Part 5 (1/2)
--Emotions of the natives.--They accept the new idols.--Cortez's embarra.s.sment respecting his commission.--The letter.--Antic.i.p.ations of wealth.--Presents.--Emba.s.sadors sent to the king.--Punishment of the conspirators.--Disturbing developments.--Destruction of the fleet.--Indignation of the soldiers.--Cortez wins the approval of his men.--Preparations for the journey.--The departure and march to Mexico.--Arrival of a strange vessel.--Capture of prisoners.--The stratagem.--The re-enforcement.--They arrive at Jalapa.--Naulinco.
--Erection of the cross.--Ascent of the Cordilleras.--The city of Tlatlanquitepec.--Indications of idolatry.--A cold reception.-- Cortez's mission.--His commands, and their refusal to obey.--Advice of Father Olmedo.--Arrival at Xalacingo.--Friendly treatment.-- Emba.s.sadors to the Tlascalan capital.--They are seized, but escape.
--The Spaniards determine to force a pa.s.sage.--The attack.--The Tlascalans forced to retire.--Destruction of the provisions.--The sacrament.--Chivalry of the barbarians.--A supply of provisions.-- Encounter the enemy.--Confession.--Release of the captive chiefs.
--Tlascalan mode of making peace.--Cortez prepares for battle.--The battle.--Courage of the enemy.--The natives vanquished.--Surprise at the small losses of the Spaniards.--Courage of the Spaniards accounted for.--The midnight foray.--The Tlascalans sue for peace.
--Cruel treatment of the emba.s.sadors.--The Tlascalans subdued.--Speech of the commander-in-chief.--They march to the city of Tlascala.-- Appearance of the city.--Treatment of the vanquished natives.--Peril of Cortez's army.--Murmurs dispelled.--Population of the city.
The Totonacs were now exceedingly exultant. They were unwearied in extolling their allies, and in proclaiming their future independence of their Mexican conquerors. They urged other neighboring provinces to join them, and become the va.s.sals of the omnipotent Spaniards. They raised a strong army, which they placed under the command of Cortez to obey his bidding. To strengthen the bonds of alliance, the cacique of Zempoalla selected eight of the most beautiful maidens of his country, all of the first families, to be united in marriage to the Spanish generals. Cortez courteously but decisively informed the chief that, before such union could be consummated, these maidens must all renounce idolatry and be baptized. The Totonacs, without much apparent reluctance, yielded. Emboldened by this success, Cortez now made very strenuous efforts to induce the chief and all the tribe to abandon their idols and the cruel rites of heathenism, and to accept in their stead the symbols of Christianity.
But upon this point the cacique was inflexible. ”We honor your friends.h.i.+p, n.o.ble Cortez,” he firmly replied, ”and we are grateful to you for the generous interest you take in our welfare; but the G.o.ds are greater than man. Earthly benefactors are but the ministers of their favor. Grat.i.tude to the G.o.ds is our first duty. Health, plenty, all blessings are from their bounty. We dread their anger more than the displeasure of the mightiest of men. Should we offend them, inevitable destruction will overwhelm me and my people.”
Cortez was provoked by such obstinacy. He was incapable of appreciating the n.o.bility of these sentiments, and of perceiving that such minds needed but instruction to lead them to reverence the true G.o.d. The sincere idolater, who wors.h.i.+ps according to the little knowledge he has, is immeasurably elevated, in dignity of character, above the mere nominal Christian, who knows the true G.o.d, and yet disregards him. But Cortez, inspired by fanatic zeal, treated these men, who deserved tender consideration, with insult and contempt.
He resolved recklessly to demolish their idols, and to compel the Totonacs to receive in exchange the images of Rome.
[Ill.u.s.tration: DESTROYING THE IDOLS AT ZEMPOALLA.]
He immediately a.s.sembled his soldiers, and thus addressed them: ”Soldiers! We are Spaniards. We inherit from our ancestors the love of our holy faith. Let us prostrate these vile images. Let us plant the cross, and call the heathen to the feet of that holy symbol. Heaven will never smile upon our enterprise if we countenance the atrocities of heathenism. For my part, I am resolved that these pagan idols shall be destroyed this very hour, even if it cost me my life.”
The fanaticism of the Spaniards was now effectually roused. In solid column, a strong division marched toward one of the most imposing of the Totonac temples. The alarm spread wildly through the thronged streets of Zempoalla. The whole population seized their arms to defend their G.o.ds. A scene of fearful confusion ensued. Firmly the inflexible Spaniards strode on. Fifty men ascended the winding stairs to the summit of the pyramidal temple, tore down the ma.s.sive wooden idols, and tumbled them into the streets. They then collected the mutilated fragments, and burned them to ashes. The Indians looked on in dismay, with tears and groans.
The heathen temple was then emptied, swept, and garnished. The Totonac chiefs, and the priests clotted with the blood of their brutal sacrifices, now docile as children, obeyed obsequiously the demands of the haughty reformer. He ordered these unenlightened pagan priests to have their heads shorn, to be dressed in the white robes of the Catholic priesthood, and, with lighted candles in their hands, they were constrained to a.s.sist in performing the rites of the papal Church. An image of the Virgin was installed in the shrine which had been polluted by all the horrid orgies of pagan abominations. Ma.s.s was celebrated upon the altar where human hearts, gory and quivering, had for ages been offered in awful sacrifice. The prayers and the chants of Christianity ascended from the spot where idolaters had slain their victims and implored vengeance upon their foes.
Cortez then himself earnestly and eloquently harangued the people, a.s.suring them that henceforth the Spaniards and the Totonacs were Christian brothers, and that under the protection of the Holy Virgin, the mother of Christ, they would both certainly be blessed.
