The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-08
The Capital of an Ancient Civilization-Com-
mercial Benefits of Closer Reciprocity.

CITY OF MEXICO, March 6.-After spending
nearly month in this city, traversng it in every
direction. making excursions in many directions
from it, witnessing it's bull fights. its thronged
streets, its gambling, its music-seeking crowds
In the Central square, its national and local sol
diers, its markets. churches schools and facto-
rles, do not exaggerate when say it is as pict-
uresque city and region as any have ever
visited. Those who have visited Naples, Con-
stantinople and Cairo, will not be deprived of in
terest when they come here. The valley in
which this capital is situated is beautiful one,
of volcanic origin forty miles across, with sew
eral lakes, surrounded by volcanic peaks, itself
of volcanic formation in the ages past far be-
You'd the confines Of human history. Into this
fruitful valley, nearly eight thousand feet above
sea-level. within the tropics, open other valleys
of marvellous fertility, stretching into the sur
rounding volcanic mountains, landmarked by
| lofty mountains, some of which are white with
perpetual snow. A teeming, prolific. amiable
and very Industrious people. the mixed descend
ants Of ancient Aztec, iiroltec, Chichruc and still
older people, swarm everywhere. living simply
| in this warm air. aud poor but simple in their
manners, customs and dress; brown with the
|
from heat their gardens fruitful with monthly
| succession of crops by constant irrigation, and
| speaking of the under-masses) apparently indif
| ferent to the form OF rule under which they live
| Their dress is picturesque being rather for show
| than protection. their manners natural Their
religion, while seeming to have strong hold, is
almost mere superstition. They kneel now in
| the Catholic churches to statues of the saints
and virgin as they probably knelt at the Toltec
| or Aztec stone idol-altars, and with much the
| same simple awe. Many of this race have risen
| to eminence in art, science, trade, poetry and
| politics. They are capable Of grander evolution
| under fostering influences Ny sympathies go
| out toward them They have been cheated of
| their lands and are most of them now mere
| laborers but they are the solid nucleus of this
nation. They will yet write some interesting
pages in the history of the North American con-
| tinent This region was old and with a complex
civilization, with arts, and sciences and religious
cults. when many parts of Europe were still
| barbarous. l verify believe that current
history does not 60 far enough back
| ward to do justice to this land. 1t is older
than its archaeological writer's have indicated.
| The fury of the later Aztec and still later Span
ish conquests have obliterated much that would
| have proven the antiquity of Mexican cviiza-
ton, and thrown all into seething chaos of con-
| ouered and mingled peoples Onetenth of this
population are cultivated, artistic and musical
people, of peculiar dress, polite in manner like
| the French, social and hospitable. They have
| their own peculiar standard of morals and their
/ own taste IN amQSementS, loving the OarOdrOuS
| but exciting bull-ight toleratiug lotteries and
| cock fighting, gambling, pistas in the open air in
| neigh boring villages dressing in stunning suits
| with silver ornaments down the outer seams of
| the trousers, with broad brimmed sombreros,
| some of which are go laden with silver that they
| cost more than hundred dollars; riding costly
| and snowy horses, with rich and pretentious
| trappines The remaining nine -tenths mixed
Aztec, Toltec and Spanish, who constitute the
| mass of the ration and perform its real labor.
| They are now stirred by the introduction of
| American ideas, agricultural implements. inven-
tions and books. They rapidly learning English,
/ and few years will see wonderful changes in
| their systems Of mining, agriculture, trade and
| manufactures. There is grand opening here
| for methodical patient business men, Furni-
ture factories, to put up the prepared articles Of
the United States, by means of the cheap labor
| here, foundres for domestic articles, such as
| pots. hammers, saws, etc, would do we'll if pru
| IDENTIFY managed. Sewing machines, plows. and
wagons and carriages of our make are daily be-
coming more common, and the use of such arti-
1 cles will spread with increased rapldity. Even
now agents of all prominent manufacturers are
in the various towns, and succeed as much as
| reasonable men should expect.
| AS mere place for the tourist and invalid,
| there is no more interesting country to visit
Grand scenery, old ruins, clear skies, dry air,
and puzzling problems of archaeology, history
and sociology offer inviting opportunities for
| ploration and investigation. Prejudice and hasty
| imprecation at the different manners. customs
| and tastes or d OlHerent people must De WlLn-
| held, and the heart of the people sought beneath
| their dscouragng exterior.
| Our Congress will be blind to the interest Of
our country if they do not promptly, after all
this inexplicable delay, pass and subsequently
extend the reciprocity treaty already offered
| them by Mexico Everything should be done to
| encourage good feeling and commercial inter
| course 1t is the opportunity Immediately be-
| fore the embarrassed commercial interests of
| our land. 1t is the natural outlet for the ex-
1 nf Apoa trad AM Wa all tn
escape, we will deserve the reaction that will
| follow. A genuine good feeling toward Amer
| leans exists here, and nothing but patience with
| their tropical hesitation and slowness, and con-
| tentedness with gradual progress, is needed
to secure a great success and enable
us to be of incalcuable serv-
ice to this people in their progress.
This city contains 100000 people. The need of
| TO- day is that the truly representative people of
| these two republics should come into true un-
| Outstanding and relation; and as brother repub-
| lies enthusiastically stimulate and support each
other in the aim towards grander deeds and
| progress in the immediate future. Mexico must
! be our ally or competitor and enemy. 1t
will be lasting disgrace to our diplomacy if tits
| not the former.
have been in no considerable sized town in
| this republic in which have not found citizens
| of our country-tourists. invalids, or agents of
American houses, introducing their manufact-
ures-sewing machines, electric lights wagons.
| carriages, plows, goods of all kinds They
| generally report reasonable success The SER
wants are picking up English and a new light
| is breaking this Anticipated people. The ho-
i tells are full of English speaking people, with
their ladies' and you them IN the cars, streets
squares, operas, theaters and even the bull fight
| avenues. They are in all the stores. and there
| is demand for glish-speaking clerks. But one
must speak Spanish to do any good here, ofcourse.
l.. d. w.
| Miss CIeveiand's Clothes.
| Washington Letter.
| To Miss Cleveland belongs the credit OF having