The Opelousas courier., 1904-02-27
AZTEC RACE LIVES ON.
REPRESENTS oNE-EloHTH THE
PRESENT POPULATION OF
MEXICO.

Their seepter in the south-Their
Famous saerifeiaI Stone.
Jesse Huber writes as follows from
HE City Of Mexico to the Pittsburg
Dispatch: Aztecs are in this city to
lay, ~ they we're nearly four centur-
res ago, when Cortez and his soldiers
created CONSERVATION among them by
.he free use Of the firebrand and
sword. They are every whit Indian
Ind cling to their old-time traditions
with the tenacity Of the Chinese.
Though they have been conquered and
heir national existence merged into
The present Republican fern of gov.
srnment, yet they still cherish the
belief that Montezuma, will return and
their kin will be restored to the pos
session and control of the land over
which their forefathers once ruled
with undisputed sway.
These primitive people number l.
100000, representing one-eighth of the
total population of Mexico. You can
see them every day on the streets,
along the country roads or in their
mountain retreats, some of them
speaking the Nauhuatlan language
Ind wearing plain garments OF home
spun, just, as their ancestors did be-
fore the eye of Columbus sighted the
shore Of the western world.
The Aztecs were in some respects
In advanced people when they were
drst surprised by European invaders.
They had acquired wonderful skill in
working in metals. Their process OF
tempering copper to the hardness Of
steel is a lost art. ! was shown o cop
per az among a collection of Aztec rel
les that was SO finely tempered that
3 file drawn firmly across Its polished
surface failed to leave even a trace.
They knew how to extract gold and
silver from the ore and work them In
TO fine ornaments. They could cut
and polish the hardest gems, and their
skill in making baskets, pottery and
leather pictures and in working out
quaint and artistic designs in leather,
woven fabrics and wood carvings Ia
practiced by their descendants today.
It Is astonishing what skill and
taste these primitive people display in
the articles they supply for the curio
market. Take their feather pictures
MS a sample of what they can do.
These works of art awaken the admir-
alton of travellers today, as they did Of
Cortez and his followers. They rep
resent animals, birds, buildings or
sweeping landscapes. Nearly every
detail Is brought out, with exquisite
nicely, not with paint and brush. but
by deity combining feathers plucked
from birds of brilliant plumage and
fastened on the white surface OF card
board.
In striking contrast with the artis-
tic skill Of the Aztecs are their sloven-
ly habits of life. They are careless in
dress and content with any. kind Of q
hut tor shelter. They are not amphi-
bious by nature, and will cheerfully 20
for weeks without the application Of
water even to their hands or faces. As
parents, they are anectionate TO their
children. To domestic animals they
are cruel.
The Aztecs take q keen delight In
music. They will stand entranced
while listening to the soft melody Of
the guitar or the food Of harmonious
strains from q military band.
They venerate the memory OF the
heroes Of their ace. Guatemotzin.
the last OF the Aztec kings. is their
ideal because Of the indomitable re-
sistance brought against the invading
Spaniards under his heroic leadership.
The colossal statue erected to his MEM
DRY in this city is a masterpiece Of
monumental art. In August OF each
year crowds Of Aztecs gather around
this monument and hold an all-day
celebration, praising their departed
ruler in speech and song and honoring
his memory by reverently e~ntWining
the monument with garlands Of flow-
ers.
The Aztecs are inclined toward reli-
gion and are most devoted worshippers
at the shrine OF the Virgin Guadalupe.
In the villages they seldom pass q
cathedral without removing their hats.
I have seen groups Of these natives
standing at street corners in the quiet
Of evening and Just as the vesper bells
begin to peal forth from the church
tower, each would quietly remove his
pointed sombrero and hold It over his
shoulder until the last soft reverbera-
tions ceased to float OF the ba1rny twi-
light sir.
The stone images before which the
ancestors Of these people once stood la
abjeet fear have lost their power over
them and are viewed only as objects
Of historic interest. Al good many Of
these idols have been collected by the
Mexicans and grouped In the National
Museum Of this city.
/ have stood before some Of these
stone idols, tracing their weird outlines
cut by some master sculptor from
rough bloEsp of dark stone, uuarried
from the neighboring mountains, and
wondered If only those lips Of adanant
could speak what stories they could
relate Of the early life Of q vanishing
q
Here ID Huitssl0pochtl, the once
dreaded war godaGfaRpSaaes He ID
q large, blocky image with asSTsse,
eavsrnous mouth and q skirt Of inter-
coiled snakes. A hollow-eyed human
skull is carved on his belt, symbolic
ing death, It was believed that the des-
tiniea OF war were in his control. He
could decree victory or defeat. Hideous
narsnsfar that he r~anraaAntnd Iii was