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Show PRC-HISTORIC MEXICO Christ Unlike Any or All Religious Founders Found-ers Appeals to Man's Reason Religion Re-ligion Not a Mere Sentiment, but Intellectual Intel-lectual Conviction His Public Life Answers Questions Condemned as an Impostor Accepts the Condemnation Condemna-tion Gracefully Wants His Mission Tested by the Testimony of God How God Testified Miracles Testify That He Was Divinely .Commissioned. (Foreign Cor. of The Intermountain Catholic.') (Copyrighted.) Before I open this correspondence with the Intermountain In-termountain Catholic I wish to thank you for the kindly news delivered to me by your letter of tho 19th February, and to express my gratification with the assurance you give me that my articles in your excellent paper are appreciated by you and your readers. I am pleased to add to your approbation appro-bation the names of many distinguished men in the domain of Ethnology and Archaeology who have ( written to congratulate me on my researchee in So-nora So-nora and Lower California. After reading over your letter and that of Dr. Boyle, the Canadian Archivist, which came in the same delivery, the plan of this correspondence suggested sug-gested itself to me thU morning. Mexico and Central America are subjects of absorbing interest and of such ethnological value that if we once arrive ar-rive at the origin of their invasion by the members mem-bers of the human race we will have practically solved the problem of the origin of the American Indian. THE APPROACH TO MEXICO CITY. There is no city in the world whose surroundings equal in imposing gpundeur those of the Mexican Capital. The great city reposes in a valley around which nature has raised protective barriers of towering tow-ering mountains, dominating othe fascinating cap- ' ital and assuring its people for all time a plenteous ; outpouring of fronh water of excellent hygienic properties. The two volcanic peaks of Popocata-petle Popocata-petle the smoking mountains and Iztaccihuatle the White Woman like unto gigantic obelisks, stand at the entrance to the valley and lift above the clouds their heads, whitened by eternal snows. Descending the moutains from the east and emerging emerg-ing from the Texcoco pass, we percieve on either side of us all that remains of the two historic lake-? Chalco and Tetzcoco. They represent the depth of the valley which here opens out to our wondrous won-drous gaze, with it3 belt of volcanic mountain-?, boldly outlined against a sky that is always clear, and always blue to the eye like the lines on a geo graphical chart. In the distance, and straight ahead of us, is Mexico, queen of American cities, with its churches, its bell-towers and it3 innumerable innumer-able cupolas. For the traveler from Europe or the United States the panorama is a revelation. The valley of Mexico is lifted almost 8,000 feet aboye the sea and is 80 miles in circumference. Before we enter the imperial city and describe its magnificent mag-nificent streets, squares, churches and public buildings, build-ings, let us examine into its e$rly history and the fortunes and origin of those who laid the foundations founda-tions and built the huge temple which elicited ex- (J clamations of wonder from Cortez and his adventurous adven-turous followers. ORIGIN OF MEXICO CITY. The foundations of Mexico, so called by the Mexicas. one of the many tribe3 speaking the Aztec language, were laid on a small island in Lake Tetz-poco, Tetz-poco, in 1318. On the shores of the same lake, a mile and a quarter away, was a populous town of ancient origin, which was after a time incorporated incorporat-ed with the new city. This happened two hundred hun-dred years before the coming of the white man. The ruins of long abandoned sites of cities, towns and villages, the remains of vast structures and temples and the curious historical annals of the early race prove, almost incontestably, that the States which today compose the Republic of Mexico Mex-ico were inhabited by a fairly civilized people long before the Redemption; by a race whose manners, laws and language offered a striking analogy with the Phenician and maritime settlers peopling the basin of the Mediterranean in early times. After a series of revolutions which resulted in the breaking break-ing up of the theocratic empire of Nachan, in Yucatan, Yu-catan, and the division of the Tulha confederacy, which at one time bound together apparently many of the tribes of Mexico and Central Anerica, a new confederacy was established, the capital of (Continued on Page 5.) ' ' 1 ' ! PREHISTORIC MEXICO. (Continued from page 1.) which was the famous Tule or Tulla, so celebrated in the ancient annals of Mexico. This edty was built on the ruins of an Olmec town, whose inhabitants inhabi-tants were driven northward by their enemies, at the beginning of the Seventh century of the Christian Chris-tian Era. About two centuries after the foundation of the city a warrior called Huactli founded the city of Chichimie of Quauhtitlan. a rival to Tule, and only six miles from Lake Tetzcoco. on whose island the Aztec city of Mexico was to be built. All the provinces situated to the south of Tule swore allegiance alle-giance to the Chichimics, who also absorbed and partially civilized a horde of wandering tribes. These people and those of the confederacy of Tule were