The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-10-17
BENIFO JAUREz- LATE PRESIDENT OI
MEXICO.
from the Correspondence of the Chicago
Tribune,1

| from the Correspondence Of the Chicago
Tribune.
| can truly say that have never seen any
other man who so impressed me as did Jau,
rez, with sense of his personal greatness.
his intellectual power moral force and
strength of character. Calm and collected
under all circumstances, he was always mas
| ter of himself and of those about him. Born
of the humblest Aztec Indian parents, he be-
came a ripe scholar and able lawyer, and
rose to the highest position in his country
step by STEP with steady progress, by the
sheer force of intelligent and sterling worth !;
aud he never for moment appeared to for
get his origin, or lose sight of the great OBJ.
jscts of his ambition, =. the education, enfran-
ehisement and elevation of his whole people,
good citizen, 4 devoted husband and affec-
tionate father, his whole life was irreproach-
able; and history will do him justice, and
write his name as among the greatest of the
statesmen of our day, and the benefaetors OF
! his race.
What statesmansof our day, or any other,
ever laid down such programme of reform
and progress as he did in his famous "Law
ofJaurez," and, through lifelong struggle
against religious bigotry, treason, social dis
order and foreign Intervention, persevered in
it, and carried it out, step by step, to the
end? The abolition OF slavery; manhood
suffrage the disestablishment OF the State
church the abolition of converts and mo-
nssteries the establishment of schools for
the education of the masses, free from the
domination of clergy the liberty of the
press; full religious freedom. and public i'm
provements. Such was the programme he
laid down, and, at the hourly risk of his life,
followed TO the last @
Like Lincoln, he fell in the hour of final
triumph but like him, his great work was
already practically accomplished. Revolu-
tion and bloodshed may follow him, as it pre-
coded him but the schools he planted and
fostered will raise up new generation OF
thinking men and women to carry on his
work; the vast estates and exclusive priv
lcges of which he stripped the church will
never 60 back to 1t; and the love of liberty
which he always encouraged will never die
out in the hearts of his people.
His courage and fortitude in face of danger
and adversely were wonderful. When Mira
mon--the champion Of the church party
held him prisoner at Caudalajara, the liberal
forces came up and made an assault upon
the city Miramon went to Jaurez, and told
him that If he did not Immediately sign an
order to the commander of his forces to stay
the assault on the instant, he would have
him shot within ten minutes. His reply will
live in histoay: "What is the life of one man
, to the Liberties of nation I? Let the assault
go on Ny life is in the hands of nv Crea-
tor u Miramon dared not shoot him, and 1t
f was well for him that he did not, for the as
, s@ult was successful. His execution of Max.
[ lmllian has been severely anmadverted M.
on;. but it was strict justice, and nothing
more Macmillan, a foreigner and O usurp-
er, had raised the black flag, placed a price
apon The head OF Jaurez, and butchered 6. 600
Mexican prisoners OF war in could blood. tt
was for this atrocity that lie was tried CON
demned and executed. An officer who was
present when the Princes Salm- Salmland Mao
ane Miramon attempted to kneel to him. at
San Luis Potosi, to plead for the lives of the
! condemned men, 'Maximilan, Miramon, and
| Meja,- told me that that was the on,v occa-
sion on winch he ever saw him affected to
tears. His reply was : eff they were person
al enemies lies Only, would forgive them In a
;, moment; but thelaw has rightly condemned
, them for murder, and justice must take its
course" His subsequ ent pardon OF Ne.
CRETE, who had offered reward for his as.
sasslnatlon, proved how easy it was for him
to forgive personal injury.