San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-10
Tlrc daily Eight.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1895
SCENES IN WONDERLAND.
Two Cele brations- Bismarck and
Diaz Rsturned-Banqueted.
Personals.

brated Prince BlSmarck'S SOth
birthday by giving banquet that
night at the Teruili Reinaro. The
committee Of arrangement spared
no expense to make it a grand sue
cess. They decorated the hall with
the German, Mexican and Ameri-
can colors and flags, wreaths OF
evergreen, Chinese and colored
lights. They had photographs of
Bismarck, Emperor William the
first, Frederick and Emperor Will
liam II hung up in the hall.
When they met in the morning
they sent telegram of congratu-
lation to Bismarck and at night
toasts were drank to his health and
eulogistic speeches delivered
by the President, Mr.. Paul
Burshardt, and Doctor Paul
Wicker, Of Victoria, Texas, who
was elected that day vice president,
and others.
The health of the Emperor and
Empress were also proposed and
drank and many patriotic speeches
made and songs sung. While they
were at the height of their joleifica-
ton the president received a large
pie as a present from the ladies.
1t was turned over to the Vice
President, DR.. Wicker, who cut it
up and served it, but when they
commenced to eat it they found
out it was made Of CHILEAN Anril
fool.
THE SECOND OF APRIL.
This was POrfirio Diaz's day in
picturesque Monterey. 1t was
twenty-eight years ago today, that
he met the army Of Macmillan at
Puebla and took the city by storm.
Among the prisoners were
eleven generals and three bishops.
BY law all the officers taken
prisoners were to be shot as trait
ors, and so were the foreigners who
remained after the French army
had been withdrawn. But Gener.
al Diaz, like General Grant, pre-
ferred to be magnanimous. He
would not comply with the
letter Of the law. When they
surren dered, General Diaz pre-
sented himself without guards and
politely invited them to follow him
to the Episcopal palace, where
there were over 600 officers who
were making their confession, as
all OF them well knew what they
did and that they deserved death.
When Gen. DiaZ called them up he
addressed them thus: "Gentlemen,
III Is very painful to me. 1t is i'm
possible for me to execute the pun
1snment which the law imposes,
and there is no other alternative
Tor me but to make you prisoners
but L remember well my own suf,
ferlng while prisoner in the same
place, and | wish to avoid YOUR be.
ing put to such straits. Go, then
you are free. All | ask OF YOU is
that you put yourselves at the dis
position OF the supreme govern,
ment, II you are so ordered. The
nation will pronounce its sentence
upon the empire, but it will be in
ID Its misguided sons
Those were god-like words and they
struck responsive chord in the
hearts OF the prisoners. The mer
who few minutes before were NOR
tai enemies pledged themselves tC
be friends. Among the prisoners
was Colonel Escamilla, who ioineC
the French, and when Marshal Ba
zaine offered $4,000 for the cap
ture OF Gen. Dlaz or proof Of hiI
death, the colonel offered an add
tiOnal thousand. When Gen. Diai
went up to him, he hung his heaC
and the tears began to run dowr
his cheeks, as he expected to be or
dered out and shot at once. TIL,
general addressed him thus: "Colo
mel, that imprudent action wa
suggested by blind duty; let Vi
forget it," From that hour on. rs
camilla was one Of his most Iowa
followers.
During the previous week Gen
eral Bernardo Reyes had a larg
force OF men putting the Porfiri
Dlaz Alameda in order, and so dit
the municipal authorities, so tina
by the evening of the first every
thing was ready for the celebra
ton. There were eighteen ar
lights, hundreds of Chinese Ian
terms and colored lights distribute
through the grounds. Every tree
lamp post, band stand and all tn
seats were decorated with the ma
tional colors.
On the afternoon of the frs
there was sham battle on tn
Military reservation, and at sur
rise OF the second, there was pres
dental salute fired, music by tn
bands and the ringing of tn
church bells throughout the city