known as Toltecs and are said to have reached the highest point of Mexican civilization. COMING OF THE AZTECS. About the middle of the Eleventh century a formidable aggregation of warriors, with their wives and children, left Yucatan and began a march to the north in quest of land to settle upon. Those were known as Ixquinames, or men of the painted faces. They laid siege to the city of Tule, then the Paris of Xorth America, captured it and left but ruins, which remain to this day. The Ixquinames Settled in what is now the prov-i prov-i c of Huaztec. Heuemae, the last of the Tultec rulers, was allowed to retire to Chapoltepcc, ar-eruptive ar-eruptive elevation, about three miles from the present City of Mexico. We now come to and the reign of Aca- mapitzin. Under this prince the Aztecs began the era of their nrnsneritv and expansion, and the foundations of the City of Mexico or Tenochtitlan were laid. After his death. Montezuma Ilhuicamina ascended as-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 successor, suc-cessor, Montezuma II.. the Aztec dominancy attained at-tained its highest civilization and its greatest military mil-itary successes. j Montezuma extended the limits of the city, 'added 'add-ed to and ornamented the temples, improved .he j causeways, built aqueducts and erected many new ; buildings. The capture and sack of the city in 1521 by Cortez and his men, assisted by four thousand Indians, In-dians, who hated the despotism of Montezuma, is familiar history. The Spaniards reconstructed the city on the same site, building more solidly and magnificent- t ly than the Aztecs, and giving to the Indian architecture arch-itecture the solidity, grace and elegance of their own Gothic and Moorish style. The destruction of the ancienc capital and tlu-.J execution of Gautemoetzin, the last of the Az;ct monarchs, meant the submission to the Spaniard.-of Spaniard.-of the entire Mexican Kingdom and its tributary tribes. Cortez was nqjv appointed Governor of all Mexico Mex-ico by Charles V.. King of Spain, and in 1534 An- . tonio Mcndoza was named Yicc-Boi of the laud, now called Xcw Spain. Between the years of 1810 and 1821, three centuries cen-turies after the conquest, many armed attempts were made to separate the country from the do-minion do-minion of Spain. General Iturbide. finally cutting the - dependency loose from Spanish control, succeeded suc-ceeded in having himself proclaimed Emperor of Mexico, under the title and name of Augustine I.. E. M. His reign was ingloriousiy short, for in a -few months he was dethroned, Mexico declared for a Republic, and from the tower of the great Cathedral Ca-thedral the tri-color flag of independence floated. It was the signal for an era of disorder, of civil war and the disorganization of society. The prosperity pros-perity of the magnificent city was hard hit; ban dits held the passes from Vera Cruz and El Pasr. j del Xorte; bands of guerrilla fighters invaded the.: towns, and, through the ambition and incapacity ; of a small number of military officers, men with- j out ability, without principle, without patriotism J who aspired to high positions, the Republic was al- j most ruined. This deplorable state of affairs soon j led to a war with the United States, whose -rapac- " ity coveted some of the fair acres of Mexico. After 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. j ( fought near Mexico City, the American troops, un- I ( der General Winficld Scott, carried the fortified ( castle of Chapoltepec, and forced the gates of Mex- ( ico, entering the city September 13. 1S17. The ( Mexicans, a few year ago, erected a monument ir. ( the Park of Chapultcpcc to the handful of plucky military cadets who fell at the storming of the j "Hill of the Grasshopper." In less than -a year peace was concluded by the Mexicans' surrendering Xew Mexico, Arizona, Texas and nearly all Cali fornia. In June, 1S4S, the American troops" retired. leaving the Mexicans to fight it out among themselves. them-selves. Then, in a few years. camo'Bazaine and -the French troops, the establishment of the Empire Em-pire with Maximilian on the throne, the' uprising of the Mexicans and the execution of the Emperor Maximilian and two of his generals, Mexicans, ?.t Qucretaro, and the re-establishment of the Republic. Repub-lic. In time came General Porfrio Diaz, who rose to the presidency, and inaugurated a new era for , the unhappy country. President Diaz is without exception one of the greatest men of our age. His capacity for work, his commanding genius, his familiarity fa-miliarity -with the strong and weak attributes of his people, his dominating personality, have cstah- J lished law and order in a land a few years ago notorious no-torious for disorder, robberies and murders. L'n-der L'n-der his benevolent autocracy industries have pros- pcrcd, commerce has increased prodigiously, mines i have been opened. 2t!,0UO miles of railroad built, tin City of Mexico enlarged, embellished and thorough ly policed, the army reorganized, schools opened ii every municipality, the harbors of Tampico, Yen Cruz, Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz built or enlarged, en-larged, and the gulfs of Campeche on the Atlaie tic and Tehuantepec on the Pacific joined by u splendidly equipped railway. Today Mexico i at peace with all mankind, save and alone the 'Yaqui tribes of Sonora. |