New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-04-12

coycry and examination nave oeeh loieeo W
tho nnrnoses of every one who had some Precon-
ceiyed theory to support, and Essays without num-
her have been written to force the facts into the ser
vice of these various opinions. Some derive rom
them strong arguments in favor OF the belief that
this Continent was first peoPled by descendants Oh
tho TsraeIitcs The ancient remains iouno so
abundantly in Wisconsin, especially the runs OF
Aztalan, have been referred to the same people
and the same age. Mr.. STEPHENS expresses his
opinion fully and clearly, that the cities whose
rims he explored 90 are not the works OF people
who have passed away and whose history IN lost
but Of the same races who inhabited the country
at the time of the Spanish conquest, or OF some
not very distant progenitors." In general he be-
lieycs they were occupied at the time OF the
Snanisb conouest The facts to which he refers
in support of this belief, he says are every whefe
set forth throughout his volume. The objections
to It are examined with care and skill. 10 the
alteration that the absence Of all tradition Is
strong argument against his theory, ne rePIes 'na'
the summary and bloody manner in which the
country was conquered absolutely forblds that
traditions should have survived that dreadful
event. Moreover, he says, this absence OF traai-
t;on ia not peculiar to these American ruins. But
for written records Egyptian, Greclan and no.
man remains, would be as mysterious now as arc
the ruins of America and even at this day the
round towers of Ireland arc tradltlonless and the
ruins of Stonchcnge stand on Salisbury PLAIN with
ont a tradition to carry us back to the age or ma
ton of their builders 1t is again urged by many
that a people possessing the power and skill 10
erect such cities never could have fallen so low as
the Indians who now linger about their runs
But Mr. STEPHENS replies that the pages o! written
history are filled with records of as terrible changes
in national character as tbs. The Indians are
not more changed than are their Spanish mas
ters. To the last argument used the alleged abb
scnce of all historical accounts in regard to the
discovery or knowledge of such cities by the con-
ouerors, Mr. STEPHENS replies, l. that the argu-
mcnt, even if true, would be unsound, since 1t
goes to deny that such cities ever existed at all ;
and 2. that the old historians are not silent con-
corning them that their pages abound with des-
criptions of these cities so glowing and extraor-
dinarv that modern historians, and Robertson at
their head seek to discrcdit them on that very &C
count. All the light that history sheds upon the
origin and history of those people Mr.. SrErnENs
thus sums up:
According to traditions pictur, writings, and Mexican
manuscripts after the conquest the Toltecs or Oh
tecans were the first inhabitants of the land oil anahuac
now known New Spain Mexico and they are the old
est nations on the continent Of America of which We have
any knowledge Baaished according to their own history
from their native country which situated on The north
west of Mexico the year 500 of our they proceeded
southwark under the direction of their chiefs and after
ON he
hundred and twentyour years arrived at the banks oil
river in the vale Of Mexico, where they built the city OF
lula the capital Of the Totecan Kingdom, near the site OF
the present city of Mexico
Their monarchy lasted nearly four Centuries during
which they multiplied extended their population, ana
built numerous and large but direul calames hung
over them For several years Heaven denied them rain
the earth refused them food the infected with mortal
conagon filled the graves with dead great part oil the
nation persisted of famine sickness the last king was
among number and in the year 1912 the monarchy end
ed The wetchcd remains of the nation took refuge some
in Yucatan and others in GrIamala while some fingered
around the graves of their kindred the great vale where
Mexico was alterwa founded For century the land of
Anahuac lay and depopulaed. The Chechemecas,
following in the tract of their ruined cities re-occnPed H.
and after them the Acolhuans the Tlastaec and the AZ
tees, which last the subjects OF Montezuma al the
time Of the invasion by the Spanards.
The history Of all these tribes nations Is misty con-
fused, and indisnc The Toecans represented to have
been the ancient said have been also The most
polished Probably they the orgnators OF that peculiar
style Of architecture found in Guatmala and lucata whch
adopted by all the subsequent inhabitants and as ac
cordnS their annals they did not SET out on teir
emigration those countries from the vale OF Mexico until
the 1852 OF our the oldest cities erected by them III
those could have been in existence but from four
five hundred years at the time of the Spanish conquest
This gives them very modern date compared with the Py
amids and temples of Egypt and the other ruined monu
Of the Old World it gives them much less aauqu
" than that claimed by the MAYA manuscript, and in fact
much less than should ascrbc them myself In ideni-
flying them the works of the ancestors OF the presenr lnu
the cloud which hung their origin not removed
the time when and the circumstances under when me!
built, the progress and full development oil me
power and skill required Tor their construction are all
mysteries which will not BE- easily unavelcd They rise
like skeletons from the grave. wrapped in their burial
shrond claiming affinity with the works of any known
people but distinct independent and separate existence
They stand alone, absolutely and entirely anomalous, per
haps the interesting subject which at this day presents
itself 10 the nQuirng mind leave them with all their
mystery around them and the feeble hope that these
imperfect pages may IN way throw glimmer OF lsh
upon the great aud long vany mooted question: who were
the peopers Of America | will pow bid farewell TO
RUNS.
Our readers will scarcely fail to recollact, in con-
necton with these very interesting researches, the
able and most valuable Lectures Of Or. HAWKS
upon the general subject of American Antiqui-
ties, delivered last winter. He spoke particularly
OF many Of the ruins to which we have now refer
red and all who heard those most excellent dis
courses will read the volumes of Mr.. STEPHENS
with deeper and more definite interest. In The
Tribune of January 90, we presented, in 4 sketch
Of his concluding Lecture, general summary Of
the points which he considered proved and of the
inferences which he deduced from them. He did
not at all discuss the questions connected with
origin or antiquity Of the race who built these now
ruined cities but seeks solely to prove that the
race which furnished the type for these buildings
must hare been rery ancient indeed-whatever
be the age of the buildings themselves. The def
mite point at which he aimed was to show that all