The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-04-30

} been inauguratVd some years before.
3 lie utilized 10 some extent the proceeds
OF The sales Of the vast secular prop,
! erty previously mouopoliIed by the
higher clergy. lie depressed the mil.
ltary aud exalted the civil power OF
the country. He struck herculeau
blows at the privileged orders, az ma
=. nlcipal expressions, ut corruption
everywhere, and In favor Of reform
{ and the elevation of the people.
In desperation, after thirty-three
years struggle, seeing their power pass.
ing away forever the discomttted adj
herents OF military, religions despOt-
ism played their last card In the form
OF lIuropean intervention aud placing
aPlincc on q throne 10 be erected over
the liberties and long outraged people
of Mexico,
Then, taking advantage Of the civil
war In the United states, came the
! French Intervention, inNuguratod 10y u
UeaehorOus agreement with the Next.
can authorities for a temporary uccu-
patton Oft healthy position during the
vomlto at Vera Cruz, which the French
refused TO Vacnle as per agreement; but
proceeding aggreSsively from the point
thus gained, Orilala, 10 the great IN
terror city OF Puebla, the French army,
under Foley, was sigually defeated and
driven back by the youthful but intre.
pid Mexican General Saragozn, whose
death soon afterwards was considered
US an irreparabe loss.
Soon afterwards a gallant and accom-
pllshed Prince OF the old despotio
house Of llapsburg was beguiled,
against his better Judgment and nohler
instincts into accepting the protlered
throne Of Mexico. Backed by hfty
thousand French, Turco and Abyssin-
ian troops, eight thousand Bcgians
and several thousand Auslrians, he
beld preoarlous position for some four
years, and then, abandoned 10y the
French, upon the demand Of the Uni
ted States upon Louis Napoleon, the
unfortunate Macmillan fell n victim
70 the advice OF those who had first
seduccd him. lie died, aud his beau
tilul, accomplished and wise Empress,
became and remains TO day "A maniac,
and an object of pity to noble minds
everywhere.
Upon the downfall OF MaXimilian,
the rlghtful President, In 1867, resumed
his functions and out Of u chaos for
which he was In wise accountable, be-
gan and continued, wisely aud well to
bring order aud good government, He
was triumphantly reelected President
after Il service of eight years, only in
terrupted by the intervention, In all
that time, there was no domestic revo.
luton against him. The law was adj
ministered, a thousand abuses cor
rected, the public schools greatly ex-
tended, religious liberty guaranteed,
railroads and telegraphs constructed,
and In all respects constitutional, en-
| lightened liberty fixed on basis never
before obtained.
In all that series of portentous years
Sebastian Lerdo de TeXada, learned
civilian, was in the Cabinet Of Juare2,
and when the latter died the former
scCeeded him In the presidency, and
has continued to carry out the same
wise and benelicent policy &
The darkest spot on the public men
OF Mexico for fifteen years past Is the
fact that General Porfirio Diaz, a ma
tive of OaXaca in the south, a gallant
soldier against the French, should
abandon his own enlightened State,
the Virginia of Mexico, and the, moth
er Of Juarez, Comonfort, MeXla, Alta.
mirano and Romero, and hide among
Cortina's thieves and robbers on
the Rio GrGnde In order to fonent q
revolution against such government
| in Mexico: "A government sustained 10y
the party of liberty to which Dia2 has
ever heretofore professed allegiance
Whatever may be the result, rs II
friend of that country IN its long and
heroic atruggles against countless odds,
pray God that Diaz and his adher-
ents may be ingloriouely defeated,
They deserve no sympathy from any
right thinking American.
Much more might be said and espec-
tally on the border difficulties which
Diaz's success will augment rather
than repress, for the simple reason that
be IL sustained by the predatory
thieves OF the MeXican Rio Grande
border.
Let 1t be borne In mind that since
Juare2 entered the capitol as President
in 1859, seventeen years ago, there has
been no interruption 10y revolution or
otherwise than by the French inter
yention, in the presidency. Juarez
served in all about twelve years, dur
ing only the first year and a half OF
which was his right disputed. Lerdo
de Tejada has served four years, full
term, without interruption but his
successor is soon to be chosen and II Is
charged that Daz's revolution IL in
tended to force him into the presden.
cy. But Lerdo ls learned, wise and
experienced civilian, and Is Infinitely
preferable to Diaz.
The ordinary little revolutions we so
often see heralded in the press, are
generally grossly exaggerated. They
are almost always confined to given
locality and affect only the govern
ment of some town, district or possibly
Il custQmhouse. But even these dlsor-
ders, since the constitution OF 1857, are
disappearing. The government, so tar,
has promptly suppressed every such
move since that year.
The Rio Grande border is an eXcep.
tional locality, and is populated by a
rude, half ranchero, half robber class
of half civilized Indians, who few
generations back were as wild as the
Comanches of to-day--a race never
having been in anywise connected
with the ancient civilized nations OF
Central and Southern Mexico, some
times called the Aztecs, ofwhich there
were seven kindred tribes, all well
advanced in civilization.
The constitutional government. OF
Mexico, for nearly twenty years, has
made wonderful progress. The rising
generation is being educated. But the
northern frontier, with its rude popu-
lation, Is a thousand miles from
the capitol, without communica'
tiou by rail or wa1r ana,
therefore, with the best Intentions
on the part Of the general Governments
| 1t has thus far been unable to repres-
crime and enforce the laws OF comfy
towards the United States, These dis,
orders are chiefly confined to the coast
and border State of 'Iamaulipas aud
the river corner of Nueyo Leon. In
Tamaulipas are the Important restless
and revolutionary towns OF Matamoros,
Victoria and Tampico, each The rival
seat of rival faction, ever cohtehnlns