The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-09

Il
Santa Anna-An Interview with tn,
Old EEcro-Hts Present Appearances
His Enthusiasm over Oih-Time Ex
pioits.
The following interesting account of a,
interview with old Santa Anna is given il
, the Tidette, of Mobile, by "D. SIR"
Probably no life of the present century, i
written out, would present. more checker
ed, sensational page than that of Santa An
na. Associated a. it is with every event il
y the history of our republic, it is filled also
with private and personal experiences which
sound like the eyaggerations of fiction. II has
been filled with honors and adyersties, and
now, ut the ripe old age Of seyenty-eight
the posSessor looks over it all and would
fain be young again. 1t was about the year
1856 that Santa Annl'S absolute political
power was broken. Since then, with the eX
: ception Of some unimportant part in the
, French intervention. his life has been com-
paratively qust.
Happening few mouths since to be in the
city Of Mexico, and learning that the old
hero was then spending few weeks in his
city home. determined, if possible. TO graf.
: ity my fec linys Of interest in his romantic
career by securing an interview. Owing to
mutual feeling Of dislike existing between
Santa Anna and the Mexican people, the for
mer holds himself in great reserve. His
rooms are oprn 10 but few, and 1t is no
easy matter to gain an audience. Toward for
eigucrS be is not SO Surly,and it is generally
much easier fJra stranger to gain his private
parlOrS than for native citizen. Hon. An
gel MARTINEZ, all old school.tellow of mine,
knew how to manage the thing, however,
and in a very short time he had discovered
! the quarters of one OF Santa Auna'S old.time
friends, FL s nor Nerdergo, Ex-Governor of
the State Of Sinaloa: This gentleman agreed
to take us ar0und,'and the time was set
| when we should meet him and proceed to-
| gether to the old Presidents rooms. At the
appointed time We were on hand. On reach.
ing the patio Of the old Spanish house on
| Nereara street, we sent up our cards,
and then long pause ensutd. In the
course of half an hour the servant came
| back and informed us that we could
not see the President that, evening,
| but to come at the same time on the next
| day. Five o'clock in the afternoon of the
second day found us again in the patio wait
| ing. The servant vas not gone SO long this
| time, but be came back with the same mes
| sage: - 'Manyana los cinco.' No one who
| has not travelled in our SPANS American
countries ctn imagine how much aygrava-
| ton is concentrated in that simple expras-
sion, I'm luyana." 1t is the first word that a
foreigner learns on going into Mexico, and
he finds that it is practically applied from the
| simplest transactions Of everyday life up to
| matters of the utmost moment.
"Do nothing to-day which by any possible
| meals you can put of until Tomorrow"
C"mGnyand, is the way the old adase is
applied in our sister republic, and one soon
| learns 10 take it as 4 matter OF course. We
went five times with the old Governor to the
| Presidents house before we finally obtained
admission. Long before this | was heartily
| sick Of the Job and wanted to give it up,
bat Martinez laughed ut me, and insisted
| on my accompanying him TO the last.
This is the way we do things here"
| he laughed, "you must not expect San
| Francisco Dispatch" On the evening of the
| fifth day we were conducted into long, neatly
| furnished room facing the street. A sofa
stood at one end with several chairs arranged
around in Il sort Of hait-crclc, and directly
! over the sofa hung Il lifc-Sized paintiug of
| Santa Annals wife rs she doubles, appeared
| forty years ago. She must have been very
beautiful then, if the picture is true TO lite.
\ piano stood in one corner, and several
pieces OF Statuary here and there gave Us
some idea OF the old warriors tlstr. There
was no attempt 1T display in anything IN the
| room; everything was simple and uudcmon-
stra,iye.
We hardly had time to cast hasty glance
about Us before i side-door opened and Santa
Anna himself stepped into the room. His
| private secretary, Colonel NoSo, presented
lis, and after shaking hands and making
fe" common.place remarks TO each one of
| Us. he mouoncd towards the chairs, and we
all moved over and sat down. My surprise
ut the appearance of the old general was
shared by my companion. Instead of the
gray haired old man that we expected to see,
an upright, soldicrly figure stood before Us.
His form was not yet bowed down
10y the weight of years, and his cool,
black, flushing eyes told that the
fires Of early life were not yet all
spent. Incredible as it may seem, Santa
Anna's hair has not yet turned gray, and his
face has kindly, hopeful expression, strange
ly at variance with the widespread ideas OF
| his character. He wears no beard of apy
| kind and is as smooth-taced as a woman, In
talking he is much troubled by bsdly.tit-
ting set OF false teeth, which fall from the
palate, and he Is slightly deaf. Ii was in
| moving across the room and seating himself
| on the sofa, however, that the intirmities of
his age showed themselves most conspicuous.
His false leg troubled him, and | thought he
showed disposition to hide it, for after
seating himself very clrefuliy, he threw it
out directly before him and covered it with
| the left. He sat upright, nor did he lean
| back or change his position the whole hour
| that we We're with him. Santa Anna is slim
| built, about five feet ten in height, and in his
younger days must have been handsome
| man, rs he is at present Il tine-looking old
| gentleman. He is talkatiye and social, loves
10 recount his own exploits, and seems 10
| live at present altogether IN the past. He
| knows that the future holds nothing for him,
consequently he takes very little interest ia
| the passing events Of the day. He did not
even know the name OF the President Of tAe
| United States, and asked several little qaeS-
| tiops about our atf,irs that almost any
school-boy would be capable of answering.
After some general inquiries about his health,
| the effect OF the recent rains on bis disease,
| fhe il troubled with catarrh), and bis pro-
| iects for passing the summer, something was
said that led him Oft on the very track that
we had been hoping for-rlZ., himself and
! his own exploits. As he found hiaselt Drift
! irg of thirty, forty, and even nifty years into
| the past, his old form straightaned up, his
| ewes sbone like thoSe.ol Il boy, and he SeelIr
| ed TO be living it ell over again. LII deScrlbr
| iDu the eyentsof half Il centuSy ago we were
astonished to note the accuracy with Whseh
be gave the mirutest particulars. Every date
and incident seemed to te us fresh al his
memory as though it wese an event OF the
day before.
He gaze Ns an account of the eayby repub
rcan movement in Mexico; spoke of bis