The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-05-21
From the North American.
THE KING OF YUCATAN.

letters from luCatan oil the date OF Aprll IAN,
the Indians of that country had elected
ring, who had taken the name Of the last OF
the ancient kings of Maya; and was crowned,
on the 9th Of April, among the ruins Of the old
aboriginal city of Chichen liza. The name OF
the new king was enormously printed as Ticul
Xiu, which was the name of the last represen-
tative of the royal race, at the period, more
than three hundred years ago, when Yucatan
was reduced by the Spanish ConqIiStador, Don
Francisco Montejo.
The election Of king by the Indians of Yu-
catan, if true, is most extraordinary event, as
indicating the rapid revival of the old national
spirit and the development of secret insurrec- |
tionary designs among the descendants Of the
aboriginal civilized races Of Spanish America, |
from which we have so often argued the proba-
bilities of new kind of revolution and the
prospect of the final destruction of some of the
creole republics OF North and South America
by these Indian races.
The ancient civilized nations of America
were those of Mexico, Yucatan and Central
America, (all politically distinct and indePen-
ent Of each other, though very similar in charac-
ter arts and institutions)in the NOrth;and those
of Peru, Bogota (both these races resembed
each other in their government and customs)
and Arauco, in the South. Alllof these nations,
except the last named, had monarchical govern
ments. of which the three North American ones
were kind of military despotisms; while those
|of Peru and Bogota were religious autaucra-
|cies, the kings being hierarchs--Dalai
|Lamas-regarded BY their subjects as incarna-
tons or, at least, descendants of the national
|divinities. The Auraucanianians of Southern
Chilli less advanced in the arts of civiliza ton.
had-and still have-a kind of republican gov
eminent, regular enough, but with an heredit-
al in bea rtrde
resemblance to some Of the ancient European
Republics, compounded of the powers Of
plebians and patricians; but coarse and imper-
feet as their institutions were their fate has IL
Illustrated the superior strength of free over a
Subject people, for while all the monarchies
|of America easily fell under assaults Of the
lSpaniards, the Arauccanians, though degenera-
ted from their original state, are as free when
they met and beat the first Spanish armies of
Invasion in pitched fields.
The old monarchies were broken 10 pieces
their princes,-the feuctlis, the zacs, the incas.
and their vassal NOTES.-The pills, the caeiques
the curacas,-vanished suddenly-or gradually
during three hundred years of subsection and
and the popular masses sank
in that condition oil calm submission, melan.
choly torpor and stagnation,-a stupid indiffe-
erence to life and death, general disregard at
all things, except the mere animal wants OF
the moment.-which all travellers and creoles
have been disposed to consider the true and
natural traits of the race. Thus writer's have
always been astonished at the apparent want,
among the Mexican and Peruvian Indians, OF
all recollection of their ancestors, their old
monarchies before the times and the coming
of the Spaniards. 1t would seem, however,
that all this insensibility is an illusion; or if
unreal, that it is mere temporary stupor,-a
political coma of day, generation, an age,
during which the national spirit only sleeps,
but is not dead; and out OF which the Indian.
awaking atany unexpected moment, may start
up, alive and in arms, Peruvian, as in the
days of Atahualp pa IAN Aztec, as in the reign
OF Montezuma, Ia Macegual Of the fierce old
warrior race of Maya-pan.
The Peruvian Indians are, by common con-
sent, supposed to be the midest and most sub
missive OF all the degenerated races. In the
year 1850, after two-and -a-half centuries of the
most patient servility, when no creole dream
ed that they retained the slightest memory of
the past, or any care except to eat, drink and
sleep,yon sudden they burstinto furious and
universal resurrection, and, as suddenly, q
crowned inca, lineal descendant of the Chill
dren of the SUM was found at their head, COM
handing them with all the authority and obey
ed by them with all the blind reverence; amount
of the ancient monarchs. This was the famous
Instruction of Tupac Amaru, which lasted
two years, was put down only with the great
est difficulty, and was marked by all those hor-
rible atrocities OF unrelenting hatred and saw
age revenge which have, in our day, converted
Yucatan intosuch a scene of fear and desola-
ton. The war was one DIFFERENTIATION, like
the present Yucatan war; the mild Peruvian
was, in an instant, a tiger, bowling for blood;
the new Inca was an educated man who was
anxious to spare the eclesiastics, the castles or
half breeds, and even, it is said, the creoles-
Jail of Peruvian birth; but here his power prov
ed insufficient; the Indians had sworn VEN
geance against, and they refused quarter to all
geance against, and they refused quarter to all
who were not of pure Peruvian blood; and it
!, was this astonishing ferocity which caused the
ultimate failure Of their enterprise. All the
castles and races, of course, banded against them
J fighting with the modern arts, weapons and
resources of war, which the Indians did not
: possess and could not Withstand. After great
: successes and the recovery OF many of the
J Southern provinces, they were finally overcome
! aud reduced TO their former state of submis-
/ sion; the Inca, and royal family were captured
and put to death, Tupac Amaru himself being
torn TO pieces by wild horses in the public
{ square at Cuzco. In this insurrection, one
= third OF the whole population of Peru was de-
$ stroyed; and for many long year afterwards,
the interior plains and valleys, once swarming
o with life, were strawn for miles with human
I bones, vestiges of carnage and the monuments
, of fearful though unavailing revolt.
/, The elevation of king by the Indians of
i, Yucatan.-if the account be true, as stated
: the restoration Of the name-and doubtless al
e so of the blood-of the old princes of Mayopan,
. land his coronation, as alleged, among the
rulnS of one of their aufienf rifles 60
the Yucatan instruction character surpris
lingly like that of the rising of Tupac Amura,
as well asa political consequence and signif.
ication which IL did not before nosses