New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-14
Nftift THE ATTECS
The Northern papers for some time I,ast

The Northern papers for some time last
have contained frequent notices Of two dmusvc speed
mems Of the human race known the Aztec children
They chiefly remarkable for their extremely small
size their general Intelligence, and the fact Of their being
pure specimens of tina. race, once powerful but now
degenerate which centuries ago rsIed in the country OF
the Monezumas Is stated that these children belong
to order dedicated sacerdoa service and that they
were procured from . secluded and hitherto unknown
Aztec city in Central America at great expense and
even peril Of e to thex adventurous protector Many
persons have expressed decided skepesra the truth
Of the story and declare sat fabricated for purposes
OF mere speculation, while Shers yield mpit credence
TO IT, Without seeing and examining these interesting peo-
pie for ourselves of venture ~ express
decided opinion to their gsneaogy but it Is unoubt
edy true that many circumstances related by antiauri
ans and travellers in Central America tend corrobore
the story. Almost all the inhabitants that country
agree IN declaring the existence of large city situated
among almost inaccessible mountains, isolated from
communication with the outer world, and which not
more than one two white men have succeeded
In reaching Stephens in his valuable work Yucaian
We believe aludes to this subject and seems place
lance in the statement Within the last month have
accidentally been placed in possession facts which
conIni in belief Of the truth of these stories
and though sufficiently versed in Aztec lore
to enter into minute descrpton. we viii endeavor 70
give brief explanation for the benefit of those who
take an interest IN such subjects.
About three weeks since, gentleman, who had re-
Gently returned from Tehauntepec placed in our hands
a volume composed Of number OF layers of parch-
ment bound together with brazen clasps and present
ing appearances OF great antiquity. IL obtained
from an Indian curate--there many such in that
part of Mexicoend the history OF it related by him.
se. is this: He said that he had purchased it from
native trader who once year was III the habit of
visiting city among the mountains, toward the
SOUTH which is inhabited exclusively by Aztecs. The
Of this city is Coaxchencingo, which, in the Ian
,age OF the tribe to which the curate belongs, signifies
!" tie mystery Of the mountains" Within an inner
apartment OF the grand temple of Coaxchencingo
KEPT about fifty volumes similar in appearance to the one
referred to- which, is said by the priests pre-
served from tho extensive collection OF records known
to have existed in Mexico at the time Of the conquest
and which destroyed by Cortez in the heat OF his
inomperate zeal against the pagansm OF the Aztecs
The volumes preserved at CoaxchencingO regarde
holy things, and only be days of great
public rejoicing soemniy. Ii was an occasion OF
this kind that the Indian trader succeeded in abstractn
one of them.
This volume which we have now before US, is filed
with hieroglyphical characters almost all of which are
OF course perfectly unintelligible But cir
cumstancc connected with it is of the highest mpor-
ance and tends to confirm the theory that the Aztecs
descendants of which migrated 10 this cont
from the eastern shores of Asia about twenty
tures ago. 1t is remarkable that two pages
of the volume, Immediately beneath the hieroglyphics
there are inscriptions in Greek characters, forming
words in that language, but written backwards, in the
Oriental style. On the first page, these Greek inscnp
tons thus we give English characters for want OF
Greek, not not s0gOL which, reversed reads u To-
COS panton-literally, "word of ALL" "of all
things" 1t is to be presumed from this, that the book
is history OF the mysterious people among whom 1t
found and could it be thoroughly deciphcred, it
would doubt, completely solve the problems OF our
aboriginal archaeology. On another there IL pic
ture OF water and under ii the word, "ssdla which
is evidently alasses Greek for the sea- Arepresen-
tati0n of vessel full of accompanies this, and
conveys the impression that refers TO voyage mi
grafton from beyond the sea.
The existence OF these Greek words in this volume is
very singular circumstance and proves conclusiyely
that must have been the work OF nation from
the old continent which held sufficient communication
proved by the fact of the reversed writing, which meth
cd is used by all oriental nations. coincient fact
with this one is the discovery lately made oil Hebrew
volume found in the possession OF western tribe OF ln-
dias account of which has already been given In
almost all the newspapers and will doubtless be rene-
bered by our readers TO what nation the authors OF
this Aztec volume belonged is yet stery though the
facts would seem to indicate Jewish origin for al
though there Hebrew characters in the book the
known fact of the disappearance OF the twelve tribes,
the many simarities between the customs, rights and
ceremonies Of the Aztecs and those OF the ancient Jews
and other circumstances of the nature lend paus
bilty to the theory OF a Hebrew origin
The elders and priests among the Jews were well ac-
Guainted with Greek in fact, it was the polite language
OF that era, and it Is not surprising that with certain
aecation of erudon they should have made use OF IN
their writings. However, this Is n point which we leave
to those more learned than to decide. We may
remark nevertheless passant that the physlognomy
of the Aztec children described by the Northern pa
pers is essentially Jewish We understand that 10 Is tho
intention of the proprietor of the strange volume referred
to- TO submit it to the inspection OF Professor Gliddon
whose hierogyphcal attainments may enable him 10
make interesting discoveries In this new held OF
investigation. N. y. Picayune