The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-03-14
PREHISTORIC MEXICO.
CONTINUED from page l.

About two centuries after the foundation
the city warrior called Huactli founded the CT
of Chchimie of Quauhtitlan. rival to Tule, al
only six miles from Lake Tetzcoco, on whose islar
the Aztec city of Mexico was to be built. All Il
provinces situated to the south of Tule swore all
glance to the Chichimes who also absorbed an
partially civilized horde of wandering tribe
These people and those of the confederacy of Tu
were known as Toltecs and are said to have reache
the highest point of Mexican civilization.
COMING OF THE AZTECS.
About the middle of the Eleventh century
formidable aggregation of warriors, with thei
wives and children, left Yucatan and began mare
to the north in quest of land to settle upon Ihes
we're known Ixquinames, or men of the painted
faces. They laid siege to the city OF Iue, thel
the Paris of North America, captured 1t and lief
but ruins, which remain to this day.
The Ixquinames Settled in what is the prov
i e of Huaztec. Heuemac, the last of the Toltet
rulers, was allowed to retire to Chapoltcpec az
eruptive elevation, about three miles from the
present City of Mexico
We now come to 1854 and the reign of Aca-
mapitzin. Under this prince the Aztecs began the
era of their prosperity and expansion, and the
foundations of the City of Mexico or Tenochtitlan
were laid
After his death. Montezuma Ilhuicamna
cended the throne He was the first ruler to unite
in his own person the office of chief priest with
that of the sovereign. Under the rule of his sue
cessor, Montezuma H. the Aztec dominancy at
tanned its highest civilization and its greatest mil
itary successes.
Montezuma extended the limits of the city, add
ed to and ornamented the temples, improved The
causeways, built aqueducts and erected many new
buildings
The capture and sack of the city in 1921 by
Cortez and his men, assisted by four thousand In
dians who hated the despotism of Montezuma, is
familiar history.
The Spaniards reconstructed the city on the
same SITE building more solidy and magnificent
ly than the Aztecs and giving to the Indian arch
iecture the solidity, grace and elegance of their
own Gothic and Moorish style
The destruction of the ancient capital and the
execution of Gautemoetzin, the last of the Aztec
meant the submission to the Spaniards
of the entire Mexican Kingdom and its tributary
tribes
Cortez was now appointed Governor of all Mex
leo by Charles v. King of Spain, and in 1884 An
tonic Mendoza was named Vice-Roi of the land.
now called New Spain
Between the years of 1910 and 1921, three cen
turtles after the conquest many armed attempts
were made to separate the country from the do
minion Of Spain General Iturbide finally cutting
the dependency loose from Spanish control, sue
L
Mexico, under the title and name of Augustine l.
z. NJ. His reign was ingloriousIy short, for in
few months he was dethroned, Mexico declared for
Republic and from the tower of the great Ca
thedral the tri-coor flag of independence floated
1t the signal for of disorder, of civil
war and the disorganzation of society. The pros
perity of the magnificent city hard hit; ban
dts held the passes from Vera Cruz and FL Paso
del Norte; bands of guerrilla fighters invaded the
towns, and, through the ambition and incapacity
of a small number of military officers, men with
out ability, without principle, without patriotism
who aspired to high positions, the Republic al
most ruined. This deplorable state of affairs soon
led to war with the United States, whose -rapac
ity coveted some of the fair acres of Mexico. Aft
er a conquering march and the winning of several
engagements-the most important of which were
Cherubuzco and the battle of Molino del Rev
fought near Mexico City, the American troops. I'm
der General Winfield Scott, carried the fortified
castle of Chapotepec, and forced the gates of Mex
leo, entering the city September IS. 1917. The
Mexicans, few years ago, erected a monument In
the Park of Chapultepec to the handful of plucky
military cadets who fell at the storming of the
"Hil of the Grasshopper' In less than year
peace was concluded by the Mexicans surrendering
New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and nearly all Cali
fornia.
In June, 1S4S the American troops retired
leaving the Mexicans to fight it out among them
selves. Then, in few years, came Bazaine and
the French troops, the establishment of the En-
pire with Macmillan on the throne, the uprising
of the Mexicans and the execution of the Emperor
Macmillan and two of his generals, Mexicans at
and tho re-eSt ahli Shmpnt of the RenUb-