The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-04

Fifteen years after CorteZ had sub
dued Anahuac and the adjacent king
doms the Mayas, after repeated strug-
giles with the invading Spaniards. had
driven the last of them out of their
peninsula. 1t was only after renewed
efforts that Montejo landed with
large force and succeeded IN subdu-
ing them, and this only after carry
ing on a ruthless war by fire and fam
inc which reduced a heroic people
Of several millions to a total Of
few hundred thousand. So merciless
were the SpanIagds in their warfare
against these brave people that they
not only destroyed their wonderful
cities and temples but Bishop Landa
made huge bonfire of their books on
the site Of their ancient capital. now
Merida, thus depr.ving the world of
all knowledge Of the Maya picture
writing, which If preserved would
probably have furnished a key for
deciphering the heroglyphics upon
those monuments which still stand
in the deSolation and loneliness Of the
forest. But the Mayas, though sub
dued and conquered, with even the
memory of their ancient caciqucS
gop their books and picture writ
ings destroyed, refused to accept the
language of the conquerors and COM
PEELED the dominating race to learn
their own, even 10 the extent OF re-
duc!nG it TO writing and printing
books IN II.
Evidently the conquest of Yucatln
proved barren one 10 the hdalgos
seeking gold. for the peninsula was
without mines. So the land was left
TO the pious zeal of a few priests and
wandering frlars, while politically It
became an independent vice-regal de-
tendency of spain, separate from
Mexico and the ancient kin dom of
Guatemala. Its arid lands offered no
temptation 10 the settler and its few
military posts or presidios were suf-
fered to languish.
Then came the revolution and the
independence Of the colonies from the
mother country, and Yucatan obtained
her freedom without firing a shot.
There had been few gobcrnadors.
captains and soldiers who had re-
ceived an occasional stipend from the
mother country, and with this stipend
cut off they faced the problem of
forming a government Of their own
They fell TO quarrelling among Il, m
selves, whereupon the Mayas after
three centuries of suhjugatlon a.sed
their heads.
The Governor of NalladO,ld COM
mitted the fatal error Of arming some
of them to assist him in uustinE 4
Governor somewhere else, and these
Mayas having returned from a vic
tor!Ous campaign concluded to wage
g 4 "a.
Independence. Then there began
what is known in IuCatin as the war
of the races.
The insurgent Indians carried N
cruel and feroCious war against all
those having the slightest trace Of
spanish blood in their veins, as well
as those Mayas Of unQuestionau,y
pure blood who remained loyal I, the
governing class. They descended upon
dofenCcess towns, putting the in
habitants to death. often inn.cting un-
Speakable cruelties upon them before
death terminated their sufferings.
After three centuries of peace fire
and sword once more desulated the
land and a thrifty and industrious
population once more was on the point
of determination.
Considering now how Mexico is torn
with interneCipe strife it is the logical
sequence of events that the peaceable.
industrious and entcrprlsing people of
Yucatan have rcvolted from Mexican
misrule and seek again to establish an
independent republic. According to
the latest reports they have an armed
force with which they purpose de-
Tending their rights against any in
Ia sol R.VN