The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-01
STRUGGLES OF THE YAouis.


peace. it is reported, but the conditions
under which they have agreed to lay
down their arms and once more ac-
knowledge the authority of the Next
can government have not yet been
made public
To the lasting shame of the Mexican
army, it is said that the peace propo-
sition was sent to the officials at Quay
mas by squaws. for the reason. as the
Indians allege, that each time dele
cation has been sent to General Torres
camp under white flags with messages.
the ENJOYS have been shot down with
out mercy.
This is the most advanced and inter-
esting tribe of Indians now existing
upon the western hemisphere. They
are the remnants of the semi-civilized
people of whom Cortez found 100000 in
the northern section of Mexico four
centuries ago, whose lands he appro-
priated in the name of civilization,
whose homes he piIlased in the name
of Christianity. whose IneE, women and
children he slaughtered by way of be
nevolent assimilation" and because
they stood in the way of the manifest
destiny of Spain.
Hunted and oppressed by the agents
of civilization. butchered to make
Christian holiday. Disseminated by vices
and diseases introduced BIZ their Euro
pean concuerors and those who sue
eeeded to the blood-written title, they
number less than 10000 souls today.
But the proud spirit of the people is
not broken.
Cortez and his lieutenants found their
most determined and skillful opponents
in the Yaquis. But the genius of the
white man eventually overcame the
feeble opposition of the Indians, who
were finally subjugated and compelled
to acknowledge their conquerors as
their sovereign masters. When the min
eral resources of the new land began
to be realized by the Spanjards. they
forced the whole conquered population
to work as slaves in the mines which
had been discovered and opened
through their enterprise. By fortunes
too awful to contemplate the Yaquis
were forced to divulge to the Spaniards
the sources of their wealth in silver,
gold and precious stones. This was the
duty Spain discharged to civilization.
She felt obligated to give the Yaquis
"a stable government'-lot one of their
own choice ard after their own ideals,
but according to the more advanced no
tionS of government and morality
which obtained in Europe.
Nor was the rapacity of enlightened
greed and cultivated lust satisfied with
playing upon the simplicity and taking
the wealth of the natives. The divine
Instruments of conquest" as the Span
iards styled hemselves-for, they waded
in blood with cross in one hand and a
sword in the other, alternately pray
ing for the souls and taking the lives
of the Yaquis-claimed the bodies of
the vanquished tribes as well, and for
years and years after their conquest.
in fact until the beginning of the pres
ent century, the miserable Yaquis were
the victims of a TYRANNY that is only
possible where superior race. claim
ing to act from religious motives. Is
dominant This was benevolent assim-
iiation."
1t was pointed out repeatedly by old
world imperialists that the condition
of these Indians would be vastly i'm
proved by a Spanish ''suzerainty," or
by accepting Caucasian control out and
out The natives would see it so. They
encoura gement rather than by force,
to learn from example, rather than by
experience purchased at the price Of
independence. So the slaughter con-
tinued. They resisted in full force as
long as possible. Then they fell back
upon guerilla warfare-the last resort
of the weak when pressed by the
strong-and they attempted TO measure
their wits against the gunpowder OF
Spain When there were so many kill
ed that it was difficult to find enough
TO work the mines, the king of Spain
issued a decree that in some respects
ameliorated the condition of the slaves
and prevented their ultimate extermi-
nation.
While the history of these centuries
of assimilation has never been written |
it IS too cruel and bloody to be re-
corded-the results are painfully appar-
eat and t.,e methods may be OWNED !
by those who have studied the case of
other tribes, the advantages taken or |
them TO secure their lands, the IMPOSE !
tions practiced upon them by unscrupu-
lous govern ment agents, and the vices |
introduced among them for the facili- |
tation of trade. But through it all the |
Yaquis. at least, have preserved that |
spirit of liberty, that longing for indie |
pendence which was the chief obstacle |
to the murderous march of Cortez-the |
advance agent of civilization. Yaquis /
hate Europeans today as much as they |
ever did.
Preserving their pride and tribal or |
CARNATIONS, these people reluctantly |
abandoned their fields and their homes /
in other parts of Mexico and retreated |
early in the present century to the |
mountain Businesses of Sonora state,
where they prayed TO be left alone. But |
benevolent assimilation" would not
allow them to remain undisturbeds in
their ignorance. The manifest des
tiny of the new American pursued and
found them living in valleys of great |,
fertility, which they were cultivating /
with native art improving with the
aid of irrigation systems. and beautify-
ing the country with orchards. fields
and houses of stone. For while they
defied the armies that the republic per-
iodically sent against them. For many