Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-03-19
Amerlca--1ts Age and Antiquities.

| America--Its Age md Antiquitfes'
The only knowledge which the present can OBJ
tain of the past, anterior TO written history, mus
be gathered from the lessons taught by the monu
ments that have survived the devastating wars q
ignorant and iniuriaied man, the crash o Inc eie
ments, and the slow corroding power OF unlol'
time. The two continents of this Western hem
isphere abound in these mute, endGglng RECORDS
The labors OF the aniiquariars in Asia, AiTic2 ai'
Europe, have disclosed monuments Of art, now II
ruins, that were reared by people whose blsioT.
has passed down to us in written records WIN
the general history cf The Assyrians, the Israel
lies, the Egyptians, the Carthagsnians. the Greek
and the Romans, we are already acquainted, an'
all the discoveries made by aniiquaFians in thel
researches in those countries, among the ruins 0
ancient palaces, temples and cities, serve but II
illumine some portions of written history that arr
now dark or illustrate others that lnpefiectlJ
detailed. But such is not the case in America
The antiquities Of America extend from the shores
of the Atlantic 10 the Pacific Ocean, and from ihi
great lakes and British Provinces 10 Peru an(
Brazil in South America. Tiese ruins are no
illustrated or even alluded to By any written his
tory. Their origin is lost in view behind the I'm
penetrabie veil imposed by uRRumteFed cycles y
uHchroDc!ed centuries. immense forests growing
over the ruins Of large cities, anu the gigantic szt
of the trees, with indications that other genera
ti0ns of trees sprung up and grew and decayec
before them, prove that these ruins preceded the
Christian era. Neither hlstury nor tradition lndl
Gales the origin or the rise OF those vast mounds
that are found scattered over the North American
continent. They stand in sIlent grandeur, mon
uuents ot 4 lace Of people VINO have leng since
passed away, leaving no other trace OF their exist
snee. IL is fashionable TO speak of the Eastern
continent as the Old World, yet ii is not known
to be entitled 10 this appellalion. Who can say
tina! the Andes and Sierra Nevada are not the Sc
nors Of the Al ps and Himmalsys? who is pre-
pared to prove that the ruins of Uymal aud Paien-
que, and the pyramids of Chuua, in Mexico, do
not take precedence in age of The sphnxes aud pyr-
smids Of Egypt, and the winged lions Of Assyria
History traces the rise and fall Of Nneyeh ,ot Bah
ylon, and OF Thebes; but we have 10 record of the
rise, progress CT fall OF those great cilieS in Central
America, which the iabUr!OHs researches OF Ste
vens aud CaiherwOod brought 10 light. There
the human-iaced bulls and winged lions OF Nine
veh find their equivalents in the gr0tesque carving
in stone Ut hldeOns forms Of men and animals
Who can say that these rude scul ptures Ut Amer
lea did no, precede those Of Asia 2 But we will not
speculate on subject that offers No basis on which
even plausible argument, can be erected. The
existence of numerous aud immense rulns in A
merca of what were once large Giles is a liked
fact, aud We must content 10 remain in utter igno-
rance Of the epoch in which they fourlshed. The
most extensive OF these are to be found at Cxmal
and paenque,in the south eastern part of Mexico.
AT Uxmal are immense pyramids, coated with
stone, and quadraDguar stOoe edlices and terrace.
The highest Of these pyramids is one hundred and
thirty feet,and on the summit j, supports temple
on Gne of the cascades Of the temple are four hu-
man figures cut in slone with great eXacness and
elegance The hands are crossed upon he breast,
the head is covered in something like helmet,
about the neck 5 aaTnaIt Of The skin Of an ALI
gator, aad over each body is a hgnrs Of deaths
head and bones. AT Palenque are immense ruins
"a city Of great extent with The remains Of a royal
palace. Ooe temple, that Of Copan, was 320 ieet
by $50, and is supposed 10 have been as large as
ST. Peters at Rome. Another temple Of great
dimensions is here, having an entrance by por-
tlco 100 feet long and 10 feet broad it stands on
an elevation of 90 feet The pillars of the porti-
co aia adorned with hierog gyphcs aud other de-
vices. Different objects OF worship have been
found, representations of the gods wOrshipped in
this country. These temples with fourteen large
buildings and many other objects Of curiosity stand
here as monuments of ancient greatness, TO remind
US of the remote origin Of mighty empire. This
city has been described as the Thebes of America,
and travellers have supposed 1t must have been
slyty miles IN circumference, and contained 4 pop
ulaiion Of 3,O00,0O0. The pyramid of Choiula.
in Mexicos described as covering forty four acres
of ground. On its summit was temple, and in
the interior has been discovered vault, rooted
with beams Of wood, containing skeletons and i
dolls Several smaller pyramids surround this
large one. II appears To have been formed by
cutting bill Into an artificial shape. Its diinen
sjons are immense, being nearly three miles in cT-
culnlerence and about four hundred feeI high. !,
is divided into terraces and slopes. covered with
platforms, stages and hastions. elevated one above
the other, and formed of large stones slfully cut
and joined without any cement. IL some respects
the sty oi architecture resembles the Gothic be-
ing massive aud durable in others resembling the
Egyptian yet the general construction, manner
aud style of its architecture are different from any
thing hitherto described in the world. .-Louisriitc
Journal