The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1852-01-20

are ascending the bank TO Join The priuc,nal
group in the foreground. One Of them to,.
tiers under the weight Of a deer: Others brine
offerings less valuable. The principal grouI
is composed, doubtless of the great Chief.
and priest-corcerers of the tribe. What =
variety Of feelings are expressed in the couu
tenances Of these children OF the woods
They have evidently presentmeut of the
terrors of the future. One is perplexed and
distrustfnl another full of wonder not un.
mingled with fear; third frowuing and
gloomy fourth disdans to look on wha,
engages the attention OF the rest but the
prevailing sentiment is that of conscious in.
ieriority to the object of their regards and
the fatal necessity OF submission to an over.
wheming force. The red man s emuire
over the floods. the fields end FORESTS is mas.
sing, at this moment, into other hands. A
young warrior has cast down his bow. ar.
rows and rude shield a; the feet Of The new
conner; group Of Indian women, shrinking
with fear before the iery-ey ed Atah, which
they think a part Of his rider, offer him the
corn of the fields, the fish OF the river. and
the game of the forests, to propiliate the
supposed God; and a polite old chief, the
Nester of his tribe advances to offer the
calumet Of peace--with deprecating air,
however, as il he were not sure Of his recep
ton.
Aud well may he donbt; the naughty
bearing OF the superb De Soto, would in.
timidate a more experienced neootia,or.
Proudl, erect on his noble steed. the white
of his Office as Governor of Cuba shading
his brow-bIazing with the splendid armour
of Spanish noble Of the sixteenth century.
followed by the serried ranks of It's veteran
troops-the yellow banneret of Spain and
the two headed eagle Of Austria waving
their rich folds over his head, he seems con.
scious of the dignity of his great mission
which is to take possession of this Island,
sea and fertile country in lhe name of Euro
pean civilization His mperious eve does
not deign a glance at the offerings of the
poor Indians even the calumet OF Peace il
scorned. To the former companion Of piz.
AFRO and conqueror OF Peru, the red men are
only SO many victims destined, sooner OF
later, to externination; he thinks civiEza.
ton Jugernaut that can advance only over
ca,casses. His gaze is elsewhere; it is fix.
ed on his symbol Of his rghs of possession
1.-The cross which his followers are erecting
on the bank, under the direction of priests
with bell. and book. and censer. He does
not doubt his right for has not the sovereign
pon,ih, the representative of Him who owns
the earth, conferedi il by solemn grant, and
sent priests with him in his expeditions
against the natives? /? Some of the men
are dragging forward cannon; they will
not stop until they have placed it al the foot
Of the cross. The cannon and the cross
Force and reasos! Might and right. The
material world executing the commands OF
God. Who shall resist The cannon's
mouth menaces the Indian village, the end
of the cross drops heavily into the hole dug
to receive it, the priests lift their hands and
eyes 10 heaven in prayer. the young cavaIi.
ers wave tAtir pIumed hats. the warriors
clash their swords, and trumpeters make the
virgin echoes ring with their loud flourishes
And thus De Soto de Vilenueva, Governor
Of Santiago de Cuba, takes possession, IN
1912, for his King and Emperor, Charles
the Fifth, of the great Mississippi, its tribu
taries and broad valley.
The artist has neglected nothing III,
costume and armour OF the times, the man
ners OF savage life contrasted with those o
civilization, the magnifcence and pride 0
the Spanish hobles, the luxuriant vegetatio,
of primeval forests, the sublimity Of tn,
great inland sea OF the Mississippi, have al
been transferred with a mastery hand /,
the canvass Where the faithful delineatiol
of fact and nature would not suffice, the ar
tist has availed himself ofsymbolical repre-
sentation. To this we owe the successfu
rendering on the canvas of the great idea
Of the submission of the Indian tribes and tn,
important part played by religion, allied
with force. IN the conquest of the New
World. There are thousands of details
cannot notice. Imust content myself will
this sketch, of the leading features of tn,
picture. and end by expressing my hearty
concurrence with the opinion OF our conntr,
men in Paris, that "The Discovery Of thu
Mississippi" is worthy to fill the last vacan
panne. at the Rotnnda.