The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-12-27
Mexican Wonders.
THE GREAT PYRAMID OF TLASCALA-HuMAN
sACRIFIC8s-THE RED HAND.

past-haif-way between the shores OF the Bay
OF Campeachy and the city of Mexico, which
in olden Spain was styled 1.-THE Venice Of the
Western World !" are now to be found the ruins
only of the once powerful republic of Tlascala.
the powerful Montezuma. Thousands of peo-
pie worshped and dreaded him. At the re-
Dotest parts Of his kingdom, his subjects we're
filled with awe 1t accounts of his greatness.
The Republic of Tlascala being composed of
a warlike and vaorous people, it had in early
years asserted les Independence, and, though
lying in she heart of q country whose numer-
GUS and petty kings were governed by one
monarch, Montezuma, it had for years main
tanned its right To self fcOvernment and had
won the fear and admiration of all that fierce
and warlIke people.
Nature had much assisted them in asserting
and maintaining their own rights, having
given. as she had to Switzerland, mountain
wall OF protection, which fortified three sides
manning boundary lay open to the approach of
the much-dreaded Aztecs. Straightway this
little nation set to work, nothing daunted at
the prodigousness of the task, aud built
wall nine feet high and twenty feet thick, for
a distance of two miles-thus completing the
breastworSs nature had thrown up for thelr
benefit.
Seventy four years ago, at the head of q
conquerrg army, Napoleon cbeered bis troops
onward 10 the combat by tho cry of 'Soldiers
of France, forty centuries look down upon
you!" THIS the battle fought at the foot
of the mighty Egyptian Pyramids, and the
victory was part of the realization of the
boyish dreams of the Little Captain"
Here, on another continent, thousands of
miles away, in the Learb of the Tiascalan Re-
public, lies another pyramid one of the worlds
unknown wonders. Mighty battles have been
fought at it's base Terrible massacres have
bathed its winding stairway in human blood.
Strange and awful professions have wound
around it from base to apex, a worshlplng
multitude below have knelt while sacrifices
most revolving have been made on the affairs
fits summit to the Unknown God, the Cause
of Causes"
The great pyramid of Egypt, Cheops, covers
an area of eleven acres, and rises to height
ers forty four acres, and its sides rise to the
height of III feet, while the platform on its
summit is more than an acre in extent. Its
walls composed of layers of brick and
clay.
In olden times, when busy people thronged
this land, this the great "Teocalli," or
temple. On it's summit affairs were reared,
where worship to the awful Hintzilopotonli
was offered
A stairway round the outside of the build
ing, lead from its foot to the apex; and on
the great feast days an imposing procession
of priests, carrying in their ranks the prison
ers to be sacrificed in honor of the day, march
ed up the pyramids side.
A brilliant spectacle it was, as clad in their
made of the feathers of their tropical birds,
they ascended the stairway in full view of the
people, singing meanwhile chants to the "God
of War" and the "God of Air"
The victims, who for many o month have
lived on the best and most fatteniDg of food
the land contained, and daily been trained for
this ordeal, are brought forth. One by one
they are laid on the altar. dexterous move
ment makes the keen knife glisteu in the air q
minute, and then o deep cash in the side is
made, the heart is torn out, reeking with blood
and quivering with life, and the body is quick
ly borne away to grace some lordly mansion.
So on and on, through the long list of cap
tives taken in war, or the best and most beau
ful Of their young men and maidens these
After an attack on the City of Mexico. and
o defeat terrible for it's slaughter and the
prisoners taken, HerDando Cortez with u
handful of followers. resting on the bills
above, looked down npon u scene like this
Comrade afr+r cOmrade was led forth and
slain t" app1:ss- tue blood thirsty, and their
hearts hnng in the Doond.y sun. where they
will black..u aud die. until another day of sac
ri6ce chronicles another dreadful holocaust.
This truth is confessed that mans worst foo is
He. he alone No tenant of the wood
s s@% s
And drinks with ecstaoy his dying sigh
The remnius of the pyramids are found all
| through the country of Mexico. aud even
across the Gulf into Yucatan. Most of them
are solid throughout; but in some rooms have
been discovered, though whether they wrere in
tended for tombs, or as the "HOlg of Holes" to
the outer temple on their snmmits no one can
tell.
The only voice that comes to us from their
strong depths is that which shows their kin
the surrounding country. This is an impress
of hand laid fat against surface 1t is as
large as life, is stained red as blood, and ap-
pears on the walls of temple, pyramid and
palace.
Not long ago, on the Northern frontier of
Washington TerritOrv, the impression of the
sans red hand was found and occasionally
among some of onr Iudians on tents and buff
falo-robeA, has been seen the same mysterious
sign Mysterious say. because no Indian knows
it's meaping-usiDg it only as n talisman.
We call this world. What do we
know of it's agef
There arc records in existence, handed down
from the ancient City of Mexico, in which are
accounts of tribes who, centuries before, COM
ing from the North, bnilt and founded q king
dom in that Island. Where does the North lie
Why is there no voice to break the silence of
ages, and tell where this strange but uncvil-
ICED people came freEa? oaly the Eed hand
beckoDs scholar and investigator backward TO
the contemplation of time and a people
whose monuments, whose majestic and beauti-
full palaces vie we'll with the architectural
beauties of the Old World, and fill US with
wonder and q restless longing for q better