“A SHAMEFUL FACT.”“La Patriahas the following paragraph copied from theEpoca,which ought to attract the attention of all interested. ‘The notable statue of Chac-Mool, which was received in the capital of Yucatan with so great demonstrations of jubilee, and with unaccustomed pomp, has remained in our city since its arrival, some days ago, abandoned in a small square, afar off and dirty, where the small boys of the neighborhood amuse themselves by pelting it. If Sr. Dn. Augustin del Rio had known the little value that would have been placed upon his gift, it is certain that he would have guarded there [at Yucatan] his king and his records, about which no one here concerns himself.’”
“A SHAMEFUL FACT.”
“La Patriahas the following paragraph copied from theEpoca,which ought to attract the attention of all interested. ‘The notable statue of Chac-Mool, which was received in the capital of Yucatan with so great demonstrations of jubilee, and with unaccustomed pomp, has remained in our city since its arrival, some days ago, abandoned in a small square, afar off and dirty, where the small boys of the neighborhood amuse themselves by pelting it. If Sr. Dn. Augustin del Rio had known the little value that would have been placed upon his gift, it is certain that he would have guarded there [at Yucatan] his king and his records, about which no one here concerns himself.’”
How much of the above unfavorable criticism on the neglect of this archæological treasure by the central government, is due to the political bias of the source of this information, cannot be determined. We can, however, protest against any want of appreciation of a monument of past history in this manner lost to the State of Yucatan and to the discoverer, Dr. Le Plongeon, by the arbitrary exercise of official authority.
58-*Stephens’ Travels in Yucatan, Vol. II., page 303.59-*The hostile Indians (sublivados) so often spoken of by Dr. Le Plongeon in his communications, are a body of revolted natives, variously estimated at from 50,000 to 140,000. They are called Indians ofChan-Santa-Cruz, from the name of their chief town, in the south-eastern part of the peninsula. During political troubles in 1847, a formidable rising of Indians against the whites took place in Yucatan, which has not yet been subdued. Nearly every year the frontier towns and plantations bordering upon the territory of these rebels, suffer from their attacks; their inhabitants are slain and their property is destroyed. So formidable is this enemy that at one time their soldiers, said to be supplied with English arms, advanced to within 15 miles of the city of Mérida. As matters stand to-day, about two-fifths of the territory of the state is in their power, and a large number of the best plantations in the peninsula are deserted.A friend, Sr. Dn. Andres Aznar Pérez, of Mérida, a gentleman of large public spirit and much knowledge of this subject, informs the writer that “the principal Indian leaders in the revolution of 1847, were the cruel Cicilio Chi’, and Jacinto Pat, the latter assassinated for his sympathy with the whites. Crecencio Poot (spoken of by Dr. Le Plongeon), is one of their later leaders. I am well convinced that the revolt of our Indians will never be brought to an end by force, as has been thus far pretended. I call this unfortunate race noble, and well it deserves the title if we follow dispassionately the sufferings it has had to endure from the remote times of the conquest until the present, with habits so moderate, so frugal, so mild, that only the inhuman treatment of civil as well as religious authorities has been able to exasperate them. Theirs have been always the sufferings, the labors—never the enjoyments—that accompany enlightenment and healthy morality.” An extended and unprejudiced account of this rebellion has just been published at Mérida, called “Historia de las Revoluciones de Yucatan,” by Sr. D. Serapio Baqueiro, in two volumes, which covers a period from 1840 to 1864. For years a constant military surveillance of the main avenues of approach from the eastern and south-eastern sections of the state has been maintained at a great expense to the government without affording adequate protection against periodical hostile incursions.63-*This idea was better expressed by our learned associate, Mr. Haven, in Proceedings of this Society, No. 55, page 56, in commenting upon the works of Brasseur de Bourbourg.74-*See Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan, de Diego de Landa. By L’Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg. Paris, 1864, page 327.89-*Stephens’ Travels in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, vol. I., page 158.89-†Id. vol. II., page 349.89-‡Encyclopædia Britannica. Boston, 1859:ArticleSculpture.90-*Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan, de Diego de Landa. By L. Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg. Paris, 1864, page 347.90-†Id. 197.90-‡Id. 199.90-§Id. 183.
58-*Stephens’ Travels in Yucatan, Vol. II., page 303.
