an entirely new theory to account for the pre-existence of American civilization. The popular belief having been proved fabulous, we had to construct another, consistent with the newly discovered facts of archeology." The Introduction goes on to elaborate that this new History was necessary to preserve the facts and bring them to the attention of the general public. This is the kind of History that Bank of Wisdom searches out and republishes, it is our opinion that History, falsely reported, will cause it to repeat itself - and it has already repeated itself far too many times.
Emmett F. Fields