Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-21
LETTER FROM YUCATAN.
IN TERRITORY OF THE SAVAGE
CHAy-SANTA CRUZANS.
Have Departed-The Doings
of Demon.

Especial Correspondence of the RECORD UNION
VALLApoIID, Yucatan, July 9, 1888.
This rare old town, one celebrated in song
and story, and the most tiourishing center
Of trade on the peninsula, now possesses
only the melancholy interest OF some
banquet hall deserted" because of its
almost complete destructi0n in the Indian
revolution of forty years ago. 1t lies on
the Zinc of the railroad, 100 miles south
east from Merida Here, half century
ago, the first cotton mill in Yucatan was
erected. and manufactories of various kinds
-aourished in the vicinage. Here the
Bishop made his residence, and some of
the proudest CastiIian families in New
Spain, whose coats of arms may still be
seen emblazsned upon the fronts ef crumb-
ling cAsas-
The uprising referred to, Of the raza
iadigend, grew out of Mexico's struggle for
independence from Spain (1S21 for in
Tucatan, IS in other parts Of the country,
there were two sides to the question,
many of the largest landed proprietors
being opposed TO separation from the
mother country, while the bulk of the
population who owned no property we're
universally in favor of it. Later another
agitation arose as to whether Yucatan
should become part of Mexico, or remain
independent, and again local feeling ran
high between two parties, pro and con.
Both factions invoked aid from the alb
original race, placed arms in their hands
and filled their ears with promises When
quiet was restored, however, all these
offers Of rich rewards were forgotten, and
the Indians were dismissed to their homes
empty-handed Not quite empty-handed,
for they retained their arms and the knowl-
edge they had gained of civilized warfare,
all of which they proposed to make use of
at the first opportunity.
In l647, when the embroglIo arose be-
tween Merida and Campeche, the sullen
chance With fire and sword they swept
the eastern part of the peninsula, obliterat-
ing the town of Tekax, with its 5000 in
habitants ami nearly destroying Nalladolid
whieh then had a population of $1,000
Recollecting the centuries of wrong en-
dured by their fathers, they entered upon
war of determination. Step by step they
possessed themselves of all the northern,
eastern and southern portions of the pen
nsula, ravaging the country, pillaging,
burning, numbering. The terrified Creoles,
huddled together at Merida, appealed to
the United States Tor aid, then to Spain
and at last to Mexico. The latter country,
having concluded her war with the United
States, sent troops to the scene of her Yucca
tecan neighbors, and gradually the Indians
were driven back into the interior. By thus
calling on Mexico for aid, Yucatan lost her
autonomy as an independent republic, and
soon afterwards became one of the States OF
the Mexican confederation. But it was
years before any semblance of peace was
patched up, and the thousands of miles
that are desolated and hundred of towns in
ruins bears witness to the valor and per-
sistance of the raza indigena.
Still unconquered, they hold all the
southeastern portion of Yucatan, and for
more than forty years there have been In
dians with their war-paint on, in armed
rebellion against the Government. NJ
merically, they are not strong probably
numbering less than a thousand-but what
they lack in numbers is made up in fe-
rocity. They are not of the same race as
the timid Indians of Merida, whose an
cestors probably built the magnificent
temples whose remains are scattered all
over the country these are doubtless de-
scendants of the Caribs, race which once
possessed the Mesquite coast, the Spanish
main and the Southern West In lies. The
widest stories are told of their atrocious
cruelties, and they seem as hard to find as
were the Seminoles of Florida, and much
more difficult to deal with. If a stranger
penetrates to their country it is said they
hack him to pieces with their mechates,
without listening to word of explanation
or they reserve him for the most diaboli-
cal fortunes, tying him, by ring through
his nose, with long rope to a stake To
them, every pale-face represents a Span
iard-one of the abhorred race-who in
hicted untold torments upon their ances-
tors through 300 years, to be safely disposed
of only by death.
They hold guarded intercourse with the
English of Belize and Honduras but no
white men has ever lived to return from
their chief city-Chan Santa Cruz-where
it is supposed that the arts of their an
cestors are practiced and the aboriginal
customs still retained. Year by year their
and agricultural Indians is correspondinolv
diminished, as towns and villages, ranches
and haciendas are DESTROYED bv the in
surgents and added to their possessions.
Now and then they make raids in the d.
rectlon OF Merida, causing the stoutest
hearts to quake with terror. Late as 1881
1t was rumored that all the Indians
of Yucatan and Central America were
about to unite in a general uprising, and
the terrorized whites prepared to leave the
country. Every year the Chan Santa
Cruzans issue invitations to all the tribes
for grand war-council and send threat
enlng messages to the Capital, promising
TO make Merlda's street run with blood
and to massacre the last inhabitant, and
every year the people quake in their boots
but nothing is done about it. Why does
not the Government clean them out root
and branch? For the same reason, per
haps, that has permitted savages in our
western wilds to go a long time unpun-
lshed after having committed all manner
of atrocities. Once in a while the few
Federal troops with which Yucatan is
garrisoned march out into the country in
search of Indians The Indians retire to
their Businesses behind the ridge of hills
that lie few miles south of Merida, and
the troops return triumphantly-bu with
no insurgents.
To return to Valladolid. From its geo.
graphical position as the center of vast.
unoccupied territory, it should be the most
prosperous and populous city in Yucatan.
but since the terrible injuries inflicted in
1S47 its population has dwindled awav to
less than 10000 and Government lands
close by are valued at less than 20 cents
per acre. Having been founded at an
early period of the Spanish conquest the
city was built in a style commensurate
with the lofty pretensions of the conouista-
dores, and still bears marks of ancient
grandeur. But no pen can portray the
desolation that now reigns over it. The
central plaza, ankle-deep in sand, has a
few crumbling benches, overrun with scor-
pions, centipedes and lizards, set under
ancient palms and elms, too ragged by rea
son of their great age to even cast a shade.
At one side of it is an enormous parochial
church, with convent and cloisters. fast
falling into decay. There are also the
churches of Sisal, San Servicio, Santa In
cia, San Juan de Dios Santa Ana and La
L. l. Il