59-*The hostile Indians (sublivados) so often spoken of by Dr. Le Plongeon in his communications, are a body of revolted natives, variously estimated at from 50,000 to 140,000. They are called Indians ofChan-Santa-Cruz, from the name of their chief town, in the south-eastern part of the peninsula. During political troubles in 1847, a formidable rising of Indians against the whites took place in Yucatan, which has not yet been subdued. Nearly every year the frontier towns and plantations bordering upon the territory of these rebels, suffer from their attacks; their inhabitants are slain and their property is destroyed. So formidable is this enemy that at one time their soldiers, said to be supplied with English arms, advanced to within 15 miles of the city of Mérida. As matters stand to-day, about two-fifths of the territory of the state is in their power, and a large number of the best plantations in the peninsula are deserted.
A friend, Sr. Dn. Andres Aznar Pérez, of Mérida, a gentleman of large public spirit and much knowledge of this subject, informs the writer that “the principal Indian leaders in the revolution of 1847, were the cruel Cicilio Chi’, and Jacinto Pat, the latter assassinated for his sympathy with the whites. Crecencio Poot (spoken of by Dr. Le Plongeon), is one of their later leaders. I am well convinced that the revolt of our Indians will never be brought to an end by force, as has been thus far pretended. I call this unfortunate race noble, and well it deserves the title if we follow dispassionately the sufferings it has had to endure from the remote times of the conquest until the present, with habits so moderate, so frugal, so mild, that only the inhuman treatment of civil as well as religious authorities has been able to exasperate them. Theirs have been always the sufferings, the labors—never the enjoyments—that accompany enlightenment and healthy morality.” An extended and unprejudiced account of this rebellion has just been published at Mérida, called “Historia de las Revoluciones de Yucatan,” by Sr. D. Serapio Baqueiro, in two volumes, which covers a period from 1840 to 1864. For years a constant military surveillance of the main avenues of approach from the eastern and south-eastern sections of the state has been maintained at a great expense to the government without affording adequate protection against periodical hostile incursions.
63-*This idea was better expressed by our learned associate, Mr. Haven, in Proceedings of this Society, No. 55, page 56, in commenting upon the works of Brasseur de Bourbourg.
74-*See Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan, de Diego de Landa. By L’Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg. Paris, 1864, page 327.
89-*Stephens’ Travels in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, vol. I., page 158.
89-†Id. vol. II., page 349.
89-‡Encyclopædia Britannica. Boston, 1859:ArticleSculpture.
90-*Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan, de Diego de Landa. By L. Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg. Paris, 1864, page 347.
90-†Id. 197.
90-‡Id. 199.
90-§Id. 183.
Transcriber’s NoteThe following typographical errors were corrected.PageErrorCorrection7of this region.of this region,11Cités et Ruines AmericainesCités et Ruines Américaines14a thick dusta thick dust.21a guadasaguadasFn. 29-*sur le Méxiquesur le Mexique57discovery of the statutediscovery of the statue581 Represents1. Represents583 Shows3. Shows585 Represents5. RepresentsIll. 1LePlongeonLe Plongeon627 Represents7. Represents629 Shows9. Shows6210 Apparently10. ApparentlyIll. 2LePlongeonLe Plongeon71Plate No 7Plate No. 774was dated Méri a,dated Mérida77oblong.oblong,79wise archæologist.wise archæologist,88munificientmunificent91upon the theupon the93rambling mongrambling among94respect a drespect and95Bisop LandaBishop Landa96particularly to destoryparticularly to destroy96that the Quichua,that the Quichua96valley if Cuzcovalley of Cuzco99nclemenciesinclemencies99buildings th mselvesbuildings themselves100commerce of people.commerce of people,101Do you remberDo you rememberThe following words were inconsistently spelled or hyphenated:3d / 3rd&c / etc.cenote / senoteChaac-mol / Chaacmol / Chac-Mool / Chac MoolCukulcan / Kukulcandébris / debrisl’Ecriture / l’ÉcritureMérida / Meridanorth-east / northeastOrosco / OrozcoSeñor / Senorsouth-eastern / southeasternTabasco / Tobascoto-day / today
Transcriber’s Note
The following typographical errors were corrected.
The following words were inconsistently spelled or hyphenated: