Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-04-21
America, Its Age and Its Antiquities.

America, Its Age and Its Antiquities
The only knowledge which the PRESENT can
obtain 0f the PAST, anterior to written history.
must be gathered from the lessons taught by
/ the monuments that have survived the devasla.
ting wars of ignorant and infuriated man, the
crash of the elements, and The slow corroding
power Of %untold,time. The two continents Of
this Western hemisphere abound with these
mute enduring records. The Iabors Of the an.
tiouarians in Asia, Africa and Europe have
disclosed monuments of art, now in ruins, that
were reared by . people whose history has
passed down to ~ in written records. With
the general history Of the Assytians, the Israel.
ties, the Egyptians, the Carthngenians, the
| Greeks and the Romans, We are already &C.
ouainted, and all the discoveries made by anti
| o~uarians in their researches in those c0untfes,
among the ruins OF ancient palaces, temples
| snd cities, serve but to ilIumine some portions
Of written history that are imperfectly detailed.
| But, such is not the case in America.
The antiquities Of America extend from the
| shores Of the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean,
| and from the great lakes and British Provinces
to Peru and Brazil, in South America. These
ruins are not illustrated, Or even alluded to, by
any written history. Their origin is lost TO
| uiew behind the impenetratle veil imposed BY
%nunumbered cycles Of unchronicled centuries.
| Immense forests growing over the ruins Of
large cities and the gigantic size Of the trees,
I with Indications that other generations Of trees
sprung up and grew and decsyed before them,
prove tha, these ruins preceded the Christian
Era. Neither history MOI tradition indicates
the origin or the rise of those vast mounds
that are found scattered over the North Amesi.
can continent. They stand in silent grandeur,
monuments Of a race Of people that have long
since passed away, leaving no other trace Of
their existence.
It 10 fashionable to speak Of the Eastern
continent a. the Old World, yet it is not known
to be entitled to this appellstion. Who can
ray that the Andes and the Sierra Nevada are
not the seniors If the Alps and the Himslaya!
Who is prepared 10 prove that the ruins Of
Uxmal and Pairnque, and the pyramids of
Choluia. in Mexico, do not take precedence in
age Of the sphin1es and pyramids If Egypt. OF
the winged lions Of Assyri.l History traces
the rise and fall Of Ninevrh. Of BabyIon and
Of Thebes; hvt ne have no record Of the riss. /
psoasess o. fall Of those great cities in crntsaI
America, which ths lAborious researches Of S:e- /
ven. and Catherwocd brought 10 light. There
the human faced bulls and the winged lions of
Ninrveh find their equivalents in tie protesoue /
carving in stone Of hideous forms Of men and |
animals. Who can sag that these rude .cuIp.
lures Of America did not precede those Of Asia!
: But We will not speculate on . subject that |
Offers no basis on which even a plausible argu.
ment can be erected. the existence Of numer-
ous and immense ruins in America Of what |
were once large cities Is = fixed fact. and We
mnst he content to remain in utter ignorance
Of the epoch in which they fonrished. The
most extensive o! these ruins are to he found
ut Uxmai and Paleoque. in the southeastern
part Of Mexico. At Uxmal ore Immense pyra.
mids. coated with stone, and quadrangular |
stone edifces and terraces. The higheat Of
pyramids 10 $50 frsi, and on the summit
il supports = temple; on one OF the facades Of
the temple are four human figures cut 10 stone
with great exactness snd elegance. The hands
are crossed upon the breast, the head il covered
in something like . helmet, abou. the neck 10
garment Of the skin Of an alligator, and over
each body b q figure OF DeattIns head and bones.
At Palsnqus arc immense ruins-a city Of
great extent, with the remains Of . royal pal.
.cc. O"o 'emp,e' '"as VI 1"Ps"' We" SzO
ieet oy 05o. and - supposed TO nave been -
large 40 st Peter'sat Rome. Another temple
great dimensions 10 here. having an entrance
~ a portlco 100 feet long and 10 feet broad:
: stands: on an elevation OF 90 feet. The pill
ars Of the poft'eo are adorned with hiercglyPh.
GO ana o'ner devices. Inherent objects Of
sofsn'p nave been ioand. representation OF
ne goos VINO were wofsnipped 70 tn: country.
ness temples, WIN 'oerteen large building.