The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-11
TRAITS or MEXICAN INDIANS.
About the Only Ones In That COun-
try of Pure Blood.

From the Boston Herald.
1t is a wonderful blend of races that
is to make the Mexican population of
the future; one sees Maya men of educa-
ton with wives of the old blonde Gothic
Spanish S>'pe. Tarascans married with
Spaniards. and ell degrees of Aztec ad-
mixture, while in Oaxaca one notes the
Zapotecan strain. There is great hope for
the Indian peoples of Mexico; they are,
for the most part. clean OF blood, with
a nervous force which makes them, on
being educated so far. Many eminent
men here are of mixed blood and it is
worthy of note that the Indian blood
gives gravity. mental poise and great
will power. The Indian is loyal, a good
friend, tremendous enemy, and some
times none too enamored of the ideas of
the white race. Down deep in his heart
is something aboriginal, intense and
sound. 1 have heard educated Indians,
talking in all confidence, express the
hope that an Indian Mexico may some
day take the place of the Spanish Mexico.
We have lost something in the United
States by holding the Indian at arms
length socially. Indian blood is good
blood, and renovates the white race You
they are not vitiated, and are not too
far removed from that strong old life
that nature prefers, and in which she
eliminates weaklings. Had the German
philosopher Nietsche visited Mexico he
would have found some types of his
'over-man," his naturally superior being
among the Indians Nature is a rough
purse. but she makes men and women
who delight in living, and who live long.
Il nd
comforts, destroy real manhood and wo-
manhood, and so do flourish dentists,
doctors, faddists and milk water re-
formers.
Nothing but the sun and air, the free
life of nature, produces the best in ply
sique and in character The Indians grow
up sans coddling, hence their strength of
body. 1t is a great thing not to be nervous.
to breathe deep, to have plenty of quick
moving blood.
One is amazed at the power of applica-
ton of Indians Of culture; they get ia
tigued only after intense work They have
stamina 1t is goodly sight to see com
ing down into warm-country valleys from
the Sierras, the Indian women, straight,
clean-eyed, uncorseted. Maidens with fine
and eloquent eyes. walking as the Greek
goddesses did; their every motion grace
full, and, if gowned in civilized manner,
the tribes have many handsome women;
you look at them, and all accepted civil
lzed standards fall away. You do not
think of what we call their poverty; they
are simply gowned, and their manner
suggest no notion of subserviency; they
bring to ore thoughts of the antique
world when life was lived broadly, fash
ions endured and the age of fuss had
not begun Contrast the erect and serene
Tn a
Mexico With the parlor darlings of civli-
zation under the care of specialists,
teeth yellow with gold, with a hundred
arts of the toilet, and nerves easily tired
and tangled. One gives over thinking OF
wealth when one sees the riches of simple
health these young women possess.
Their eyes are wonderfully clear, and
their type of beauty is Greek, in that
there is no overfatness, no waddling, and
never emaciation. A physician would de-
| light in such young women, fit models
] for a sculptor Only the primitive ma
tons much in the open air, the sun
modelling their perfect forms retain their
! sanity In our big cities of white men
the people are spoiled, we get into grooves
of employment. are twisted intellectually
and physically, lose nerve pose and re-
/ pose, and are packed full of prejudices
which we mistake for culture
| I have sat with Indians in the market
| places of little towns, and enjoyed their
placidity of thought, their direct seeing
! of things and their inability even to
! envy us. We must resemble, in their
minds, strange Economically possessed
creatures. They simply cannot compre-
! bend our restlessness and our inability
! to be still an hour at a time. Sometimes
| an Indian will tell you that the day will
| come when the land will be theirs once
more and then note the light as of
some interior gun, that blazes in his eyes!