New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-27
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE, WEDNESDAY JULY a. 1881


this abandoned pueblo q few miles distant and
there sustained protracted siege, yielding finally
when provisions utterly failed. The grim and
threatening fortress was never captured by the
Spaniards, though many times attacked. The ter
races bristled with and battlcaxes, through
the little windows arrows showered and stones
and burning balls of cotton dipped in oil were
hurled from sings. The lower story, well-illed
granary-and the cistems within the court enabled
the red men to laugh siege to scon"
The route which have rapidly sketched was
discovered and maintained by the armies of many
generations; the changes described in a paragraph
were brought about by wars lasting through ages,
Well did those migratory tribes know the fierce de-
light of battle which thrills alike the blood of the
white man and the red, when once within the heat
and fury of its deadly charm.
ONCE SCENE OF GREAT ACTIVITY
In the course of time the entire valley of the Rio
Grande from latitude 80 to latitude 800 a dis
lance OF over 400 miles, was thickly settled 1t
must have been scene of constant activity, with
its clusters of towns whose streets are vet plainly
visible and may be followed for miles and becoming
the dominant nation, in the main valley where the
villages are nearest to each other the Aztecs found
it unnecessary to fortfy their dwelling places Ont
lying settlements, such Pecos and Grand Quivira
in the country swept by Comanches and Arapahoes,
and Laguna and Acoma. near the Navaios, were de-
Tended by outworks like those in the Colorado
BASIN
Near Ell Paso are widespread ruins of the prehis-
toric epoch, and it is short march from that
crossing to the lovely and productive valley of Rio
CorraItes and its lake, the Laguna de Guzman, that
1T is most reasonable to suppose the casas on this
stream were built by colony from that region. The
Indians and MeXicans of our day are exactly right
in asserting that the great houses" are the work
OF the Montezunas who came from the North, and
at various stations fortified themselves against the
rowing tribes. So it comes that the Town Builders
of New-Mexico and Arizona, who are without
history or hierogyphic writing, have no record
or even legend of the dim and distant start
ing point when the exodus from Mexico began
They brought species of civilization qnite
foreign to the nomads who confronted them batted
for supremacy and disputed their sway. The civili-
zaon was necessarily inferior to that of the
whence 1t sprung. This is the condition in all mi
gratory movements The wealthy, cultured classes
spirits Adventures with little to leave OF TO take
strike out OF the beaten paths in hope of lettering
their fortunes.
ton OF the spendors of Tezcuco where North
American civilization, under the commanding
But the pilgrims brought with them glorious
memories; They must have seen. the sacred
pyramid wrought by the giant Haoc, nearly 200
feet high the sides measuring 80 yards at its base
10 was terraced tower, a landmark, beacon and
shrine to all Anahuac, where the smoke from the
undying altar-fres went up incense TO the gods
were no wrlthing victims on that hill of sacrifice
the gentle QuetZelcoatt delighted not in blood his
offerings were bread and roses and all sweet per-
fumes. The townsmcn in their new homes built
council-houses meagre and poverty COM
pared with the Southern temples. and kindled the
sacred tires Each village had one more of these
estufas where holy rites were conducted in the
most secrecy priesthood of chosen warriors, con,
secrated 10 the ministry, watched the altar-re. and
IL was never suffered to die out.
THE spLENDoR OF TIE CHILD OF THE SUM-
In all probability the later emgrants brought
with them the Montezuma idol Possibly some had
been in the kneeng ranks of those who kissed the
earth at the sound of conch and attabal which
heralded the approach of the great king the child
of the Hardly had they dared to lift their eyes
before the splendor of the canopy Of green feather
work frnged with sparkling pendants, which
shaded his jeweled pumes. They could not fail. to
remember the floating robes of gorgeous dyes, the
blazing making the glance dizzy with the shin
ing of precious stones; and best of ALL that princey
presence in the midst of worshipping subjects
who held themselves but dust beneath the golden
soles of the royal sandals. They could not forget
the wall of orbed shields about his sacred person,
the keen sparkle of FURNISHED spear tips the flying
flags of various colors which the Indian loves so
well, and the shouts of thousands thousands of
loyal subjects who counted not their lives dear unto
themselves but for their service to their emperor
The all-conquering Montczuma at first only u
proud memory. BY degrees IA halo and light ap-
love to trace their descent back TO some stored
greatness and all barbarous nations delight to as
sociate their origin with the deities. The yearning
to be gods is one of the instructive impulses of
the human heart. 1t began in Eden and is rs old as
the first man.
From reverence Of the compelling spirit which left
its imprint vast regions various tribes and long
periods of time ii is easy to pass to alteration. The
Valley of the Rio Grande n valley of gods:
they breathcd in the winds, frowned in the storms
their wrath was the earthquake and their smile was
fair weather The central idea ceaseessly recurring
in the pantheistc religion of the Pueblos of the nine
teenth century is the shining figure of Montezuma,
and their belief i'll his return the dearest of all
their faiths. AS in the Greek legends we cannot de-
fine the line between myth and history but we are
forced to believe so widespread religion must have
had IA beginning remote from the degraded broken
hearted creatures who pray to him daily
The dim memories of great past never
quite fade away from among any people.
of their ancestors has led the Pueblos to the
hope of "A restoration for with them the vague past
and the indefinite future are both better than the
dull, tame present The hope in every breast, slow
to die if indeed il ever dies looks to regeneration
n lifting upof the bowed race mercessly stricken
down by the spaniards. The caciques who guard
the sacred fires watch at daybreak for the second
coming of the lawgiver, prophet and priest, and
pray with faces toward the sun-house where he
the golden dawn OF some morning, fairest where all
fair he shall push back the curtains of his taber-
nacle intoerably bright, and with roll of drums
music of reeds and beauty of banners shall return to
his again.
1t is the tendency, even in carefully recorded an
nails to make one man the doer of all heroic deeds
The unnamed dead live in the life of one king of
The lesser lights wane and pale before its
splendor, and finally all mingle in Il Respondent
focus, and one immortal stands forever the repre-
sentative of the epoch, sceptred deity. Such are
the demgods of Southern Europe: such is the fair
haired Odiu of the Misunderstanding warriors in sheep
skin and horsehide such is King Arthur, gone away
a "a