Page:Our Neighbor-Mexico.djvu/475

Rh also the work of the hatchet. The donkey is now hitched on, and husband, wife, sons, and daughters, each lending a hand, away they travel, one or two days' journey to the nearest city. On reaching it, they must pay an entrance-fee, generally only three cents on each log; and at length they sell their logs at thirty-seven cents each, and oftentimes for less.

"The Mexican can not do without the Indian. Farms would be deserted, lands untilled, cattle unattended, and the markets entirely deserted, were it not for the poor, patient, despised Indian. Worse still, the poor Indian is the staple food of the cannon, and without him the Mexican would be unable to sustain his revolutions.

"It may be asked, how is it that the Indians, being in such a great numerical majority, allow themselves to be down-trodden by the few Mexicans who rule them? It is because Romanism has so effectually blighted and crushed out their old chivalry and love of liberty, and has steeped them in a degrading and profound ignorance. Excepting the few who, within the past few years, have become acquainted with God's word by means of Protestantism, we shall be safe in saying that not a single soul among them has ever read a line of the Bible.

"Very few of the men can read or write. National schools are found in some of the villages, but only for boys. Schools for girls are almost unknown. Perhaps a few are found in the cities; but in the smaller towns and villages they are unheard of. Thus the Indian women are kept in profound ignorance; a vast majority of the men are the same. This mighty engine of darkness, wielded by the skill and cunning of Romish priests, has produced the fearful uncleanliness of body and soul, the stupid superstition, and bloody fanaticism which now characterize the Indian of Mexico.

"Underlying this patient humility and subjection to their Mexican lords, the Indian nourishes a deep-seated and ever-augmenting hatred of his whiter countrymen. The Indian and the Mexican races do not mingle, except in isolated and exceptional cases. The Indian, in his necessary intercourse with the Mexican, naturally acquires a knowledge of the Spanish language; but they jealously avoid speaking that tongue unless compelled by necessity. In their homes not a word of Spanish is heard; the women scrupulously avoid learning it, and of course the children grow up without understanding a word. I have gone through whole villages and not found a single woman or child who could speak Spanish. I have also observed, on large haciendas, where hundreds of Indians are employed, and where they daily hear Spanish spoken, many of the women, who come weekly to the pay-office to take up their husband's miserable salaries, although understanding Spanish, nothing will induce them to speak it; and some bailiff or head workman, an Indian also, always acts as interpreter. His aversion to speaking Spanish is also seen in religious matters. The Indian refuses to confess to the priest except in his own native tongue. Very few priests understand