The Spirit Of Democracy

PALENQUE.

The ruins of those vast cities in South America, 1000 miles from Mexico, many of which are 60 miles in circumference, and capable of containing 300,000 souls, prove that a civilized race of beings inhabited America long before the discoveries of Columbus. "At Palenque, amid a wilderness of ruins, are 14 large stone buildings with many of their apartments in good preservation. One of the temples rivals in description the grandeur, as to architecture, that of Solomon. On the E. side is a portion of 110 ft. with an entrance of 9 ft. wide, with pillars covered with beautiful designs and splendid hieroglyphics, all embedded with huge trees. Mounds are found in Mexico, similar to those in Ohio, and in Germany; as well as in Virginia, Iowa and Wisconsin. They resemble ancient works found in England, particularly Wales. Several eminent literary gentlemen, who have paid attention to this subject, entertain the belief that the Mandans are remote descendants of Madoc, the Welsh chieftain, who certainly visited this continent some centuries since. Why did Madoc visit this country, and how? Had his ancestors visited it previously, and was he only adding to that emigration which had been flowing for some time from Great Britain, as indicated by many traces yet remaining? The figure of a Harp was a mark of note among the ancient Britons. Humboldt, the French author and traveller in South America, says that one of the Indian tribes there preserve a painted Harp—to denote their ancestry.

The Duke of Saxe Weimar, in his "Travels through North America in the years 1825 and 1826," notes a conversation he had with a person on our Western antiquities, in which occurs this paragraph.

"I gave him a description of the opening of a Roman mound, at which I was present with my father, and he expressed his astonishment at the great similarity between these mounds and those of North American mounds, the stone hatchets resembling the battle axes found in Germany at these mounds."

After the conquest of Britain by the Romans, did the Britons introduce their skill into this country! According to Powell's Chronicle and the "View of the Primitive Ages," translated from the Welsh of Theophilus Evans:--

"Madog Capt. Owen Gwyneard, in the year of our Lord, 1170. [when his countrymen were contending among themselves on account of their inheritances in Wales,] took ship and sailed towards the West, passing Ireland, until he came to that extensive continent now called America. He turned, making known his intention to form a settlement there, which induced many to accompany him on the second voyage, which he accomplished in eight months and ten days, coasting Iceland, Greenland, and South along the now Canadian coast."

In Wisconsin ancient cities have been discovered, named Aztalan, built by a civilized people. The Indians have a tradition of the Azteeks conquering their fathers, and came here with tools, implements of various kinds, that they built houses, and cultivated the soil; and in 100 years, disliking the climate, they burnt their cities, and proceeded to Mexico, which they conquered.

In corroboration of this, Baron Humboldt's writings informs us, that at the time the Spaniards overran Mexico, the people inhabiting the vale where that city now stands, were called Azteeks or Aztekas, and were as the history informs us, usurpers, and came from a country far North which they called Azatlan.

The country of Azatlan, Baron H. remarks, "we must look for at least, north of the forty-second degree of north latitude." He comes to this conclusion from an examination of the Mexican, or Azteka manuscripts, which are made of a certain kind of leaves or skins prepared on which an account painted in hieroglyphics or pictures, was given to their migrations from Mexico, and how long they halted at certain places, which in the aggregate, amounts to four hundred and sixteen years, and they commenced their journeying in the eighth century.

A late writer says of one city, near Milwaukie, that there are amongst these ruins walls and buttresses built of brick. This brick is evidently formed by a mixture of the clay and sand in the immediate vicinity. Judging from its appearance, it was piled up, mixed with grass or straw, and was then burnt, or baked until it assumed a degree of hardness much greater than our ordinary brick, as it is now after the lapse of centuries quite as solid and difficult to break. It is full of pores of about an inch in diameter which intersect it in all directions, evidently caused by straw which was consumed by the great heat necessarily made to harden the wall. There are also several square mounds of plains whose use must have been synonymous with the towers which are seen in the old forts of Europe. One of these contains an excavation or cellar, from which a stairway leads to the top. About three feet below the surface of the ground is a sewer, arched with stone. From the appearance of the ruins, it is evident that a part of them once contained a fort. On a slight eminence about eighty rods to the right of the fort are about one hundred and fifty mounds, built on straight lines. They are evidently places of burial as all that have been opened contained human bones, beads, and other Indian ornaments.

These ruins being so much more extensive than we anticipated, the enclosure containing twenty-three acres, and the artificial work being so distinct and palpable, induced us to delay our stay at the hotel some days, and make a thorough survey and exploration of their mysteries. Accordingly after having traversed and examined every part extensively, we procured assistance and opened mound No. 4. After much hard labor, we penetrated to the depth of six feet, when we found the skeleton of an Indian, in a sitting position. The bones were much decayed, and many of them crumbled to pieces, by accidental blows from the spade. Beneath the skeleton, and upon which it appeared to be seated, we found the charred remains of a fabric, which appeared much like hemp. This mat or article of dress was branded together in a very neat manner, and was undoubtedly the cloth of which the natives formed their clothing. In addition to this, we found between the legs of the skeleton a piece of earthenware, shaped somewhat like a common bowl, and covered with a glazing surpassing anything of the kind that we ever saw. This alone, would indicate a knowledge of the arts, possessed by the Aztalians, or superior to that which the Indians have ever been known to possess.

The walls were probably about three times as high as they now are, and were evidently built to protect the city from an enemy. There is much here to indicate that this has been a densely populated walled city. The number of mounds on all sides, and the quantity of human bones which are found in each, are conclusive evidences, of a populous vicinity. Some conjecture that the houses of the inhabitants were built upon the buttresses, but we are inclined to believe that this was not the case, as excavations for cellars &c., are only found within the enclosure: The form of the walls and buttresses is said to resemble the Chinese method of building fortifications. That several hundred years have elapsed since they were abandoned, is proved by the fact that large oak trees are growing on the top of the wall, which must be at least five hundred years old. Although the wave of oblivion has swept away forever the founders of this city, and left not a monument wherewith to penetrate into the deep mystery that hangs over their fate, the foundation of the city still remains, and affords the antiquarian a fruitful theme for speculation. The indications of civilization manifested here as well as in the middle and southern part of this continent, afford sufficient evidence to assume that a populous and enlightened people once swayed the rule of this dominion over this country, and that by intestine wars they were destroyed and degenerated into the present Indian. It caused us sensations of no ordinary character to gaze on these ruins, where once mighty and intelligent people congregated, some of whose bones were beneath the very ground upon which we stood. And as we gazed upon these decayed relics of humanity, in the early twilight of the second day of our arrival, a species of awe stole over us, and visions of the long past flitted before our mental vision. These fleshless bones appeared again in their animated form, and around on every hand appeared countless multitudes of human beings, engaged in all the various avocations of busy life.

The loud, joyous laughter of youth; the song of the maiden, and the plaintive notes of the Indian flute were heard breaking the stillness of the night.— The voice of our host calling us to supper dispelled the illusion, but as we left the Fort we trod softly, feeling we were on hallowed ground.