Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-25

Latter-day Saints the facts We're first
proclaimed to the world that America
has wonderful history; that this
continent was the tomb of civilizations
long ago buried in oblivion: that in
fact. the first home of man was on this
hemisphere. All these assertions seem
about to the proved by scientific re-
search.
The subjoined clipping from maya
zine. sent to the "Nows' by friend
summarizes what scientists believe to
he known about the earliest inhab-
itants of America. Some of 1t is mere
ly hypothesis, but the main features
are believed to be established. When
the results of Mr.. lie Plongeon's ex-
tensive researches are made public fur
Their light will undoubtedly be thrown
on the subject. The clipping referred
to is as follows:
The knowledge that America was in
hablted by n highly civilized people
many centuries before Its occupancy
by the race OF red men which the EARL
est European settlers found here. Is
not new. Yet IL was not until lately
that actual records of Information con-
FtfTlIk lIllE Dt'OUlt were lOullhs anu ~
more than four hundred years all that
we have known OF them was gathered
from a careful study OF the relies or
their greatness-the ruins of their edi-
fees, which have been found scattered
over the entire Western hemisphere
But the earthen tablets found in Peru.
Central America. and Mexico, engraved
on plastic clay in perfect Phoenician
characters, and afterwards burned to
render them imperishable, extend back
nearly two thousand years before
Christ. According to these records
these people, the Toltecs, came from
some remote country and settled in
South America. They were an eminent
ly civilized and religious people. vest
ing the laws of their government and
their theology in the same persons, and
believing in one God, the creator ana
ruler of all, and in n mediator
tTzuma) who was to come to guide
and teach them Alright. Two distinct
classes existed among them, the dip
tees" or workers, and the "Orptecs,'
or thinkers. the latter including not
only their priests and rulers. but their
architects, artisans. engineers, and no.
bility. The "Olptecs" Were serfs with
no voice at all in the government or
public affairs. These people rapidly in
creased. and by the year 400 Be, had
settled nearly the entire South Ameri-
can continent and spread over Mexi-
co. where they found an aboriginal race
dwelling on the banks of the streams
and living upon the natural produce of
the soil and upon fish and game. For
over a thousand years the Toltecs oc-
cupied the land, until, in the last CEN
tury before Christ. the Aztec invaders
sailed up the Amazon, claiming TO have
come from an Oriental country which
they called "Aztlan." The AZtecs soon
overruled the Tolteo government, and
in the course of two or three centuries
the Aztecs were the dominant people.
Their supremacy lasted for seven CEN
turtles. and then. through luxurious
abundance, their commerce and indus
tries became less active and extensive,
and their power commenced TO wane.
| In 500 AID. a savage horde from the
| North and West came down upon the
| Aztecs, and wiped out the primeval
| civilization in a savage war of exter
| mination lasting for years. The rem
nants of the stricken people fed to the
mountains where they became cliff and
| cave dwellers, and others became ANAL
gamated with the destroying race. the
| Chicimecs. This Ia but n sketch of the
wonderful history these long-hidden
records relate. 1t was reserved for the
| progressive and enduring 1ndo-
| European branch of the A1yan race to
| open the pages and read for us the In
| structive history OF those thirty for
! gotten centuries during which Ameri-
ca was peopled in turn by the Hami-
| tic branch of the Semitic race, then by
the Semites proper. and these finally
exterminated by the fierce Turaneans
from Chinese Tartary, until today.
nearly every vestige OF their existence
Is being crushed out of the worlds his
| tory by the rapid PAGES of an advanc-
| ing civilization