Phoenix weekly herald. [volume] (Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Territory) 1896-1899, 1898-09-22
MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY.

/ Mexican independence Day ana rlgn
| royalty are the citizens of Mexican
I birth OF Mexican descent in Phoeni1
celebrating the event. The history o
the struggle of Mexico for freedom
from the tyrapical rule of Spain is {
story of absorbing interest as the his
story Of as absorbing interest rs the his
yoke by the Americans From the es
tablishment of Spanish rule, following
the conquest of Cortez, Mexico had
been under the rule of Il Viceroy of
| Spain. an officer whose authority was
as wide and autocratic as that of the
most absolute monarchy ever known
| With but very few exceptions the gov
ernment of Mexico under these Vice
rOys had been tyranouS, Vicious and
wicked. The people had been oppres-
| sed and ens1aved Freedom of thought
and action was practically unknown.
But the light of freedom and of lib
erty shining in the north was sending
| its beacon lights unto the people of
| Mexico and pointing TO them a way
for liberty. Discussion, carried on
Il small scant organization was eff
fected by a highly educated priest.
named Manuel Hidalgo. Plans for an
uprising We're made and the signal
was TO have been given on October f.
at GuanajautO, Leon, Queretaro and
other points in the central part of the /
republic But there We're traitors in /
the confidence of he good priest and |
the governor of Queretaro was warn |
ed of the intended uprising. On the /
night of September 18th a meeting was !
held at the residence of the Governor
to arrange plans for the arrest of Hi
daIgo and all those associated with
him. Sonora Josepha Ortiz wife of one
of the officials, and of whom Padre
Hidalgo had been the father confessor.
learned the object of the meeting and
hastened to the portal where she COM
municated through a large key hole to
the Captain of the Guard and directed
him to ride quickly to Hidalgo and
warn him of his danger. Arriving at
the little mission Dolores, some seven
miles from Gqanajauto, where Hidal-
go was stationed, the priest was given
Being a man of action he
rang the bell of his
church to call the people together, it
being II o'clock at night, told
them what he had decided upon and
lred men led by Hidalgo and Aldama,
and armed mostly with clubs began
he movement for the independence of L
Mexico. Marching to the military l
post of San Miguel a few miles dis [
ant they were Joined by Captain AL 6
ende and the troops under him. /
Thence they marched the morning of
he 10th to Guanajauuo where the first (
1aittIe of the revolution was fought, '
he revoluionists finally capturing the :
.ity. Three hundred Spanish, who :
lad taken refuge in the Alhondiga de
franaditiS, now the state prison, were '
,ut TO death.
Hidalgo and his companions were
DON joined by large force of natives
tut being poorly armed his efforts L
we're exerted in avoiding direct battle 4
With the superior armed Spanish, hop It
ng by attacking small bands of troops Il
o capture enough arms to equip his 1
,wn forces. A rapid advance was
made toward the north, but before any Il
uccess worth mentioning had been at Il
aimed Hida1go was betrayed in the lit I
le town of Acatita de Bajan in the -
tate of Chihuahua in June 1911. AL i
enda. AIdama and Jimenez were be e
ieaded on June .26 and Hidalgo Oh =
uly 81. The heads of the four lead
rs were then carried to Guanajauto
nd hung on spikes at the four corners -
f the Alhondiga as Il warning to revo-
urionfsts of what they could expect
rom the bloodthrirsty and cruel Span
lrdS :,
But though the leaders had beer be =
raved and beheaded the spirit of lib IL
rly had not been killed. Morales took az
p the cause in the south and finally 80
Il 1921 Mexico attained her independ- :.
roe in
All citizens of this country of Nfexi- m
an birth have cause to be proud of q,
he achievements of their forefathers -
n breaking the yoke of Spanish op- in
ression. Reason to be proud OF the
reat advancement their native coun- q.
ry has made under the beneficent rule -
f that great leader of men President :
'orfirio Diaz. But in all the celebra-
ion today they have good reason 10 -
e even more proud of the land of
heir adoption, of the United States of
America. 1t was the United States.
h,ough President Monroe which P
warned the Holy Alliance in 1923 that fc
ny attempt on the part of European W
atiOns to assist Spain in reconQuering pl
er rchellious colonies would be ac to
eptcd as an act of aggression against ST
he United States and thus insured to fO
Iexico her independence so dearly til
ought. was the United States gov az
which through Mr.. Seward Ii
hen Secretary of State, notified France m
L 1866 that she must withdraw her N
rOops from Mexican soil, and it was al
he United States which furnished de
aurez with 100000 stands of arms to to
quip his followers for driving Maxi te
lillian and his foreign troops out of lie
ie country; and it was the United Or