The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-01-14
rExAN rrHuAs.
People to Whom the spanish Conquest
Was Mere Incident.

Ieopie To Whom the spanish Conquest
Was u Mere Incident.
This nation has celebrated the dis
covery OF America Yetit has voters
TO whom the coming of Columbus was
only an incident Before the Spanish
conquest Ysleta people had their
politics thoir history their govern
ment their statesmen and their gen.
erals. 1t is much more than 400
years ago since they took up their
residence en- the border OF tie Rio
Grande in Texas
The community has its leading citi-
Zens and they talk freely and inter-
cstinsly. They say that originally
they came from the Colorado river OF
the West. Two branches OF quito u
nation moved eastward ut tho Same
time 10 find new homes One settled
at Ysleta in what is now Texas; the
other at Ysleta, In the present Now
Mexico. They had government and
they built cities. Tia Texas Yslets
prospered best Apaches and Com
anches viewed the new. Corners rs in.
truders. and tried to drive them back.
They besieged the upper colony. and
Yseta in Texas was Obliged TO send
a military force 10 help out the breih-
rem. That force remained and the
descendants are still living in sleta
OF New Mexico. These people are
now called Pueblos. Their distinctive
name as a tribe or nation was Tlhua.
Not long ago gentleman familiar
with Aztec lore visited lsleta in
Texas He brought together the chief
men OF the Tihuas and made them o
speech. In tho course of tho re
marks which were interpreted sen
tence by sentence. the visitor told the
legend OF Cuetzalcoatl. The purpose
WAS to Judge OF the effect of the mar
rative upon the Tihuas and to de-
terminc their possible relationship to
the Aztecs CuetZalcoatl was thl
Aztec god Of the air. His functions
were those OF priest Many OF his
teachings described by the Aztecs.
closely resemble the doctrines OF the
Christian religion.
Cuetzalcoatl taught the art OF work.
ing silver He educated the Aztecs in
agriculture. trained them in the weav-
ing OF cloth. gave them forms OF wor-
ship and inculcatcd tho idea OF max
ing sacrifices only OF flowers And
when the god had thus finished his
work he sailed eastward on Il raft OF
snakes promising to return some
time. When tho Spaniards landed
their cross. emblazoned banners. their
religious customs and their manners
brought back the memory OF the god
OF air. The natives wero sure that
Cuetzalcoatl had come again. They
made haste 10 welcome. They sub
mitted 10 Spanish domination until it
grew tyrannical Cortez got in his
cruel work before the mistake was
discovered.
Thus the story OF Cuetzalcoatl was
narrated to the Tihuas OF Western
Texas for the first time by white
man. In the audience were men Of
great age. Their excitement in
creased as the narrative progressed.
AS soon as the end was reached there
was commotion. The listeners
looked at each Other and then at the
speaker They conversed together
in an excited manner They turned
TO the interpreter and wanted to
know where the white man had
learned what he had told.
Then he said that the story OF
Cuetzalcoatl was one OF their most
sacred memories and they did not
dream it was known to any but them
selves. Finding that he knew so
much, the Tihuas told many things
going to show their common origin
with the Aztecs OF Mexico and Yucca
tan. They told OF the sacred fires
which had been burning for centuries
for the return OF the god. They con.
Srmed the theory that it was the be-
lief in the return nf Cuetzalcoatl
which had prompted their submission
to the Spanish yoke.