Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-11-16

will be dropped.
ALEXANDRIA November 9.
Traditions Of an Almost Extinct Race
ALI along the dizzy ledges of one Of the can
ons of Colorado there stand the crum blng walls
aud ruined remalus of ancient habltations. They
are from seven hundred to one thousand feet
above the valley. The houses are built for de-
fense. The racks around bear uninte!igible
inscriptions Pottery is still scattered around,
but no implements, of war or OF the chase are
ever found. The history Of the tribe which
built these dwellings, is something like those OF
the peoples who fed before the Goths and
Fandals IN Europe.
It is the tale over again Of the Mexican races
that were driven over the Rio Graude. The
tale runs that the peaceful valleys OF this land
were inhabited by inofensive Indian tribe.
They cultivated the laud tor what little maize
they peeded hunted and 6shed, and were
happy and prosperous. But the fierce 1ndiaus
of the North came down upon them, aud de-
vastated their farms. Su, to save themselves
in times of dauger hey built houses high up
on the cliffs. One summer the invaders did
not 20 back to their mountains, as the people
expected, but brought their families with them
and settled down.
So driven from their homes and lands, starv-
ing in their little inches on the high cliffs, they
could ouly steal away during the nlght aud
wander across the eheeress uplauds. At OF
place they halted and probably found friends,
Tor the rocks and caves are full of the nests
Of these human wrens and swallows. Here
they collected, erected stone Notifications and
watch towers, dug reservoirs IN the rocks to
mold supply of water, which ID all cases is
precariouS in this latitude, aud ouce more stood
at bay. Their foes came and for one long
month fought and were beaten back, and re-
turned day after day to the attack as merclless
and as inevitable as the tide.
Meanwhile the families of the defenders
were evacuatiDg aud moving south, and brave
" did their protectors shield them till they
were all safely a hundred miles away. The be-
seigers were beaten back. But the narrative
tells US that the hollows of the rocks were tll-
ed 10 the brlm with the mluged blood OF con-
uuerors and conquered, and red veins OF 1t ran
down into the canon.
1t was such victory as they could not afford
to gaiu agaln, and they were glad when the
long night was over to follow their wives and
little ones TO the South. There 10 the deserts
of Arizona. on weuigh unapproachabe, iso-
lated bluffs, they built new towns, and their
few descendants, the Moquis, live in them to
this day, preserving more carefully aud purely
the history and veneration of their forctathers
than their skill or wisdom.
EXTRACTS FROM A CoLoRED MANS LET
TER--Jaspcr Black, of Texas, freedman OF
color, who learned to read after being emancl-
pated, has written long and sensible letter to
the Shrevepors Tunes, which the editors as
sure US has not been altered except to correct
the orthgraphy. We give extracts below which
will show that he has given profound thought
to the questions that divide the two races at
the South. He says:
Gould any possible good come from per-
petual array Of hostility? True, we outnuuberr
the whites 10 many sections IN Louisiana and
in some sections of Texas We might, with a
due concert of action, rise IN Que night and rob,
burn and murder the people in Harrison coun-
ty, Texas, or Red River parish, Louisiana.
What would we do the next day? Hunt
hiding places in hollow trees and logs. The
telegraph would sing the news to Jefferson,
1cxarkaua, Shreveport Little Rock, ST. Louis,
Memphis, Dallas, Waco, Austin, Houston and
Galveston before the morrow's sun had risen,
aud by another night ten thousand infurlated
aud Justly offended white men would scour our
deepest raviues They would not ask, 'Dick,
were you in the raid last Eight?' Oh, no;
they would in their fury extermlnate our race
rs Tar as we nau ralued, a0Q tue lTulCS vi eucb
a victory to US would be worse than ashes 10
our grasp they would be as burning embers
forced down our throats. Such picture would
be awful, but the course some have started
surely leads in that direction.
Il would not fire the heart of aoy man, white
or black. | write 10 the sole interest OF peace.
care not what our politics are, We owe duty
to ourselves, to our children and to the land
that gave us sustenance from earliest infancy,
and that duty is to support men for Office
who have property of fixed value-propcrty
that will as surely perish as war Of races
comes.
IN conclusion, Messrs. Editors, would ask
you to correct me 10 an editorial note if am
wrong. I would ask any Southern or Northern
Journal friendly to my race to copy my letter,
and to those who cannot see as | do, attribute
it to my ignorance, but not to say my letter is
hoax, my uame myth, as has been done too
often when black meu have spoken sioce the
war No, was slave; did my part as best
knew; was made free by the sword-turoed
loose without dollar; have supported iaml-
ly ever siuce; have bought and paid tor 100
acres of land; am out of debt, aud wbeo vote
l vote for the manz-that is if any is running
who has any interest in the prosperity OF my
section.