New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-20
a Talk with Santa Anna.


a Talk with Santa Ansa.
A letter from the City Of Mexico, October
20, to the San Francisco Chronicle contains
the following:
Since writing to you last have succeeded
through the influence of General Martinez,
in obtaining an interview with the old Mex
lean hero, Santa Anna. l came to Mexico
with the impression that he was dead, and
have been wondering some time how many
Californians know that he is still alive and
likely to be TOR ten years to come. The old
man lives very quietly and receives little
company. The fact that he is almost uni.
versally despised BY his countrymen causes
him to shun them; and for the same reason
it is much easier for foreigner to obtain
Mexican. He is living at present in an old
fashioned Spanish house on Vergara street,
and although he is said to DO poor, he has
about him not only the comforts but many
of the luxuries Of life.
Five O'Clock in the afternoon was the hour
appointed for our call, and ut that time
Colonel MOsO, an intimate friend of the
General, received us in the court and con.
Quoted us up flight Of stone stairs into q
~ the street. A piano stood in one corner,
and several pieces of statuary and q few
pictures here and there about the room
displayed quiet taste. At one end Of the
room hung q magnificent and life sized
painting Of a woman in full Spanish cos.
tune. 1t was taken forty years ago. when
the euhject was Santa Anna's bride. She
must Aave been very beautiful then, if the
picture ia true, for there is q wonderful
charm in the dark, Sad eyes. We had been
seated but q moment when q side door
opened and Santa Anna himself stepped
into the room.
Instead OF the gray old man that we had
expected to see, an upright, eOldierly figure
stood before us, and we noticed that in spite
of his wooden leg he walked with ease and
without the assistance Of cane or crutch.
Santa Anns's eye is still black as q coal,
and his hair, although thin, has not yet
IN his face that is strangely at variance with
tho dark tsles that blot his history; and as
he received each one Of US with some pleas
ant remark and cordial clasp of his soft,
woman's hand, we could hardly realize that
the man before us was the author Of 80
many bloody scenes.
''Be seated, gentleman" he said, after we
had stood for . few moments; Il have your
chairs drawn closely together here SO that
. sofa beneath,,the picture of his wife and
sat down. 1t was in seating himself that
the infirmities Of his age showed themselves
more conspicuously. The false limb troubled
him then, and he was obliged to extend it
out very carefully before him. He threw
his right leg across it, as if to conceal it,
and sat straight upri ght. During the whole
hour that we were with him he did not lean
back or change his position.
Santa Annals mind is still clear, but the
drift of his conversation shows that he lives
almost altogether in the past. He loves 70
talk of his own exploits, and the accuracy
with which he gives dates and particulars
of events which have been in history for
over hall. q century, is remarkable. He
asked many questions about the United
States, and among others the name OF our
President, which he had forgotten. He
alluded to the time when he was the guest
of General Jackson in the White House,
and laughed as he recalled some little en-
circumstances into which his in.
inability to speak English placed him.
Some one inquired after his health. "Mex-
leo never did agree with me- he replied; IL
nm troubled with catarrh, and the atmos-
phere here 10 too rarefed. / am always
better on the coast, where was born"
"Do you not weary sometimes of this &c.
clusion," We inquired, latter the active life
y0u have led?"
'You see 1 am growing old now," he an.
swered, with q smile that had something of
sadness in it; ''since 1921, when l declared
the independence of the republic. have |
seen q great DEAL"
The allusiOn to the past seemed to revive |
Ill its memories and, without being asked,
be commenced q sketch of bis early life,
md of the many political events in which |
ne bore so prominent part. In abiding to |
he establishment Of the republic, he said: |
II did not know what republic was. |
[turbide had just concluded treaty with |
he Spaniards, and his friends in Mexico |
lad made him Emperor. l was a young |
nan of twenty -four then. l had volcanic |
,ead-I cared for nothing, feared nothing. |
With 300 men under my commando had |
required considerable reputation along the |
5ulf in our war with Spain, and now my |
blowers came around me and asked me to |
leclare q republic in place of the monarchy |
which Iturbide had established. But what |
q q republics! l asked. Viva la Repub-
lea 2 they shouted. well, you FOOLS 1 |
bought, if you will have republic. We
viii all 90 off in search of one.' And so l |
ed them against Iturbide. Poor Iturbide,"
70 said after while, II had to overcome
motives of personal friendship in making
var on his government; and how l cried
vben l heard OF his unhappy death at
,ampicO."
For three-quarters of an hour the old
and by that time, it had be-
ome 90 dark in the room that Ne could
carcely go his face. Santa Anna il very
orcible in his talk, and although he il now
YER seventy eight years old, his black
ashing eyes show that the fires of earlier
esEs are not yet oil spent. In speaking he