Violent as were these deeds, it is undeniable that they ushered in a blessed change. The very lowest and most corrupt form of Christianity is infinitely superior to the most refined creations of paganism.
The natives gradually recovered from their terror. They gazed with admiration upon the pageant of the ma.s.s, with its gorgeous accompaniments of incense, music, embroidered robes, and solemn processions. The Spanish historians who witnessed the scene record that many of the Indians were so overcome with pious emotion, in thus beholding, for the first time, the mysteries of Christianity, that they freely wept. No more resistance was made. The Totonacs, thus easily converted, apparently with cheerfulness exchanged the b.l.o.o.d.y and hideous idols of Mexico for the more attractive and more merciful idols of Rome. Let not this remark be attributed to want of candor; for no one can deny that, to these uninstructed natives, it was merely an exchange of idols.
Cortez had now been in Mexico nearly three months. Every moment had been occupied in the accomplishment of objects which he deemed of fundamental importance. He was, however, evidently somewhat embarra.s.sed respecting the validity of his t.i.tle to command. It was at least doubtful whether the king would recognize the authority of a colony established in so novel a manner. Cortez also well knew that Velasquez would apply to his sovereign for redress for the injuries which he had received. The danger was by no means small that, by the command of the king, Cortez would be degraded and punished as a usurper of power.
Before commencing his march into the interior, he deemed it of the utmost importance to take every possible precaution against this danger. He influenced the magistrates of Vera Cruz to address a letter to the Spanish sovereign in justification of the course which had been pursued, and to implore the king to ratify what had been done in his name, and to confirm Cortez in the supreme command. Cortez also wrote himself a long and labored letter to the Emperor Charles V., full of protestations of loyalty and of zeal for the wealth and the renown of the Spanish court. To add weight to his letter, it was accompanied by as rich treasures from the New World as he had thus far been able to acc.u.mulate. Such was the ascendency which this extraordinary man had attained over the minds of his a.s.sociates, and so confident were they in their antic.i.p.ations of boundless wealth, that all the soldiers, without a murmur, at the suggestion of Cortez, relinquished their part of the public treasure, that the whole might be sent to the king. Two of the chief magistrates of the colony, Portocarrero and Montejo, were sent in one of the two vessels which were fitted out to Spain to convey these letters and presents. They were directed not to stop at the island of Cuba, lest they should be detained by Velasquez. Ere they embarked, ma.s.s was celebrated and prayers were offered for a prosperous voyage. It was now the month of July, 1519.
Just after the vessels had sailed, Cortez was much disturbed by a dangerous conspiracy which broke out in the camp. Some of the disaffected, who had been silenced, but not reconciled, with great secresy matured a plan for seizing one of the brigantines and making their escape to Cuba. The conspirators had actually gone on board the vessel, and were ready to weigh the anchor and spread the sails, when one of the number repented of his treachery, and disclosed the plot to Cortez.
The stern chieftain immediately went himself on board the vessel. The crime was too palpable to be denied. He ordered all to be seized and brought on sh.o.r.e. Cortez resolved to punish with a severity which should intimidate against any renewal of a similar attempt. The two ringleaders were immediately put to death. The pilot had one of his feet cut off. Two of the sailors received two hundred lashes. The rest were spared.
It is recorded that Cortez, as he was ratifying this sentence, gave a deep sigh, and exclaimed,
”How happy is he who is not able to write, and is thereby prevented from signing the death-warrants of men!”
But this development of disaffection disturbed Cortez exceedingly. He was about to march two hundred miles into the interior. It would be necessary to leave a garrison at Vera Cruz. The fleet would be lying idly at anchor in the harbor. A more successful attempt might be made during his absence; and Velasquez, informed thus of his position, might easily send, from the powerful colony of Cuba, a force sufficient to take possession of Vera Cruz, and thus leave Cortez in the interior but a desperate adventurer, wandering in the midst of hostile nations. In this emergence, he came to the decision, of almost unparalleled boldness, to _destroy the fleet_! He would thus place himself in a distant land, with but five hundred men, hopelessly cut off from all retreat, and exposed to a.s.sault from exasperated nations numbering many millions.
This plan was no sooner conceived than executed. He a.s.sembled his princ.i.p.al friends privately, and informed them of his determination.
”We shall thus,” said he, ”gain all the sailors for soldiers, and the men, having no possibility of escape, must either conquer or die.”
While most of the soldiers were employed at Zempoalla, the s.h.i.+ps were dismantled of every movable article, and they were then scuttled and sunk. In a few hours the majestic ocean rose and fell in silent solitude where the fleet had so proudly floated. One small vessel only was left.
When the soldiers heard of this desperate deed, they were struck with consternation. They were apparently now forever separated from friends and home. In case of disaster, escape was impossible and destruction sure. Murmurs of indignation, loud and deep, began to rise against Cortez. He immediately gathered his troops around him, and, by his peculiar tact, soothed their anger, and won them to approval of his course. They at once saw that murmurs would now be of no avail; that their destiny was henceforth entirely dependent upon their obedience to their leader. It was evident to all that the least insubordination, in the position of peril in which they were placed, would lead to inevitable ruin. Cortez closed his speech with the following forcible words:
”As for me, I have chosen my part. I will remain here while there is one to bear me company. If there be any so craven as to shrink from sharing the danger of our glorious enterprise, let them go home. There is still one vessel left. Let them take that and return to Cuba. They can tell there how they have deserted their commander and their comrades, and can wait patiently till we return, loaded with the treasures of the Mexicans.”
These excitable men were roused to enthusiasm by this speech. One general shout arose, ”To Mexico! to Mexico!” Cortez now made vigorous preparations for his march, uninvited and even forbidden, to the capital of Montezuma. All was alacrity in the camp, and the Totonac allies were as zealous in their preparations as were the Spaniards.