Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-06-01
WEEKLY JOURNAL.
From the North American.
TITTIII, XIII

lnd disregard for the past, which were consld-
cred the proper characteristics OF the Peruvians
before their instruction IN 1850, under the
Inca, Tunac Amaru: and such degeneracy of
spirit might be esteemed less extraordinary on
the part OF the Peruvians, peculiarly gentle
aud docile race originally, than on that of the
Indians OF Yucatan, who three hundred years
ago, were among the brayest and most wRrlike
OF all the civilized-or semi-civilized-tribes
of America.
When the Spaniards FIRST discovered Yucca
tan, in the beginning of The 10Th century, they
were surprised TO find it densely occupied by |
q people who were clad in woven garments-
who cultivated the earth-who lived in towns |
and cities built chiefly of stone, with palaces,
temples, pyramids, and other public buildings |
of vast size and extraordinary style of archi
lecture, wholly unlike any other style-out OF
America, at least-ir the known world, land
divided into petty states or ipalities-cG
clquasgoS, as the Spanlards called them-each
ruled by an independent hereditary chief, who
was monarch within his little domain. All
the inhabitants, however were of one race,
calling themselves Maceguales, and their coun
try, Maya: to this day, the Indians know no
other names. Abopta century before the Span
iards came, the whole peninsula formed sin
gle kingdom, the metropolis of which was
Mayapan, whose ruins are still in existence;
but metropolis and kingdom were both DIES roy
ed by revolution, IN which the petty princes
united their arms against the ruling power and
30 established the separate ndependeace OF
their ccaquasgos. Divided as they We're, how
ever, they met the bearded invaders with spi-
Tlt which surprised the latter as much--and
far more disagreeabl y-than their civilized APP
pearance had done; COntending against the
Spanish cross bows and muskets, even against
The hpr.oc md arfiliart- ipri, and
fury worthy even of the Mexicaps under qua
tlmozin,-and with, perhaps, better prospects
of success, for the Spaniards were repeatedly
repulsed,-we might say, beaten-in various
battles, with heavy loss. and greatly disheart
ened; when it suddenly pleased one of the
princes 10 offer to Monteio, the Spanish Cap
lain, peace and alliance, with the assurance Of
his desire TO be baptized and become Chris
tlan. This prince was Tutul Kin, lord of a
City and territory called Mani, and W hat may
be considered peculiarly interesting, he was
also the lineal descendant of the last king of
Maya. And thus the heir of the old monarchy,
though no longer king, was the first TO de-
sert the cause and the paganism of his country,
and clasp the hand of stranger whose embra
ces were destined to be followed by the degra-
datlon of his race and the demolition of all the
monuments, and, to appearance, of even the
memory of his fathers. And vet how strange
a revival of the Maya recolIections, and the
Maya nature. According to the Intelligence
which We mentioned on Saturday of the cleo
ton of king by the Yucatan Indians, the new
monarch has been crowned under the name of
Tutul Xiu-as If Tutul Kin, alive again. and
tired of the peace and alliance which had pro-
flied hI II so little, had returned to the wrath,
the ferocity, and the idols OF his ancient PEG
pie.
1t was the horrible barbarism of Tupac ANA
ru-or, rather, of his frantic sub ects-which,
as We mentioned on a previous occasion, caused
the failure of the Peruvian instruction of 1850.
The same barbarism will, doubtless, cause a
failure OF the Maya insurrection. Had there
been anything like moderation practised by the
Yaeatan insurgents-had they exhibited any
OF the ordinary feelings of humanity, and
Willingness to fight as men fight, instead of
revelling like wild beasts in carnage and cru
city, sla ying women and toruring babes, like
our own tiger-hearted savages of the North,
there can De no doubt from the known con-
stitution OF the human mind, the sympathies
OF the world would-or mght-have been with
them, as with people rising, even after the
tenth generation, TO recover the homes and
hearths of their fathers from the possession of
the stranger whose own sres had taken them
away with the strong hand. We say might
have been with them; for there may be a very
Just doubt OF the sympathies of the world fol-
lowing insurgents who rise without proyoca-
ton and strike without cause
1t is not with the Indians of Yucatan as it
was with those of Peru, it was not under &c
suffering of bonds that they burst into revolt,
It was not from oppression that they few to
arms. Whatever may have been the former
degraded state of their fore-fathefs-and it new
er was one OF actual slavery-it happened that
they themselves were freemen, the equals of
the whites, the citizens of the State, made so by
the humanity-or folly-of the creoles, upol
whom, and their wives and their little ones,
they are now exhausting all the unima ginable
cruelties ofan Indians revenge. There is no
justice, then, in their cause, there was no ne
Cesslty for a revolt, the whole instruction ap-
pears to have been mere capricea and wanton-
ness OF savage nature, which slumbered under
the lash, only TO turn upon the land of kind
ness. 1t was only when these Indians, so long
quiet, doclle, passive, Were made free citizens
and politiclans,-when they were called upon
to vote and perform military service,-when
they were taught the use of arms, and with
arms in their hands, made the fatal discovery
OF their own courage and the degeneracy Of their
creole fellow -citizens,-that the jaguar blood
OF the Macegual-of the aboriginal American
awoke, and that ferocious appetite for slaughter
revived; which, In the ancient days of their pro-
genltorS, stained the affairs of their idols with
the gore of human victims. One of the princi-
pal divinities of the Indians of Yucatan was a
serpent,-whose colossal folds are still seen
winding In stone over the doors and along the
entablitures OF their ruined temples,-a god, oil
subtle cunning, fiery malice, and immedicable
venom. worthy, were it only for the emblem
auea zeal h I'm OF his savage ,woyshippers,
No; the Maceguales of Yqcatan can neve,
expect 10 carry with them the sympathies Of
civilized people, in their way of butchery and
brutality. They may have elected king, aud
restored the blood royal of the old empire Of
Mayapan,--over which strange event men will
wonder as ever a stroke of poetry, or mystic
~ Of fate; but wonder viii be succeeded by
horror, and horror by wrath; and then, soonej
or later, stronger hand will be at their necks
and a stronger foot on their threats, than ever
IN the days Of Montejo. pulled down the pride
and tranPled the idolatry of Maya in the dust
No cause like theirs can prosper; and deepe
curse win rest upon the barbarity of the chill
dren than ever before fell upon the paganisn
Of the fathers.