The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-01-24

0FstH07lte1lH39sISt1k
Capt q Blanding, formerly Of the
Sumter Yolunteers, las 4 lately: RECEIVED
from Charleston some was represent Of
the above ftioned Mexicait scuTiosi,ieE,
which he brought with him from the { is;y 8. !
Mexico Hell has also ilthogra phic represent
tations Of the same. They are Of much. inter-
est, aud may be seen al his Office s5 in! this
place, where he viii take pleasure in sheW-
ing them to visiters. ssSs3s
Az some information in regard to these things
may not be unacceptable to our renders, wos
shall m ke some extracts in relation thereto
from g PrescoA's Conquest Of Meriico.' 2 =
lueizalcoatl, ga far more interesting per.
sonago in their mythology was Quetzalcoatl,
god Of the air, divinity who. during his res
idence on earth, instructed the natives in the
use Of metals, in agriculture, and in the arts.
Of government. He was one of those bene.'
factors of their species, doubtless, who have
been defied by tho gratitude Of posterity.
Under him, the earth teemed with fruits and
flowers, without the. pains Of culture. /; An
are Of Indian corn was as mnch as a single
man could carry. Tho cotton; as it grew
took, of it's own-accord, the rich dyes of hu.
man art. Tho airawas filed with intoxica.
ting perfumes and the sweet melody of BIRDS
In short, these were the halcyon days, which
find place in the mythic systems Of SO ma
ny nations in tho Old World. IT wis the
golden age Of Anshuac.' .l..' .tz 'f.
"from some cause, not explained, Quctz-
alcoatl incurred the wrath Of. one OF the prn-.
cipai gods, and was compelled to abondon
the country On his way, ho stopped at tho
city Of Cholula, where a temple was dedica-
tod to his worship, the mussy ruins of which
still form one of the most interesting relics
OF antiquity in Mexico. When he reached
the shores of the Mexican Gulf, he took leave
OF his followers, promising that he and his ;.,as-
cendants would revisit them hereafter, &, then,
entering his wizard skif; made of serpents,
skins, embarked on the great ocean Tor the fu.
bled land Tlapallan. He was said to have
been tall in stature, with white skin, long
dark hair, and a flowing beard. The Mex.
cans looked confidently to the return of tho
benevolent deity; and this remarkable tradi-
tion. deeply cherished IN their hearts, prepar-
ed the way, as wo shall see hereafter, for the
future success Of the Spaniards. Vol. /, pp.
80, 60. RI
Nole--" Quetzalcoatl signifies arcath.
cred serpe mt" The last syllable means,
likewise, Swim; which furnished an ar
gumentior Dr. Sguepza to identity this god
WIN the p apostle Thomas, (Dydi1nus signify
ing also twin,) who, he supposes, came
over to America to preach tile laos,cln--
Rather a startling conjecture |
/ Our ingenious countryman, cCulloh.
carries the Aztec god up tof still more res.
pectnole gntlqaity, By identifying him with
the
End Of r,5se, PIP. GO, 81, !. "a
Among the keocallis Qhe Mexican item.
ehsuses Of SGed, . as they were called
in the inclosure was ono consecrated to
Quetzalcoatl, circular in its form, and HAVING
an entrance IN imitation of a dragons mouth,
brlsting with sharp fangs, and dropping with
blood: AS the spaniards cast flrtive glance
INTO the: throat OF this ilorriblerm ,hey
saw collected there implements OF sacrifice
and other denominations Of fearful import
lhe!r bold hearts ear shuddered at tho spectacle,
and they designated the place not inaptly as
the "Hell." Vol II. p. ISL.
"But none OF the deities of the countrv
suggested such astonishing analogies with
scripture, as Qnetzalcoatl, with whom the
reader has already bccn made acquainted.-
lie was white man, wearing a long beard.
who came from the East; and who, after pre.
siding over tho golden asc of Anahuac. dis
appeared as mysteriously as he had come. on
the great Atlantic Ocean AS he promised IN
return at some future day, his reappearance
was Looked for with confidence by each sue
cecdlng generation. There is little in these
circumstances to remind one of Christianity.
But the curious antiquaries of Mexico found
out, that to this god were 10 be referred the
institution of eclesiastical communities. re.
mlndlng one OF the monastic societies of the
OId Word; that OF the rites of confession
and penance; and the knowledge even Of the
great doctrines of the Trinity and the Incar
nation One party, with pous industry, ac-
cumuiated proofs to establish his identity
win the Apostle st Thomas; while another,
with less scrupulous faith, saw, in his antici-
pa,ed advent to regenorate the nation. the
type, dimveiled, OF the Messiah 20 Vol. m.
p. 3S2.
| The deliberate conviction of Lord Kinss.
borough, writer on the Aztecs or ancient
| AeXIcans, was, that the "Aztecs had clear
knowledge Of the Old Testament, and most
probably, of the Now, though somewhat cor.
rupted by time, and hieroglyphics.
After such things, we cannot but exclaim
| with Sir Hudihras in regard to his Iordshin
and all equally well skilled with him in un-
rayelling mysteries, that they are those
"Whosc primitive tradition reaches,
AS far as Adams first green breeches."
The Sacrjfcial Sione--The sacriicial
stones were on the submits of their teocallis
or temples, which "wero solid masses of
earth, cased with brick, or stone, and in their
form someWhat resamhled the nuram;dnl