Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-09-19

seen in Anahuac, having only a popula-
ton of some thirty and five thousand
souls, since the Oromie, being race OF
mountaineers, did not desire to dwell In
cities But il 1t was not great 1t was one
of the most beautiful of Indian towns, be-
Ing laid out In straight streets that met ut
the square in its center. All along these
streets were houses, each standing in q
garden and for the most part built Of
blocks of lava and rooted with cement OF
white lime. In the midst Of the square
stood the teocalli, or pyramid of worship,
crowned with temples that were garnlshed
with ropes of skulls, while beyond the pyr-
amid and facing it was the palace, the
home of Otomie's forefathers, long, low
and very ancient building, haHlng many
courts and sculptured everywhere with
snakes and grinning gods. Both the pal
ace and the pyramid were cased with
fine white stone that shone like silver IN
the sunlight and contrasted strangely with
the dark hued houses that were built OF
lava
PASSING from the mouth Of the gorge,
we travelled some miles across the plain,
every foot of which was cultivated with
corn, maguey or aloe and other crops, till
we came to one of the four gates OF the
city. Entering it, we found. the fiat roofs
on either side of the wide street crowded
with women and children, who threw
flowers ON us as we passed and cr1et
"Welcome, princess! Welcome, Otom1e,
princess of the Otomie!" And when at
length we reached the great square 1t SEEM
cd as though all the men in Anahuac were
\ GATHERED there, and they, too, took up the
Acry of Welcome, Otomie, princess OF the
&Otomie" till tho earth shook with the
Wound. Me also they saluted as passed
A, touhing tho earth with their right
Ands md then holding the hand above
"a heae but I think that the horse l rode
@scd hem more wonder than did, for
Amos Of them had never seen horse
dAool1 on it as monster or demon.
w wit on through the shouting mass,
.Aed nd preceded by thousands of
,Ss, any of them decked in glitter
lug AheAail and bearing broidered ban
wlad passed the pyramid, where
ea" w Rsts at their cruel work above
ah9AWt come to the palace gates.
aiIl nu he1 lnstrango chamber sculptured
".I, ElT2 nn demons, we found rest for
eWu12e W
n 'neEforly in the great hall of the
pce w he council Of tho chiefs
Gu head14en c, the Otomie clans to the
aDer on lOOtr more. When all We're
aonered, dl&essedls an Aztec noble Of the
se lank cam, out with Otomie, who
more royal yobes a1d looked most beauti-
su "a them,aand Ito council rose to greet
oo- OUO1O1e 4lada tkar, ha cnota6 and nd
dressed them thus:
aear me, you chiefs and captains of
y mother's race, who am your princess
rH,a ~ .ehe OF 5les3f the last of your ancient
lid who am, moreover, the daugh-
ter of MonteZuma, emperor Of Anahuac,
now dead to us, but living evermore in the
mansions of the sun. First, I present to
you this, my husband, tho Lord Teule, to
whom was given in marriage when he
held the spirit of the god Tezcat, and
whom, when he had passed tho altar OF
the god, being chosen by heaven to aid US
In our war, welded anew after the fash
ion of the earth and by tho will OF my
royal brethren. Know, chiefs and cap
tains, that this lord, my husband, is not
of our Indian blood, nor is he altogether
Of tho blood Of the Teules, with whom we
arc at war, but rather Of that Of the true
children of Quetzal, the dwellers In far
off northern sea, who arc foes to the Teules.
And as they arc foes, so this, my lord, IS
their foe, and, as doubtless you have heard,
of all tho deeds Of arms that were wrought
upon the night Of the Staying Of the Teules
none were greater than his, and it was he
who first discovered their retreat.
.sChiefs and captains of the great and
ancient people of tho Otomie, I, your prin-
cess, have been sent to you by Cuitlahua,
my king and yours, together with my lord,
to plead with you on o certain matter.
Our king has heard, and I also have heard
with shame, that many Of the warriors OF
our blood have joined the Tlascalans, who
were ever foes to tho Aztecs, In their un-
holy alliance with tho Teules. Now for
awhile the white men arc beaten back,
but they have touched tho gold they covet
and they will return again like bees to
half drained flower. They will RETURN.
yet of themselves they can do nothing
against the glory Of Tenootitlap. But how
shall it go If with them como thousands
and tens Of thousands Of the Indian peo-
piles? I know well that now In this time
of trouble, when Kingdoms crumble, when
tho air is full Of portents and the very
gods seem impotent, there are many who
would seizo the moment and turn 1t to
their profit. There are many men and
tribes who remember ancient wars and
wrongs, and who cry: Now Is tho hour OF
vengeance. Now VIC will think on tho wild
ows that tho Aztec spears havo made, on
tho tribute which they have wrung from
our poverty to swell their wealth and on
the captives who havo decked tho altars
of their sacrificed
''Is it not so? Aye, it is so, and can
not wonder at it. Yet ask you to remem-
Der this-that tho yoke you would help to
set upon tho neck Of the queen Of cities
will fit your neck also. Oh, foolish men,
do you think that you shall be spared
when by your cid Tcnoctitlan is ruin and
the Aztecs aro no moro people? I say to
you, neverI The sticks that tho Teules use
to beat shall bo broken ono by one and cast
into tho fro to burn. II tho Aztccs fall,
then, early or late, every tribe within this
wide land shall fall. They shall bo slain,
their cities shall be stamped fat their
wealth shall be wrung from them, and their
children shall eat tho bread OF slavery anu
drink the water Of affliction. Choose, ye
people Of the Otomie. VIII you stand by
the men of your own customs and country,
though they have been your foes at times,
or Will you throw in your lot with the
stranger Choose, yo people Of the Oto-
mie, and know this-that on your choice
and that Of the other men Of Anahuac de-
pends the fate of Anahuac. 1 am your
princess, and you should obey me, but to-
day issue no command. I say choose be-
tween tho alliance Of the Aztec and the
yoke Of tho Trule, and may the God above
the gods, the Almighty, the invisible God,
direct your choice"
Otonie ceased, and q murmur OF ap-
p.ause went round tho hall. Alas, l can
do no justice to the fire Of her words any
moro than I can describe the dignity and
loveliness of her person as 1t seemed IN
that hour But they went to tho hearts
of the rude chieftains who listened. Many
of them despised tho Aztecs as awomnnish
people of the plains and tho lakes, people
of commerce. Many Of them had blood