Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-25

TOWN COLLEGE.
\ On one mild autumnal afternoon, availing our
K Ives of few leisure hours we strolled through
the grounds and examined the Astronomical OBJ
sermaory, Conservatory, the Library Of twenty-five
Thousand volumes, and the well-flled Cabinet Of
Minerals, Zoology and Museum Of the time-honored
and venerable College of Georgetown
In the Museum, among the curious and interest
ing collections of COINS medals, and antiques, our
attention attracted to photographic print and da
guerreoype presented the University by his exceency
Don Luis LA Rosa, late Minister frop Mexico The
print and daguerreotype Purport to be correct and
striking fac smile representations Of the famous Zodiac
stone of the Aztecs, which discovered whilst
excavations being made, in the principal plaza Of
the city of Mexico the 18th Of August $780, two hun
red and sxynne years after the conquest and occupa
ton of the country by the spanards under CORES
From the patient and extensive researches instituted
by distinguished Mexican antiquaries learn that the
devoted the chief and solemn portion of their
dark and ferocous worship to the Sun and considering
him as the father Of nature they exposed his image
spendent with silver and god within the sacred precinct
Of their great teoca, temple, Quauhrcaieo, which
crested the lofty summit of the rugged and precpous
mountain Tsoisuacan.
Thither on special and solemn occasions the Emperor,
by the officers of the imperial household and
the caciques in grand cortege, repaired and with hor
rble and mystic rites celebrated the festivals Of their
fiery divinity drenching the black sacricia stone with
the blood Of human victims The papitatng hearts, torn
from the breasts Of the reekng bodies were placed as
choice morses upon the massive affairs.
Other e Of forty days duration, held in honor
Of the Sun in the magnificent temple Of Idccnea the
god Of the white harvest and the victims selected for the
revolving sacrifice those unfortunate beirgs afflicted
with leprosy, any other repAsive and obnoxious dis
ease.
The efgies sculptured the great Zodiac stone,
present the statue worshipped the day, called in the
native language NGhm OAin, which celebrated with
barbarc pomp and pendor by the priests and cacques
Who with clouds of incense and flaming torches, bowling
down before the golden image of the great umnary de-
coraed the sacred and fantastic pumage Quebzaltonane
yot and inundated quas and when the had reached
the meridian the priests in their flowing sacrfcal robes,
butchered the captive victims, while thousands of
Shippers of every age and condition performed acts
of penance by mutlating their bodies.
This interesting monumental stone is contemporary
history Of remote age, faithful than parchment
critical examination of its details elucidates the habits
and extent of knowledge among the ancient Mexicans,
and exhibits with surprising accuracy the divisions Of
their time and the Of the year in which their
gous festivals held demonstrates the acquaint
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planetary bodies and the revolutions of the from the
verna the autumna equinox 1t records the various
degrees of heat emanatng from the sum- and by Of
attached the dial plate the custodians of the
temples we're enabled ascertain the hours Of the day de-
sgnated by their liturgy for the performance Of the
customed rites.
The Zodiac stone and other colossal monuments indi
cate what was the civilization Of the Mexican races
turtles preceding the Spanish conquest We have sufficient
evidence to believe that they acquaintance with
astronomy chronology gnomoncs &c. and that
and theological system as enlightened as could have
been expected from idoarous and comparatively bar
barous people in those remote ages.
! The discovery of the Zodiac, says Don LEON CANA
has revealed to u.s. regard to ancient Mexico what the
first six books of 0yids Fgs tell us in regard to the
festivals and habits of the ancient Romans. See De-
scrpeon Historical Chronological dc las Qudas qus 90 hdla-
Ia plaza principal de Aereo Por Don a. dc Leon
/ Gama.-M erieo, A. Valdss, 1882.
We we're kindly permitted to examine GAxAs magnih-
cent and highly interesting work. by late librarian Of
Georgetown College, D. c.. whom had been entrusted
for limited time by distinguished Mexican sarant
decidedly one of the complete and elaborate works
/ on the subject ever issued from the press.
The Mexcans indebted to the romantic and adven-
urous spirit Of Cortes and his chivarous euenants for
the extrpaton Of their abominabe idolaty and the in
PRODUCTION Of the mild and humanizng doctrines Of
the Christian system and though enormities in
cordance with the spirit Of the times perpetrated by
the conquerors still unpreudced postery is grateful
for the addition Of country to the domains Of civil
lization and christianity.
The abuses and crimes Of the early Spanish colonist
have been grossly exaggerated and the truth itself has
Been painted in such distorted coors hardly to be
cognised by the candid historian.
Abuse and vuperation Of the Spanish conquerors
with bad grace from the descendants Of those Jealous IA
nacs who assisted in the brutal and feroeous
Of the innocent and unoending Pequod Indians in North
America
The Spanish conquerors hurled the idols from their
pedestals abolished the revolving human sacrifices and
sancthed the polluted temples by consecrating them
to the service Of the eternal First Cause and erected
the sacred emblem Of mans redemption the christian
labarum, with its glorious motto.
The conquered Aztec indebted to the courage and
devotion Of the Spanish missionary Las CAsas for pro-
lection from the avarce Of the INSCRIPTIONS among
the conquerors and his eloquent voice plead in vain
against the injustice and abuses Of the system Of repdr
gowingly described by eminent historian Of
the subjected Al. s.
RowpYIsx IN NEw YoRK.-Some Of our New York con-
temporares complain sadly Of the many acts of outrage