New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-15
N1EXlCO.


which the Mexicans annually commemorate their in
dependence has gone by, Congress having aided the
by a formal reopcnmg, at which the
President made his customary address. This festival
was in itself noteworthy event. A patriotic body
of citizens had arranged grand programme for
three holidays, fractions thereof, to be spoken
SING danced, and fired of in the city and its suburbs
Numbers of speeches and poems were made; paIades
civil and military, took place. free balls were given
in the thcaters and in the plaza; the city was
illuminated and guns aud fireworks, the
latter an extensive display were the order OF
,lAv and night according to tmc-honOred habit. On
tho night of the 10th the President and his Cabinet
sat against a background of decorations in the noble
theater of the capital and listened 10 number OF
speeches from manuscript, preluded by concert
which the best-dreSSed assembly of Mexico APP
plauded The artisans of the city made demonstIa-
uon so. too. did the schoochildren half of them.
at least, ra2ged-thc glory ana shame OF the hree-
days feast The orators Of the several days paid
compliment or two 10 the institutions OF the United
States, and again it was worthy Of remark, however
much folly and ilwill have umored to the contrary,
that the latter-day MeXicans do not make use OF
their festivals TO abuse foreigners. Like the holiday
of the fifth of May the celebration of september 10
remarkable for good order; While 1t - also rlght
80 say than enthusiasm lacking to fill out what
to Americans would be prodigy of seli-grathcatoh'
Spite of IS formidable character show tins truhc
fcstivity inspires certain dstaSte which the better
intelligence of the Republic possibly shares. The
rage for public Notwithstanding license mostly from
rGItS cock fights and gambng-has very largely
abatod since the days of the last gambler VINO
figured as the President of the Church party. There
remain enough feasts in the calendar, however. to
cause the strangers wOndeTment, albert MeNcos
patriotism makes snail ado over her celebrities as
compared with the religions demand for days OF
eating and drinking. whereby the coniessOIs ana
other WORTHLESS have done good business: An
abundance of feaStS Is Sadly out OF tune WIN
people who fast; and If the poorer MeXlcans
i1d anything moro than an appetite WIN
which TO honor the mass of their feast
tncr feast. The threedays' festival Is sacred TO
che McXicans 10y tradition, insolnuch thai MaNiml-
,n was disposed to celebrate ii with even more pOmp
than Iuacz but for all tins, It seems 10 be out OF
proportion to the real needs of the people, OF the
actual demand of the OCCASION
The Presidents address like most of his speeches.
j. simple. dgnliied, and mattel-ot-iact lie congrlt.
uatcS Congress that 1t meets without difhcu!ty, ana
according to the express terms OF the Constitution;
that too, upon the anniversary of the countrys IN
dependence Tcairmed by triumph over the lnterven-
tlOu-and moreover that the reunion OF me hatlohai
representatives demonstrates the consolidation OF
the republic in the regular and tranquil march OF us
institutions. He states that the campaign IN the
Sierra of Puebla Is wholly at end, and would have
been finished had not prudential modes aud pa
citc measures been uSeessy employed IN the first in
stance The disturbances tthe country he thinks have
been few and less than could be expected, especially
after civil and foreign war which for so long time
and 50 profoundly cOnyulscd the nation. Now exists
oay small band OF rebels III the state OF lamauIi-
pts not enough to occasion any grave danger there,
where the peace assured by SUFFICIENT forces OF the
federation All the States he says, ENJOY cOnStltu-
tinnal rule The people of Guerrero have been CON
Noked to "A and free election. lcplc Is Stlll held
military district. but there is promise that the
Congress may be able to dispose It's government ere
long The good spirit of the towns has supported
the army in its efforts to keep order and the people
tncTgctically desire peace. The Government VIII
present at early day to Congress the initiatives OF
laws for the protection Of individual gEanteeS for
the public instruction, and what seems TO be rs desi
r,ble AS ANYTHING else project for the establishment
of the Jury III the Federal district Tor all
criminal trias-an institution hitherto pIScucally
unknown to Mexico. lie represents that the com
niitiees in charge of commerce and the civil and
criminal codes working with will, aud urges
upon Congress the subject OF material improvements,
with reference to the speedy building OF railroads.
Finally the President remarks that the people VINO
have defended with their blood the cOuntrys free
institutions have imposed on the public powers the
constant aud sacred obligation to iillay observe the
Constitution and the laws, and 10 maintain the
being pledge of the peace and progress of socl-
ETY.. leave the Mexican press to supply comment
upon the details of this speech. Several lauda-
tory, but the SigiO seems to express the leading
and critical view Of II. Concerning the
Topic affair. the Sigo could have wished that the
President had been less vague, as III Is rather
grave matter; regards il as strange that the l'rps
dent has not dwet upon the Importance of security
TO the snail towns and IN the high roads and en-
phatically commends the trial by jury Regarding
lbliC instruction, the Sigi0 holds that great deal
10 he done 10 give IL start and spread and annOun-
s itself an advocate of the most general diffusion of
knowledge and the largest liberty III lnpartng It..
Mexico has always had a Ministry OF Public lnstTc
lion, but she is far from being able 10 say that there
j. positive progress IN education The United
states says the Sligo excel all other countries in the
diffusion and generalization OF knowledge. There
knowledge is carried to the very dTcgs of society for
the purpose of refining and eXatng them, and there
learning flows az do the rivers. The SPO here
upon thinks il worthy of observation that the United
States never had Ministry of Public Instruction.
This office, concerning the indspensabty of which
long ago expressed doubt is one with the Minis
Try of Justice i'll the Republic and so far as il reaches
doubtless well filled and administered, especially
10y the present incumbent. Education throughout
The Republic has shown any remarkable results
whatever stmulus il has officially received at
the capital. apprehend that the Republic has most
10 expect from independent public spirit, not
waiting on the General Government for sign
push but resolved 10 do its part in the only govern
ment of the Republic radically worthy of
ScbOOl-house and schOOlmaster. The Mexicans may
rest assured that they will never be able TO do any
thing permanent without the IMMIGRATION of asehOOl
system am glad 10 see that towns which have
schools a superior number of them. are beginning
10 make boast of the fact. The capital has ~ public
which, all things considered Is promising The
states of Zacatecas and OaXaca are prospecting with
their schools Compulsory education would be a
benefit In parts. Its main drawback would be the
exceeding poverty Of such parents require work of
their children but even this difficulty might he
largely overcome by public spirit 1t would be noble
thing II the leading women OF the land entered heart
lily into all wise works of charity while the men
urged on with earnest this subject Of education. l
cannot help thinking that the Mexcans may mis-
count II they rely wholly upon practcasm and what
they call mc0res mdterdies. Something like eyangel-
ism is needed TO their task-tha is 10 say. genuine
cfIOrt OF social reform IN the direction of
school education.
The murder Of Cen Patoni is stiIl subject Of
considerable mystery and indignation. The facts I'm
the affair, as far developed reveal more shock
ing of assassination than was ut first appre-
hcnded Patoni had arrived at Durango with his
wife at in the evening aud stopped at the Santana
inesOn. where he received assurance from the poti-
cal chief of the place that not only the State Govern
ment but the officer mentioned were decided IN
assuring him every guaranty of safety. This
assurance gTaiihcd Patoni, for he had just been
-.