The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-26
kB0RIGINEs OF MEXICO.

An intelligent friend has been kind enough
TO translate for the Era passage from q
work entitled Travels IN MeTicO, by Carl Hell
Ter, finely educated young German, who
went out to that country for scientific purpo-
ses. While there, he made many curious OBJ
servations on the aborigines Of Mexico, to
whom the following passage relates. 1t shows
the havoc wrought by oppression among a
people once distinguished for their civilization.
The religion taught them by the Spanlards
was SO accommodated to their Pagan ideas,
that they merely exchanged one form of
idolatry for another. The great object was
to break their spirit to submission and bond
age, and this was eifectually done by the ma
ohinery of Slavery. Oral instruction was al
lowed to them as to slaves, but to teach them
to read and write was forbidden, on pain of
death. Bat to the extract:
In an excursion which be made from Mi
rsdor, n German settlement some "a leagues
from Vera Cruz, he says, on reaching San Bar
tolo, when reached there was not a little
astonished to see all the inhabitants OF the vii
iage gathered at the church, Of whom num-
black masks representing caricatures Under
these parti-colored clothes they had fastened
little bells, on the head was straw hat richly
ornamented With feathers, and in their hand
they bore machete Tor knife about three
feet long, common in Mexico, and which Is
used for al sorts of work J These persons were
engaged, he states, in celebrating the feast Of
the PoriSsima Conception de Nmstra Sonora
(the Immaculate Conception of Our Lsdy) He
adds, Immediately the masked persons arrang-
ed themselves to begin their dance; at the head
of them was a man who bore as a mark Of dis.
tinction an Old black frock where he got il
God knows) and wooden crown. The music
commenced, consisting of guitar and violin
with the usual fandango, on which all, with
horrible grimaces, swinging their knives began
to spring about, and run among each other like
Inadmen. IL was mere Ikea wild ar-dance
than church celebration, lit was the so-called
Bale de Montezuma Amid the constant
sound Of bells, they finally brought out on q
wooden litter figure, which was meant to rep
resent the Mother of the Saviour but more re-
sembled an Indian idol Scarcely was this
image brought out Of the church door, than the
dancers burst forth upon it as though they
would destroy all, but Immediately turned
about, and formed the advance of the process
sion. Behind them followed two men, who
burnt incense in clay bowls: after them, two
with rockets, which they knew how to make
tolerably ard which were necessarily sent up
Though it noon ! to these followed the Lit
Ter, and a crowd If people singing horrible
songs After they had thus finished circuit
round the church once, there was a furious sole
executed by every dancer and the holy cere
inony was ended.
"ln this way, therefore they celebrate one
OF the greatest memorials Of the Catholic reli.
gion IN Mexico thought to myself, while in
astonishment observed these Indians in their
mad career. The first sight convinced me thai
here was a mixture OF idolatry with the rel
gicus usages our church, the authors Of which
were Spanish ccclesiastcs, who saw in it q
means of gradually attaching tie Mexican
aborigines TO themselves.
q have often since been convinced that Tho
Indians living in the remote villages, after sOt
years, have as little correct idea of the Chris
fan religion as they had before the conques
of the country by the Spaniards.
Il In general, there is only too much occasion
10 observe the pisiable consequences Of tn,
early Spanish rule. With sorrow 1 must sa'
il, we see how they went systematically t
work, gradually TO stfis every germ of what i
good aud noble in the people of Mexico VIII
lad capacity for AL that belongs to doeil
ity and good nature, in order that they nigh
drag them down TO that condition in whcl
they would be fitted for bondage. Instead o
the idol gods inherited from their fathers, IT,
Spaniards gave them new images of saints
carved ont Of wood, without teaching them T.
know the true God instead of an education o
men, they refused to teach them to read an,
write, on penalty of death, end thrust then
into the deep cayerns Of the mines, where the
pined away or became sacrifice to the poison
Of the Spaniards' rum. Only in this way car
we explain it, that people who, before tn
conquest of Mexico, stood at {. high point O
civilization a.enow sunk down to a little hea,
OF creatures, of whom many might rather b.
iaiaed TO the fret Of beasts than the last O
men. And vet we find again, in remote places
remains Of that powerful stock, whose bodll,
structure, expression OF face, bearing, aud con
staDt behaviour, remind us of that long gou
period
THE number Of tie Indians, although melt
ell away frightfully by the above-mentione
circumstances, is yet far larger than is SUI
posed in Europe. Most of them are dlstir
finguished by a middle stature, dark-brow
color, smooth hair, low forehead, and grea
month, full Of the most beautiful teeth. In
muscles Of their bodies are outwardly far les
visible than with the Asiatic- European races
bat an incredible power resides in them, whic
is evinced by the easy supply of muscular fbr
from the blood. We have examples of dread
full wounds, which have been healed by the sin
Gle washing in brandy, when an European i
such a case would have lost mis- life.
9The more susceptible, however, is thei
nervoas system, as nervous discase OF no I'm
portance with us almost always produces dea:
with them. They live peacsably among them
selves. sre reserved with strangers, and, wit
ali our efforts, we could not obtain from tber
the slightest historical tradition. Bat the rel
erence they ever pay the descendants Of thel
Csciques ciesrly shows that they are acquain
cd with their sad history.
"Many Of them belong to the swift runner
~hieh caused 30 much establishment TO Cd