The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-02-04
it's gratitude by naming a state after
each of these patriots,

Independence was acknowledged by
Spain in the treaty of Aguala, August,
1921, and Augustin Iturbide became
provisional president. The crown was
offered to a royal prince of Spain but
being declined, Iturbide was proclaimed
emperor May, 1922. In March, 1923,
ten months later, he had to flee for his
life and returning from England in
1924 was taken prisoner and shot. Be-
tween 1921 and 1868 the form of gov
eminent was changed ten times. Over
fifty persons succeeded each other as
presidents, dictators or emperors, both
emperors being shot-Iturbide in 1924
and Miximilian in 1867-and more than
three hundred successful or abortive
revolutions ere recorded but amid all
this confusion the thoughtful student
will detect a steady progress towards
the ultimate triumph of those Liberal
ideas which are the true basis of ma
tional freedom. The long struggle be-
tween the aristocratic and clerical
| party termed EScOSSe8 and the Demo
cratic element styled Y0rkinOS or Lib
erals has definitely resulted in victory
for the latter, as with the similar strug-
| gle In France.
The first constitution was adopted in
1924 and was modelled upon that Of
the United States, though strange to
say this country did not recognize the
Mexican Republic till 1929. In 1888 80
there was war between Mexico and
! France. In 1915 Texas seeded, and
when President Santa Anna attempted
to coerc her at the head of his army,
she took the president prisoner. On
June 4, 1916, war between Mexico and
the United States began over a dispute
as to the little strip of territory between
the Nueces and the Rio Grande rivers ;
Texas having become a member of the
American Union, which claimed the
Rio Grande as the boundary, while
Mexico asserted that the Nueces river,
a few miles farther north, was the true
line. This war was ended nearly three
years later by the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, ratified May 10, 1848, whereby
Mexico coded quite half of her entire
territory. Meantime General Taylor
had won the battles of Palo Alto, Re
SAGA de la Palma and Monterey in
1916, and the brilliant victory of Buena
Vista on Feb. %, 1847, where he de-
feated four times his number. In March
of the latter year General Scott landing
at Vera Cruz had marched on the cap
ital, defeating the enemy at the Nation
al Bridge, C~ontreas, Cherubusco, Cerro
Gordo, Molino del Rey, and Chapulte-
pee, and capturing the capital in Sep
TENDER. Several years later, in 1853,
the United States purchased the lower
part of Arizona for so, 600, 900, a trans
action knownas the Gadsden purchase.
In 1857 the new constitution was
adopted, which with some slight
notifications is still in force. In 1861
the British, French and Spanish gov,
ernments jointly invaded Mexico in
the interest of their subjects who held
the re%pudiated bonds of Mexico. The
English and Spanish withdrew the next
year, but the French persisted and in
July, 1868, set up an imperial govern
ment and caused the crown to be ten,
dered to Macmillan, an Austrian,
archduke who entered the country
with his empress in 1864. Under pres.
sure from the United States, which had
been relieved from it's internal compli.
cations, the French troops were grad,
ually withdrawn in 1866 and 1867, and
Macmillan being left without support,
was captured and shot at Queretaro
June 10, 1867, together with his two
leading generals, Miramon and Mejia.
Juarez, a full-blood Indian by the way,
became president and restored order
with a firm hand. Ee died in 1871 and
was succeeded by Lerdo de Tejada.
In 1876 Porfirio Diaz headed a sue
cessful revolution and became presi
dent, but was defeated at the election
of 1880 by Gonzales. In 1884, however,
General Diaz was elected, and reelected
in 1888 and again in 1892. He is a man
of superior ability and has the conf,
dence of the country as an upright and
, patriotic man. In Mexico, as in France,
the era of revolution seems to be closed
and the country has apparently entered
upon a long period of profound repose
and peaceful development.
Such is a summary of the stormy
history of a country whose people have
been as volcanic as their soil. Theil
government is modelled upon that Of
tbio ooI1Dtru Tboro ora fuzoofu- oo1oT