Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-10-17
STRANGE CONTRAST.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN UPLAND AND
HOT LAND MExlCANS.

why the characteristics of the Peo-
ME In the Two Sections OF Me1ic"
Are So UnIilrc--Ehects of TWO Cen
turtles of SerfdOm.
There is no country in the world that
presents more strange contrasts VI
land and people, habits ana CUSTOMS
heat and cold, than Mexico. The table
lands of the country are mile ana
half higher than the coast lands anu
between these there are to be fouhu
all gradadons Of climate. This 1act
lends much Of the picturesque anu
strange TO Mexico and gives 1t va
riety in all things possessed by rev.
onv countries in the world. OF all the
Inhabitants Of Mexico, the life OF the
neonle Of the hot country Is the most
interesting This is, strange TO say, que
n the fact that there the people have
ever possessed more of freedom tnan III
the colder localities. For two centuries
or more the great mass of people OF the
unlands were slaves. They toiled III
the mines, with a guard of soldiers set
over them; they built the public ROADS;
they worked the ranches, Farms anu
baciendas for masters who gave them
scarcely more than the food they ate'
The great farms of the uplands nave
ever required sure help, and SO each
ranchman had his serfs. Many estates
nossessed hundreds of them. Thus all
individuality was crushed out OF the
lower class. and the terrible effect OF
this condition of things is still evident
The people Of the hot lands Jared oet-
Tor because there it was much easier
to make a living and much harder 10
hold very large haciendas. For tnis
reason the characteristics of the people
are quite distinct from those OF tneir
brethren of the upland plateaus. III
the hot lands many Indians sun cIaln
10 hold in right of inheritance from
remote ancestors portions of lana each
I'm his own individual right. mere
700. the mayor of the village or town
holds Office so long as he pleases tue
mass Of the people. In the uplanus
II has been the custom of the rlch ana
nowerfnl to distribute offices OF all
kinds as part Of their prerogauVe u
birth and wealth. The lower GLASSES
of the uplands. although they now
have the advantage Of fairly gOou
public system Of education ana are De
coming gradually educated. are III the
main a distinctively unambitious PEG
pie They were so long in semislaver!
that they feel that the world OF th'
middle and upper class people Is De
yond them. They have. therefore, NJ
interest in anything outside their cir
Gle Of friends and acQuaintances-tha
is. in a political way. But not SO IL
many hot country villages and com
munities. There the Indian has evel
been more or less a factor in the liz
of the community in which he reslueu
On the uplands there are Ions
stretches of more or less bare lanus
with mountains rising up boldly in tn
background. In many parts durln:
the dry season the land is almost par
rem of vegetation. But in the hot coun
fry grow tall and shady trees ant
thick underground. Everything grow
almost without attention from IN
hand of man, and yet, strange to say
the peon, or laboring man, Is ther
more ambitious and better worke
than the peOn of the colder uplandS
This is not natural and Is only eS
planned by the different conditions 1
which they have passed the last Az
years. Serfdom on the uplands extiI
guished all ambition in the lower class
The lower class Of the hot countr
people are fond Of social life, and a
most any night or early evening tn
year throughout one may find group
Of people in little Indian viilag
gathered together and entertaining Oh
another in front of some one OF IL
houses or on the public square, whlc
every Mexican town, however SINAI
possesses, with music, songs and occ
sionally dancing-Modern Mexico.