Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1858-01-06
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80 the Hon. a. H Stephens;
Dear S1.B eonfornny with yenF sgpFess
desire, i beg Leave to ehclose some notes on
Central American matters. op Wili perceive
from their perusal that the hulk of tie slapula-
lion Of Central America is Indlan-as Tadian
not resembling the Indian ofthe North Amer.
lean continent--hanter noaade and savage
bat of the nee that Cortez, PizEaro and the
Spanish coRqueroyS found-harharians, il is
true, but 9-stationary, agricultural people, do
cile, patient, industrious and supefstifious, who
had built large cities and raised stupendous
temples, on whose aitars smoked indeed the
blood of human victims. The rest oflhe pops
uiatl0n, which may amount TO from pne,quarieF
to one-thifd ef the whole, consists of The ad-
mixture Of Spanish, Indian and negro blood,
mingled and rsintermingied in every imaginable
degree, The pure Indian races are the people
WHO cultivate The sod, who produce, Who have
never had any share ii government, and who
are dragged las successive factions are aseen>
dant) from their willing fabors to fight for the
mixed race. This mixed race is 10 d state of
rapid moral and physical degeneracY. A large
majority are born with the tainf of hereditary
disease, and the i~neessaat revolutions since the
Spaniasas weresdriyen out, the general decay
~ofcities, of agriculture. of industry+and of pops
VI K9Ell wi KIM " y
mines, attest bow utterly Visionary is the idea
that any Standardization can be expected.
have nodhesitstien in putting on record my
convicfion that five years after that country is
Amsrieahized, as some day il viii be, lis pro-
dnetion in sugar and coffee. will approach or
eqnGi that of Cuba at present, and thatits MIN
'erai products will fall little short Of California
now. Isays sir, Amefcahized, referring 10 our
people; because. with an instinct prophetic of
then destiny, this is the term BY which The
Spanish and Indian races designate them; yet.
ifbysany PfeateonvulsioH ofnatuse those races
could De totally cut eff from communication
with tfls people Of the United States, ii is my
firm belief that in fifty years--aFd probably
within half that period--the mixed races would
be entirely wiped ont BY tie Chfistiantzed In
dian, and lae Chrislianized Eadiaa, IN turn, een-
qnered aud assimilated by the wild heather
Indian. III Guate1naia, which alone contains
half the Population ofGentrd America, this is
already 6bsions. The Indian, many years ago,
were only prevented from exterminaiipg the
mixed population because Carers, himself an
Iadian, was gained over by the clergy, and by
afew families who have bowed 10 despotism
because heean hoidiiie Christian zed Indians in
ciesk. Batfn the feaF, o fthese are the Pagan
Maya Indians, who have swept through Yuca~
tan, devastating nearly every tow IA, occupying
nearly every portion of lis territory, and by
whom the Chfistianized Indians will be as GER
taiDly subdufd and absorbed as The mixed race
rooted eat eventually BIZ them. peed not
remind you thai ID tie NexiraB 4eaNteries the
savage is everywhere steadily enefeashing on
the efste civilization of Mexico
A>tuati position az thismixedrace 10 Central
America. ID both Of The main papties iato which
they are divided. are incHfable faciionists,
waose tradeis revolution. There Is. however,
a n ,iorify fuaIg aware Of the facts to which |
have been adver ing, and who look to The
Experimentation f the country asihe only hope
of ayertlnn it, dectae into uster harbarism and
ruia 0ae Of these parties il designated the
democr4Aic, the other has accepted the appef-
iation, orig nailv given to IL by its adversaries,
Of seville. Wien the Spaniafds were driven
out the former prevailed iii Nicaragua but 10
the s~reacfion, consequent on its excuses, the
services, tint is te say. tie old arietocralie
Elmiiiea. the employees of tire Spanish governs
mens and their friends, representing exactly
what was represented in this country by the
tories iii tie war finde pendenee--6btaine the
ascendaney, were again overturned aid. again
established, through j countless series OF rey-
oIutions, always ii d q diminishing minority; TIL,
through recent events aud by foreign i%nterfer-
ence, thar sesgiie party. represented BY the
government Of Martinez, and dwindled dewn
10 a mere faction. is temporarily established
that IS to SAY. draws men and resources from
about one-thiEd d the country
# would he doubt be highly desirable, in a
philanihropic polat Of view, ii by The e%ontrig-
ance Of iugenfous diplomacy these politicians
and parties ia Central America, and contiguous
regiona, could be induced 70 saeside into a
united happy family Till the settlement ct the
country 81 ~coIonisls from the United States
ehohlds 60 far have progressed as To- ilfuse a
controlling sn0umt 0f praetical sense, enterprise
apdvieoF into those countries; but the idea u
more than delusiye. lfshe native governments
could stand the men ID power as al experts
epee, Al tlrelr own acts and p~roelamations
slov, are beat an excluding Americans Whefe
inthe history Of the list twenty years has any
colony Of United States citizens been establish
ed6y paef6c development Id any of the Spanish
American countries What foothold, what
>~seeurityS for life 81 property have they now on
The Isthrnua efsPanamn, beyond Aalat the gnns
efaUpited States squadron afford them.
What has become 81 al the United States
citizens who, luredby delpsiye contracts oilers
Of projections aud treaties, started with Their
pIoughshares, their engines and Their toolss
On the 0fnes hand, shs rifles of the Texans
converted lie wilderness into d nuuTishing
State Of ths Union. and Indirectly brought
California and New Mexieo into those relations
with tkls country ieh have rendered them 2
benefit 10 Ahe civilized world.
In1hscasso Of Gen. Walker and The emigrants
from she ueised States 10 Nicaragua, al cIrl
cnustanees poncurred 10 Iegitimatize their el-
tefprise, according to the ~strictest letter Of the
las; and without mishapprehsnsi9a of peFyef,
sion Of facts, his opponents may be challenged