The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-11
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY Il

Bpaniards. Indeed, the stacking natives ere
armed with every conceivable weapon. On
every side they pour In upon the devoted
little Spanish band, tearing them from their
horses and dragging them to the lake. One
Spaniard IL struggling In the water near the
causeway, fighting valisntly for his life,
| while around him is gathered a crowd OF
boats and boatmen using their sticks and
paddles as weapons wherewith to beat out
his life.
On the inner side Of the causeway stands q
Spanish woman, Maria dc Estrada. who 10
particularly noticeable for her courage, bat
tering away with broadsword and target Ike
| the stanChpSt OF the warriors.
| But alas all these are doomed. AlvaradO
IL the last or the rear guard to escape, and he
alone, by the monstrous feat OF his great leap
over the chasm. is enabled to escape the Just
vengeance and punishment OF the Aztecs
H. INTERVIEW BETWEEN ooRTEz AND auATF-
i MOzIN.
Cortez Ia Mt Last victorious. Retreatlng
after the noche riste he has reorganizes
his men, Increased his army. and returned
victorious To Tenochtitlan.. ~ vain the A.
tees fight against him. Neither their vaior
nor their numbers avail them aught The city
Ia etormed and cRaptnred, and the warItAe
Guatemozln, who now reigns over Anahusain
place of the peaceful Mont Kuma, ts at last cap
tured and brought before his conqueror They
meet on the summit III an Aztec temple. All
around 1tars scattered rutns, broken Images
and pllate, Tor 1t has only been with the
greatest effort aud after the most persistent
fighting that the Spaniards have been able TO
capture the city. more than seven el9h6nS OF
which now lies Ia ruins around them
The entrance to the temple is defended by
three guards, d Spanish knight and squire and
4 Tlaacalhn noble "a native tribe acting az al.
lies 81 the Spanshl. In the upper portion OF
the temple the interview takes place: feast.
is get near, the table being covered with ba-
nanas aud oil the choicest fruits OF Mexico.
There are present four persons, Cortez.
| luato,ncz,n hiu emDress and Donna Marina
= Cortezs mistress.
. The Il npress Tecuichpo youngest and fair
est daughter Of the late unhappy "a onte yuma,
ID clothed In robes Of state, and carries In her
9 hand an elegant fan Of feather work, where-
with from time to time she cools herself.
Cortez is clad In complete armor, ana Qua
temozin also IL arrayet IN the Aztec war
ceei,lme Between them is the faithful Donna
! Marina to whom Uortez owes 30 much An
n Aztec by birth, che had been given by the
I Tabascans to the oonqueror upon MS mrs!
. landing on Mexican soil as slave. Prompted
i by love she soon learned the Castilian Ian
= xuage and always thereafter acted rs inter
a prefer In all the Interviews between COrtez
\ and the natives; not only az interpreter put
i az confident and adviser, Tor, being native
\ che was thoroughly acquainted with the
= IDEAS, thoughts and purposes OF the Aztecs,
r and was therefore able to fOretell exactly
/ what they were about to do.
The CbnQuistddor is disposed to be friendly
J, and courteous to hls fallen foe. The Aztec
Emperor steps forward and first breaks the
: silence nv saving: II have done all that
/ could to defend myself and my people. Do
: with mo now what you like" Then laying
i hls hand on the hllt Of poignard 10 the
d Generals. belt, he adds, with vehemence;
d Better dlapatch me with this and rid me 81
! life ut Once!"
4 Oortez pretends to ba struck with admlra-
"A ton at the proud bearing OF the young bar
y baran and promises him safety and good
= treatment declaring that the Spaniards know
!, how to treat a brave enemy. And then the
r. Aztec Emperor Is carried off to hls prison. to
4 be soon afterwards burned alive, in order to
h extort from him the secret OF the spot where
i all his gold lies hidden.
And thus ends the Empire OF the Aztecs.
Cortez finds, however, now that he is mas
ter oy all Mexico that while he has been
) lighting for his king hts jealous rivals have
J, been working against him ut court, and that
= the Spanish government now wants to know
!, upon whose authority he has been acting In
!. his war with the Aztecs. Toexplain this and
:. to vindieate himself. Oortez starts back to
- Spain.
70 It is to meet with welcome gratitude and
4 devotion. The people crowd around him at
! every town he passes through, to welcome
] home the warrior who has added the richest
province to the Spanish Empire; and his sove-
| reign, Charles v Of Spain and Germany, I'D
4 mits him to al audience
IT, CHARLES v RECEIVING CoRTEz.
The Emperor. dressed In robes OF red velvet
and ermine, is seated under dais whereon
| vi
many. Two knights, one OF them German,
: the other II Spaniard, are by his eide, and
: In the antechamber, where stand the statues
OF several noted Spanish mOnarchs. two
I guards, armed With halberds, are marching
! ever to and fro.
! The oonqueror Of Mexico throws himself
! on his knees before Charles, kisses the hand
!, OF his sovereign. presents him with memO-
, rial, wherein he recapltuates his services to
the State and asks his forgiveness for having
! ! added to his empire rich province without
having first obtained his royal permission to
do 30.
, 16. MEXICO TO-DAY.
i Three centuries have passed The hated
+ rule OF Spain is over, and Mexico Is now free.
i Let us visit the ancient site OF Tenoehtitlan
/. and sec what progress the Aztecs have made
3 Ia these three centuries under the influence of
1 industry, liberty and religion. We are on
I the plaza mayor Or the Mexican city, the very
9 spot where lately stood that awful temple In
J., which the Aztees were wont to make their
r human sacrifices. It is completely changed
4 No hideous deities adorn 1t now; no sacrih
o cial stone spattered with the blood OF the
victims OF the war god, but It Is a q utet
peaceful park-just such . park as one would
expect to see In q city Of the tropics. Three
high statues, dedicated to industry, to liberty
. and to religion. raise their heads In the
centre OF this square. Before them
fountain cools the warm hreezes at midday.
, The square Ia filled with promenaders. for
all classes Of the population meet here. some on
the lower order. a sull-blooded Aztec. as bis
somewhat coarse and ugly features show, Is
, converslng with q woman OF his class. Near
the fountain two handsome danes, whose
yellow color shows their mixed descent, ar
rayed In the richest and brightest coored
dress, their veil-liks manttllRs half conceatnK
: their faces. are passing along, chatting Ratly,
: and glancng. now and then. over their fans
az only woman OF Spanish descent can at .
Mexican exquisite arrated In the very latest
Mexican fashion. velvet kneebreeches aud
jacket and broad-hrimmed sombrero. who
stares ut them through an eye-glass.
A Mexican general-for scene In modern
Mexico without y general or two would be
wild anachronism-is standing under the
shade of the statues. He Ia not busy with
politics just now. however, Is not preparing
pronunciamento or arranging to rise against
the government, but is engaged In earnest
whom he L. promenadlng. a most important