The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-01-02
Glimpses Of Mexico.

The careless American GrlngO, II you
will, and the unprogressive Mexican Of
to-day. wandering amid the great and
natural attractions of the table lands,
scarcely realizes that here once existed
one of the best civilizations, one of the
most populous empires Of splendid
antiquity Here, occupying then, as
now. q territory 1000 miles in length
and 1000 broad, of S62,460 square
miles, and equal to the combined areas
of France, Spain, Austria and the Brit
ish isles-once fourished a monarchy,
said to have had 100000 subjects,
and whose traces, visible in the temples,
pyramids and palaces that remain as
monuments to attest it's grandeur, are
fully as interesting, if not as ancient, as
the hieroglyphics on the pyramids of
the Nile. M
According to Humboldt, who passed
some time in Mexico studying its an
tiquities, the first race that inhabited
that Countrywide Toltecs Of
Asiatic origin, and emigrated by way of
Behring's straits about A. d. 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. D. 1900, nearly three years be-
fore the advent of Columbus. The
Toltecs are then said to have ernigrated
to the mountainous recesses Of Central
America, being succeeded by another
race of aborigines- Aztecs-as pos
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 800
years from the cessation of the Toltec
dynasty; it originally comprised the
Central States of Mexico proper, Ru-
eretaSo and Vera Cruz; and, in 1852,
after long series of revolutions and
wars, was consolidated under it's first
King. In 1896, 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
LII. 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 civilization-scarcely ever attained
by any other nation in so short a time
Under Montezuma II. the empire was
extended over 800 miles of territory,
and is thought to have numbered 3d.
100000, the City of Mexico alone hay
ing 100000 inhabitants, So splendid
an empire, so benefcent 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-thruats who came to
plumber and strew ruin and misery up
and down among the populous cities,
the stately temples and beautiful pal
aces of a land to which they had no
more right than the burglar has to the
safe he is rifing. Cortez, the blood
thirsty scoundrel, with the innate cruel
ty of the Spaniard, sought to annihilate
the Aztecs, and his whole conquest
was one unspeakable 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-
minated.
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
OF Montezuma have left little except the
remains of magnificent temples and
stated y palaces still visible in this beau
tiful land, and that once added glory to
a monarchy that must forever eclipse
the despotism of the 100 thieving Span
ish Viceroys that succeeded the ancient
line of Aztec Kings.-MeTico Cor. st.
Louis GlObe-DenaocrGt.