The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-01-03

The careless American Gringo, ii yo
Wi, and the unprogressive Mexican c
to-day, wandering amid the great an
natural attractions of the table land,
scarcely realizes that here once existe
one of the best civilizations, one of tn
most populous empires of splendi
antiquity. Here, occupying then, a
now, territory 1000 miles in lengtl
and 1000 broad, of S62,460 squar
miles, and equal to the combined area
OF France, Spain, Austria and the Brit
ish isles-once fourished monarchy
said to have had 30000,000 subjects
and whose traces, visible in the temples
pyramids and palaces that remain a
monuments to attest its grandeur, ar
fully as interesting, if not as ancient, a
the hieroglyphics on the pyramids o
the Nile.
According to Humboldt, who passed
some time in Mexico studying its an
tiquities, the first race that inhabited
that Countrywide Toltecs--were o.
Asiatic origin, and emigrated by way Of
Behring's straits about A. ID. 700. This
belief, however, cOmbatted by the advo-
Gates OF the theory of more than one cen
ter OF animal creation, rests upon con
lecture, but appears plausible. In the
opinion of Humboldt, the Toltec dynasty
and occupation lasted 500 years, ending
about A. ID. 1900, nearly three years be-
fore the advent of Columbus. The
Toltecs are then said to have emigrated
to the mountainous recesses of Central
America, being succeeded by another
af oh IL
SCISSORS of the territory they had left
behind.
They were an Indian race, of forms
rather taller and stouter than ordinary,
well-proportioned, good compilations,
narrow foreheads and black eyes; regu-
lar, white teeth, and thick, black, coarse
HAIR and thin boards, and the peculiari-
ty of no hair upon their thighs and legs.
Many of their women were beautiful and
fair, whose attractions were increased
by winning sweetness of manner and
speech and modest behavior. The
Aztec empire is traced for about 300
years from the cessation of the Toltec
dynasty; it originally comprised the
Central States of Mexico proper, Ru-
eretaro and Vera Cruz; and, in 1852,
after long series of revolutions and
wars, was consolidated under it's first
King. In 1436, generation before
the discovery of Columbus, the first
of the celebrated line of Kings, the
Montezumas, assembled the Aztec throne.
Two reigns followed, when Montezuma
-. took the reins of power. Under
this Prince the Aztec empire, after an
existence of $50 years, assumed a
pitch of grandeur and power-a height
OF ivlllzatiOn-scarcely ever attained
by any other nation in so short time
Under Montezuma III. the empire was
extended over | 800 miles of territory,
and is thought to have numbered 30
100000, the City of Mexico alone hav-
ing 100000 inhabitants. So splendid
an empire, so beneficent civilization,
was destined to be crushed by Cortez,
who overthrow the power of the Mon
tezumas in 1920, nearly 400 years ago.
This adventurer and his myrmidons,
although they bore the banner of the |
cross, were nothing but murderers,
thieves and cut-throats who came to |
plumber and strew ruin and misery up |
and down among the populous cities,
the stately temples and beautiful pal |
aces of land to which they had no
more right than the burglar has to the
safe he is rifiing. Cortez, the blood
thirsty scoundrel, with the innate cruel
ty of the Spaniard, sought to annihilate
the Aztecs, and his whole conquest
was one unspeak1ble outrage, in which
the utmost horrors were visited on the
unoffending subjects of Montezuma.
No age or sex was spared; millions,
whole races, were cut off and exter-
The high civilization of the Aztecs and
The monarchy of the Montezumas were
swept away, to be replaced by Spanish
cruelty and spoliation. OF the splendid
empire of the Aztecs the 800 years of
Spanish domination succeeding the fall
If Montezuma have left little except the
remains of magnificent temples and
stately palaces still visible in this beau
tiful land, and that once added glory to
4 monarchy that must forever eclipse
he despotism of the 100 thieving Span
sh Viceroys that succeeded the ancient
inc of Aztec Kings.-Merico Cor. ST.
Louis GlObe-DemOcrdt