New-York tribune., 1885-03-15
BOYS RULING IN MEXICO.
HOW TIE eTUDENTs SURPRISED THE
COUNTRY AND THEMSELVES.

MExics,. Feb. %.
visitor in the City Of Mexico Is the number of
| solemn looking young men, from fifteen tn twenty
i've. or even thirty years Of aec, who. with open
book NJ hand pace to and fro IN the shade Of the
lofty ash anil eucalyptus trees in the Alameda.
Chemical formulas. medical lore. rules OF Latin
svhtax. scraps from the Pandects Of Justinian and
what not you boar they pass you; for apparently
0bIviuus OF yOur presence they study III loud
voice AUD with deepest earnestnrss. These are the
staents OF the various universities aud schools Of
law. medicine line arts ETC., numbering in all some
four thousand.
To many American students the Mexican student
might appear very tame sort of fellow. He sees
no fun whatever in haziag freshman and similar
ab,Isements in which the American student
delights. The last place TO look for him at is the
billiard saloon snd the hast thing that troubles him
is the of his bieeps. One cannot resist the
cuson that the main object OF the Mexican student
is 10 learn, whether ones observations be made in
tho walks of the Alameda. or In the balconies that
surround the courts of the old monasteres that
now used colleges, the lofty battlomeDts OF
the old Castle of Chapultepec. where. amid the
grandest scenery the military cadets promenade
rccitLg to themselves the equations Of curves or
the laws of trajectGres.
THE sTUDENTS UPRISING.
Until November 1884, the Mexican student had
taken no interest in politics. In time of he had
shown enough patriotism, but in time of peace he
had been as content to let few srhemers from the
upper class take charge of his interests citizen
rs tue American student Is TO let ths lower class
look after his at the primaries The revolutions
that have hitherto shaken Mexico have involved no
republican principle. They have been simply
struggles for power between influential cheitaius
each backed by following that cared only for pay
and plumber The whole country has looked with
conposure upon the most hagrant violations of the
Constitution, and its Congress has. without pro-
test. played the role of the Roman Senate under
Augustus. Up 10 the hour when Diaz Miron. a
young man with the ink scarcely dry upon Lis col
lego diploma. arose in the Chamber Of Deputies and
deiel the whole power of the despot Gonzales. tile
constitutional welfare Of his country had been the
last thing that had ever troubled the Mexican
student. But within twent four hours OK that time
he became power more feare and respected than
any other civil power in the land And in less than
forty gt hours tho students of the City Of Mexico
were or1anzed into q political body. developing a
viaor. an influence and a system Of tactics that
compelled the most tyrannical and determined
administration Mexico has ever had to SIT down
and eat humble pie in the shadow Of the sword
ID l,,d drawn to maintain It's authority.
IL is idle TO speculate upon what might have
oreurred in Mexico if the students had taken no
p,rt in the debate upon tho conversion of the Eng
sh debt. IL is certain that up To the hour when
Miron arose. no opposition had been developed. A
few of the newspapers had ventured mild editorial
criticism of some features of the bll pending in
Congress- and afew private letters in the papers had
disapproved of it, But it was the universal opinion
among those best acquainted W til the workings Of
| tie Mcxlcan Constitution that il woull pass a
matter of c0ur-e: for Congress dared not do any
thing else. Even the tone of what little opposition
had heen expressed in the papers was of the depor
INC kind-tactiy recognizing the tact OF the passage
| of the bill and deploring its necessity.
IL N equally probable that even among the
students there had been little no discussion of tht
| uattsr; ani 1t rs certain that there had been M
! concert OF action among them. Congress meet at I
ocl.ck an honr when ueIry all the students are a
| leisure aud many Ind Oitcrsd in from the Alameds
or from the various colleges with their books nnde,
| their arms apparently ont Of curiosity
When the debate opened there was scarcely
polieeinan on duty. In two days 200 officers seat
cred about the galleries of the theatre of Iturbide
where tho Chambero Deputies meets. could not kecp
| order Tbe students at once took entire charge OF
tue campaign The congress vas entirely at their
mercy Speakers on the side of the Government
were utterly extingnishcd D. hooting. grolning,
| coughing and guying. while the few IN Imposition
were chcerod 10 the highest pitch of enthusiasm.
They stirred up the peope and the .pr'ss with
Spqfehe| prnteI addresses anh p'r@,ss: @ ana
the members of the Honse. The strong Govern
ment majority began to crninble away. and by the
| time the chairman got mad euongI to order the
ral cries cleared he fonud the Huuse had passed
beyond hs control. For the minority openly
declared that they ,wonll leave and break the
auorflm unless tn galleries were allowed 10 remain.
Frnm tins moment the students were masters of
the stuaton Long lines of 9itt"rig hav 1nets and
sahre1 in the streets outside Of the theatre and the
rattle Of muskatrv over their comuahiOns' heads
inst ou side the door, could not restrain them. and
three DAYS in succcssnn the chairman had to
adjourn the session in upr1ar%ns CONFUSION. while
the theatre. hundreds mrre we're Mt work outside
stirring mp the peopIe until the opposition became
so great aud threatening that even President Go -
yales ono of tho bravest ani most neadstroua
autocrats that ever lived in anv country. ordered
an guominions withdrawal of the bill he had
The bravery Of the students in the face Of over
wnemlng odds and against policemen and soldiers
not acc ,stomcd to forbearancc toward mob. Was
remarkable In several places they attacked both
soldiers and arm. aud nOnnred police aud carried
oH aud concealed SO well their dead and wounded
that their number is not known to this day w hen
en- ayalrv fred their heads to intinlidate them
thcy called ont "What are you firing up there for
YOU cowardsG Here we are. down heTeT In the
face of the troops they yelled Death To GonzseS"
and hootcd and groaned at both officers and soldiers
then selves within fifteen feet of theni. Some OF
their morc delicate modes OF ANNOYANCE were even
more effective such rs bothering the officers with
mock words Of command in imitation of their
voices.
PERMANENT ORGANIZATION.
will the MEXICAN Estndents relapse into their
former indifference and leave unfinished the work
thus auspic,onsly begun! 1t Il certain that it will
mead something more than hand OF . few thous2 nd
studeuts however fiery their enthusiasm. to rnise
Mexico to republic tn fact instead "f republic
onlv In name. II they find themselves waging .
hopeless fight against tho power Of the Government
on the ono hand and anapatheicpeople on the other
they may finally give 1t up. But no ono who
mingled with them during tho seven exciting days