The herald., 1895-05-12

much reverence from their offspring the
mother being treated with as much defer
ence as the father. There were colleges
for both sexes of the higher class.
Though no longer great nation in the
sixteenth century. the Mayas were,
nevertheless, happy ana refined people
Ana what frightfu change the savage
white men wrought! o, Christopher
Columbus lakes of tears and oceans of
blocd have testified to the success of your
enterprise, the falfillment of your am
btion!
The discoverer had been dead eleven
years when his followers finally made
their way to the land of the Mayas in
1917 (D.
The persistent heroism of the natives
was astonishing, and had they not been
divided among themselves into small
political factions, besides being of various
races, the Spaniards would not have OBJ
talned Il foothold for many another, year.
Three times they did abandon the at
tempt, but Mexico. always the enemy of
Gucatan, aided the white men. The re-
sistance OF the Mayas is one of the grand
est pages of American history. With
cotton raiment and Weapons of wood and
fiiut they faced armor. firearms and
swords In fact, the Mayas never yielded
they were only overcome; and what a
fate was theirs. 1t is terrible page that
cannot be blotted out; but we will not
reproduce it here. Slavery and its at.
tendant miseries, not in a mild form OF
course followed In all times an places
the human victor has proved himself the
same cruel monster.
Today all the aborigines in Iucatan are
called Mayas though long before the in
vasion they were II mixed people. The
present meztizo population is from the
union of the natives and the Spanish ere
oles. During the Spanish dominion the
white people were tyrannical masters,
the natives were slaves, while the mez-
tizos occupied an intermediate place In
1922 Mexico made herself independent of
the mother country. Iucatan then agreed
to recognize the Mexican republic pro
vded the government were always liberal
and Iucatan regarded as free state
in the confederacy, with the right to
frame its own constitution and establish
laws convenient for its welfare. The fed
eral government not keeping this agree
ment, in May 1889. IN the city of Til
min (Iucatan) a revolution was started.
A lady. Sonora Dona Maria Nicolasa Vir-
gilio (VirgiD. acted with such decision
that some have said it was she who man.
aged the whole affair. 90 The revolu-
tion spread throughout the state and the
aborgines were induced to take part by
the promise that they would have to pay
no more church taxes; that all contribu-
lions would be reduced and that they
SnOulu nave ldHu 10 cultivate Tor them
selves. During nine months desperate
battles were fought.
In February, 1910, Gucatan at last shook
| off Mexico. In October. 1872 the struggle
| had to be renewed The Indians were
! provided with firearms and fought most
valiantly for the state. They were also
! generous to fault, bringing from afar
| to the seat of war provisions and what
money they could collect. The periodical.
| of those days, speaking of the aborigines,
said: 'Sons of Tutulz pronounced
| Sheeoo) and Cocoon, (ancient rul-
ers). you are the loyal sons, the
defenders of the country. and soon
the country will reward you!"
In Decem ber hostilities ceased, new
| treaties being made with Mexico at the
beginning of ls43. Peace was of short
! duration. for the treaties were not COM
! phed with. So that in january. IS43,
| Iucatan again freed itself. In that year
| Don Antonio Garcia Rejon founded the
! first school which had been opened for
| girls since the time when the Spaniards
| invaded the country! This school was for
the education of poor girls, forty in num-
Q) A. de Herrera, Decada ", Lib. III,
, Cap. ".
(2) Landa. "l.as Casas de Yucatan."
| (3) Magazine OF American History, Vol
ume XVIIl-New York.
t4) For history of Discovery and Con-
| quest s9s Mag. Of Am. Hist. Vols. Is and
| -. by Alice ID. lie Plongeon.
f5) Ensayo Historico sobre las revolu-
ciOnes de Yucatan. por Scrapio Baqueio.