Evening star., 1898-09-10
Present Attitude of That Country
Toward the United States.
NOT AFRAID OF OUR new POLICY
A Tribute to President Diaz and
His Successor.
THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY
lpeciaI Correspondence of The Evening star.
CITY OF MEXICO.

6uetlal Correspondence OF Ihe Evening star.
CITY OF MEXICO.
September 3 1893.
The republic Of Mexico is making extern
sive preparations for the celebration of
"Wednesday. Thursday and Friday Septem-
Der II. 10 ard Ii. which this year marks
the eighty-eighth anniversary of the dec
laration of Mexican Independence from
Spain. and the sixty-eighth birthday of
Gen. POrfrio Diaz. the chief executive of
the nation. The celebration will differ
from the anniversaries of other years in
the added note of Thanksgiving. sounded by
reason of the achievement OF Cuban indie
pendence, which completes the downfall of
Spanish power in America. begun by the
Mexican revolt Of 1910.
1t is sight worth seeing. when the Mex
lean public gives itself over TO the observ-
aEce of this. its chief civic holiday season.
After the thOroUgh-going southern fashion.
the festivities are extended through three
nights and two days. The chief event is
when tens of thousands of people mass
Into the great Plaza de IA Constitution. on
which fronts the National Palace and the
Grand Cathedral.
\ band OF several hundred pieces num-
beTiug the best musicians from all the mil
itary zones, serenades the president and
wife when they appear on the balconies,
looking out from the hall of the arnbassa-
dors. where they then hold their annual
reception to the diplomatic corps and the
elite of Mexican and foreign society. Fire
works torch the night. all the church bells
ring and cam on are fired from the cita-
dels when the president appears on the CEN
trail balcony Of the palace and gives the
'GritO de ibcrtad.' in memory of the time
when the cry of liberty was first raised
against Spain in 1910. Mexico has not for
gotten the terrors of the times leading up
to hyr national independence in 1921. and
many in the cheering mutitudes still shout
Death to SPAIN as did their patriotic
fCreHears when the century was young.
>mypathized With Us.
The influential Spanish colony in Mexico
has been so active in its support of Spain
fl the Cuban war that many Americans
have mistakenly supposed that this
wealthy minority represented the masses
Of the Mexican people. and that the SYM
pathies OF the whCle nation were for the
side OF Spain. The truth is that the Gu
bans and the United States have had no
more sympathetic allies in the contest
than the majority Of Nexicans OF course
some allowance must be made for the fact
that the M-XiCanS are bound To Spain by
IN" ties OF a common language. reHginn
and traditions and with the same natural
Latin prejudice toward the AnglO-S1xon.
Sgn.e members of the conservative Darty
fave seen in the war of the United States
as9lrst Spain the beginning of an aggres-
Siv- policy Of expansion on the part Of
their northern reiShbor, and have sided
with Spain for that reason But the great
cr number of MeXicaus knowing the
friendly attitude Of the United States to-
ward tAelr own country. realize that every
growth in strength and power on the part
Of the = eat republic will also add 10 the
security and advantage of the smaller one.
Wishing 10 avoid foreign entanglements.
the Mexican government has kept dis
Creetly silent, but no nation rejOiceS more
heartily over the fall of Spanish power
then Mexico. for her experience before in
Trr.1-y
Spanish colonies past and present When
the Spanish &C nqucred Mexico early in the
sixteenth century. the native Indian pop
uIation was estimated at ~ 900 600 Three
centuries of murderous Spanish rule re-
duced it 70 the 13.OOO.0U making up the
present census
EnmIty for Castillo.
When the patriot priest Hidaigo, led an
fnsurrection against Spain in 1910 he and
his principal followers were promptly exc
cuted on capture by the Spaniards and
their heads were hung by iron hooks on
the outer walls OF the citadel at Guiana
juato. as a perpetual warning of the fate
OF all who ever dared to speak the name
Of liberty. The cruelty disgraced heads OF
tho fathers Of Mexican independence now
rest in crystal tomb under the altar OF
the kings in the cathedral in the City OF
Mexico, and when they were placed there
The ceremony was attended by such ar
outburst of patriotism the part of the
Mexican people as could leave no doubt
Of their underlying enmity to CASTLE
Large amounts of money and war supplies
have been quietly sent from Mexico to the
Cuban insurgents in the past three years
as was also done for the ten years wal
ending in 1878.
The birthday of President Diaz is each
year Increasingly observed by both Mexi-
cans and foreign residents who almost
unanimously agree that he is the practical
savior Of Mexico in the advances accom-
nils hEf N he lEaGz
which he has been in Office Were Mexico
a frst-Class power II is probable Dia1
would be generally recognized as one OF
the largest figures in contemporaneous his
tory He has stamped out revolution wher,
powder is naturally in the blood of the
people. and has made life and propert,
in that once wild land as safe as it is IL
the United States if not indeed safer IN
some particulars He has encouraged rail
road building to the extent of the nearly
1OUO0 miles now paying good dividends Il
their American and European owners. ant
has fostered the investment of foreign
capital that hundreds of millions of Amer
lean money is now profitabIy planted IN
the mines. mills and other Industries O
this country.
Wise President.
President Diaz has built up a system O
free public education. 50 that any one VIII.
today desires self-improvement can receiv,
fl at the public expense The president hal
frequently said that the public school sys
tenn is one Of the strong factors in hi
country's future, and that the 50. 500 90
which the government Is now spending an
nualIy on this branch of the public seryic,
viii be increased rather than diminished.
No one has been a more interested OBJ
server OF the Spanish American war anC
the effectiveness OF modern killing machin
cry than General Diaz. He ia slowly build