The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-18


opinion. None OF the Spanish pr,tsr.
apply this title to Montezuma and nj.
Successors: In their pages II was superseded
by the inappropriate title Of King. The
historian Ixtlilxeohitl, however, who vas
Of mixed Tezcuoan and Spanish descent.
describes the hoad war chief Of Mexico
or Of Tezcuco or Of Tlaoopan by the simple
designation OF wa chief, Teuctli. with
another TO indicate the tribe.
In Indian speech the Office held by Mon
tezuma was equivalent TO head war chief
and in English to General. II Ia noteworthy
that Clavigero recognizes this office in
several Nahuatlac tribes. though he never
applies the name Of IL to the Aztec war
chief. "Ihe highest rank Of nobility" he
says. "in Tlascals. in Huexotzinco and in
Cholula was that of Teuctli. To obtain
this rank il was necessary to be Of noble
birth. to hsve given proofs in several bat
ties OF the utmost courage. TO nave arrived
at a certain age and to command great
rio es for the enormous expenses which
had TO be supported by the possessor ~
such a dignity" After, MontezuIna had
been msKniHed by the Spanish conquerors
into an absolute p~otentste, with civil as well
az military functions. the precise nature
and specific powers Of the Office he held we're
left in the background, in fact uninvesti-
gated. As supreme military commander he
possessed the means Of winning the popular
favor and Of commanding the popular re-
spect. His was an Office necessary, but
also dangerous to his tribe and to the con
federacy. Throughout human experience,
from the lower status Of barbarism TO the
------A Ill., - A,. nlxuax,. IaAH ,, n-.
dangerous 10 the community in which it
exists. DIR. Morgan Is ~indisposed 10
think that a species Of unwritten constitu-
ton had come to be evolved in Anahuac.
He deems IL probable, nevertheless, that a
body of usages and customs had grown
UP among the advanced Indian tribes, and
especially among the tribes Of the valley
OF Mexico which regulated the powers and
prescribed the duties OF the war chief Office.
There are. he says. general reasons war
rantiDg the supposition that the Aztec
council of chiefs was supreme, not only in
civil affairs, but also over military affairs.
the person and authority OF the war chief
being included. He holds that the Aztec
polity, as numbers and cultural conditions
advanced, undoubtedly grew complex. and
for that reason a knowledge Of it would
nave been instructive, In a word, could
the exact particulars Of the Aztec govern
mental Organization be sscertsined they
would be sufficiently remarkable without
establishment
The Spanish writer's concur generally
in the statement that the Office held by
Montezuma was elective. the choice. how
ever, being confined to a particular family.
Under the eyes of thec companions Of Cortez
the Office passed from brother to brother
and next from uncle to nephew. From a
collation. OF all the evidence DIR. Morgan
concludes thai Montezuma's post was
hereditary in a particular gems by the MEM
bers Of which a selection was made from
among their number; that their nomination
was next submitted separately to the four
lineaRes or divisions OF the Aztecs ICON
jectured to be phratries) for acceptance
or rejection, and ultimately to the
Tezcucans and T~lacopans. who we're d-
rectly interested in the collection Of the
supreme commandery- The right to de-
pose from Office follows as a necessary con-
sequence the right to elect where the term
10 for life. The post was thus turned into
an Office during good behavior II 10 well
known that Montezuma was deposed for
subservience TO the S~psniards n super
seeded by his brother. In these two princi-
pies Of electing and deposing, universally
established In the social system Of the Amer
lean ~aborigines. sufficient proof 10 furnished
that the sovereign power remained prac-
tically in the hands Of the people. The
institutions of the Aztecs were thus essen
TALLY democratic. Nothing therefore could
be more misleading than the nomenclature
adopted by the Spanish writer's. who in
vented for the Aztecs an absolute mon
archy invested with feudal characteristics
and succeeded in planting it in history. In
DR.. Morgan's opinion the ~misconception
has stood through American Incidence quite
as long as it deserved TO stapd. The Aztec
organization really disclosed itself plainly
to the Spaniard as a league or confederacy
OF tribes. Nothing but total blindness or
the grossest pervcrsion Of obvious facts
could have enabled the Spanish writers
to fabricate an Aztec monarchy out Of q
democrEt;c organization n " ~.