Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-07-28
IF A CYPRESS TREE
COULD SPEAK

Editor ocrat:-There is an
ancient cypress tree in historic
Chapultepec park, in Mexico City
almost as large and as old as a
Sequoia. 1t is 200 feet in height,
IL feet in diameter, and takes about
20 people to surround it. Here the
weeping Cortez spent the sorrowful
night (Noche Triste), after sore de-
feat by the Aztecs. Ages before,
this tree surveyed all these scenes,
and all that has transpired since.
What if this tree could speak, and
tell what has happened in 1000
years! 1t might relate long chap
ters of earliest Americans, of nomai
and city dweller, one tribe after
another, by violence, gaining the
ascendency. All agree that the Maya
civilization dates back thousand
years or more. Prof. Spinden OF
Harvard says they began to number
the days, and keep accurate calen-
dars in 623 A. d. There was build
ing and desertion, then rebuilding,
and even destruction of many noble
cities. There are numbered some
1000 stone ruins, and others are
constantly coming to notice. There
are the classic columns and tenn
pies of Yucatan, the titanic pyra-
mids of the Toltecs, built by en-
forced labor through the centuries,
under skillful architects and as
tronomers, for the absurd worship
OF the plumed serpent, to which 49,
600 victims were offered every year.
Then came the more warlike Az
tees, who altered these temples,
erected a strong government, and
ruled with a rod of iron. The Puri-
tans came seeking God, but the
Spaniards came seeking gold, hence
the difference in two great efforts at
colonization. Gold to the Indian
was a decoration, to the Spaniard a
passion. When Cortez came, there
existed legend, that some day the
gods would appear as white men to
rule the land. They would cross
the sea, and ride upon horses. So
Moctezuma received him with kind
ness. He was put to death. Cuauh-
temoc, his successor, suffered the
same fate, 419 years ago, near this
cypress tree.
An oppression followed for 900
years, as great as that Of Israel il
Egypt. The religion of blood was
wiped out by religion Of blood
To this end temples We're destroyed
and new ones built on the same
sites. The Virgin at Guadelope ap
peared to the boy Janis Diego, leav-
ing her picture on his tilma OF
cloak, and a fountain burst forth
where she stood. Now every day
700 bottles of the sacred water are
! shipped to heal the sick. Such is
the religion of Mexico Soon the
church owned one-half of the land
A feudal system was established
Ranchers held the poems in service
| like slaves.
Then came the struggle for lib
erty. The Indian priest, Hidalgo
rang the parish bell, and summoned
| the patriots to war against the pom
! pous grandecs. He became a mar
tyr as did Morelos, his successor
Spain was vanquished Iturbide
had himself proclaimed emperor
lived a stormy year or two, Wa;
shot, and buried in high state il
| the cathedral. For generation
Santa Ana, we'll known in our his
tory for his war with us and his
grant of the golden west, kept the
! leadership and died penniless.
| Juarez, the Lincoln of Mexico, ar
| Indian, succeeded in making Mex
leo a republic, with a constitution
of great merit. His name is great
est He out-maneuvered the das
tardly attempt of the Hapsburs
| Macmillan, to enslave the country
| Under Diaz business scared to grea1
heights but left foreign capital il
control of vast resources. Madert
brought this 33 year rule to an end
to be killed himself by Huerta. Car
rama introduced a new constitution
and was followed by Obregon, who
was assassinated in his second term
| Under Cardenas the peon has the
land, democracy is coming into it:
own, and the skies are bright, we
hope, for decades and centuries tt
| come in our sister republic. Such
would be the story, if the cypress
| tree could speak.-Howard H. Scott