New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11

PROMISED RESTORATION of' 'hH
ERAL LEAGUE OF FIVE
REPUBLICS.

THE STORY OF THE LAND OF 1hS ~
o,,,curs-wrrnE ABORIGINAL CIvIIhzA-
TIoN REACHED ITS HIGHEST POINT
present CONDITION OF
THE STATES.
announcement is made of the meeting Oh inc
first Federal Congress Of the "Ereatei 49, 49,,
NJ Central America" This interes1is
occurred on September 10. in the oi'' "
c.,vador the CAPITAL of Salvador: smallest VI
,ho c,ates II was participated in by oeies"'o'
,ror, three States namely Honduras Nichia s"e
and Salvador which adopted treat! %
union ON June 20 1895 At present ali enc
ouo ho;ne centred upon an effort to get 1ud'e
,nala and Costa Rica to join the uiiioi'' =,
that Is effected, as there is reason 10 nope "
,ry, he q Federal Constitution VIII
he odonted and the five States VIII NC W.
,.,,, known as the Republic OF Ceh'iai
Aar,ca The present stage OF the procee"iis'
,,r..t,v p;oues public interest. however party
h.o.use of what 4. promises. parity because
-. tho mast which 1t recalls, and party y"
,sa the State which now most hoios D
from the complete union is the very one " M
xvas of old time the sea: or empire Vi q" w.
and the one which strove by TOO Vioieii' means
IN effect a few years ago the very uiio' "
is now being negotiated.
.,.houph nerhaps the least known ana least
regarded to-day of all inhabited portions Oh 'he
western Hemisphere. Central America Is reailS
entitled TO consideration before all others IL
MAG in ancient times the home OF the ioieino''
American tribes and the seat OF the hisheS'
civilization on the American coh'iheh''' IN
saad Il was the only part of America that could
will, iustice be regarded as ciVllZeu iho ia
Ewes Of Mexico and Peru were found by CorteH
g., wore far inferior to those dwelling between
&h. ,stbn,uses of Tehuantepec and Barren Inc
~avas the Clutches. the Toltecs. the Sucohus-
cors and their neighbors were the arlstocrac! "a
.ha whole Western World. The labors or Dr'
Je P1ongeon and other explorers nave reNeae'
IN us some of the wonders of ancient maya
Observation-Disclosures literature. ART sc!eii0e'
relisyion-as it existed i'll Yucatan ana heisnooi
ing regions 1t prevailed through near! an "
what we now know as Central America anu
extended its benefcent influence INTO MeAico "'
tho north. and possibly even into Peru At Inc
south. o,,.,
Even in this day ITS remains, thoush squire"
nv centuries of oppression or neglect are III
nressive beyond description. The ruins OF P9i"-
r,ids palaces and temples rival Ill haJe'''
those of Egypt. Persia and lnuia' iAe i
wore a numerous people, occupying land OF
cions metals They built great cities. with sp'en-
Ala buildings. well-paved streets and aqueducts
,,v.,,inp those of Rome to bring them water
<o,,, tho mountain streams. Their government
,,ss a constitutional monarchy and their code
~ laws was worthy of the respect OF even
Nineteenth Century jurist They had hne sys-
tenn of schools Their religion proclaimed TIE
existence of God. the immortality OF 'he
soul a Heaven Purgatory and HELL ine"
traditions included the stories OF the Creation'
the formulation and fall of man, the CONFUSION
Of tongues the Deluge, the flight from Egypt
ond a promise of Messiah They had Weh-
organized language, and-perhaps most notable
Of allan alphabetic system OF wrltihs ouSii
were the people whom the butcher Cortez sent his
lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado. TO supdue.
THE SPANISH CONQUEST
The natives had heard Of the proves OF CorteZ
and his men, and reckoned them seml-dVlhe'
Mos, of them were accordingly ready to submit
themselves peacefully to the authority OF Ava
rado The clutches. however determined 20 resist
him. They massed their forces against him. ana
q great battle was fought on the plains before
the present city Of Quesaltenango IN which the
Standards were victorious. So many men were
s,s,n that for days thereafter the river ran red
With blood Thence Alvarado marched on TO the
civ of Utatlan, where he received hospitape
and submissive welcome. In return he burned
the two chief magistrates at the stake ana de-
stroyed the city, on Good Friday, 1o2i. He next
took Guatemala, where, as he himself tesuied,
ne was received as kindly as though he had
reached his own fathers house. BY July 20 lo-t'
he had completed the conquest Of the whole coun-
try. He proclaimed the King Of Spain its sover-
eiyn called II the Kingdom OF Guatemala, and Sc
lected the native town Of Almolonga. or Long
Spring, as the capital. remaining it The City or
81 James the Gentleman
Alvarado was made by the King Captain-Gen-
e-a1 of Guatemala He built himself splendid
palace at the capital, and then went northward
into Mexico, leaving his wife to rule in his stead
He never returned, but was killed by fall or
rocks. Thereupon his wife proclaimed herself
Captajn-General in his place the first woman to
exercise such authority in America, and ordered
Imposing funeral rites In his honor But that
very night dreadful catastrophe occurred. Inc
city now a large one, was Dult on the slope OF
the twin mountains, Aqua and Fuego or water
and Fire. That night the latter peak was shaken
by a volcanic eruption, and then the former also
he,ched forth not fire. but. its name implies, a
torrent Of water. The flood. bearing with 1T vast
ayaanches of earth and rocks, swept through the
heart of the city, carrying ruin and death Among
the slain was the widow Of Avarado, who was
crushed while cingng to the crucifiX in her pal
ace chapel. The next Captain-Generai punt
new capital. a league to the eastward, where now
are the picturesque ruins of Antigua Guatemala
That city became the largest on the whole north-
ern continent Mexico alone excepted 1t had
10000 inha bitants, splendid cathedral, from the
broken tower Of which to-day the ruins OF forty
five fine churches can be counted; numerous
moDasteries and converts. the chief seat Of the
Ioousition in America. and famous university.
1t nourished until the night of Sunday, July ~,
1773, when, without an instants warning an
earthquake shock hurled 1t into ruin Buildings
as massive as those OF Baalbec were reduced 10
shapeless heaps Of broken stone. thousands or
the people persisted In an hour Inc rest ned ana
never returned and to-day the ruins lie largely
as they did more than century ago, though IN
late years a considerable new city mas grown up
among Them The next capital was built thirty