El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-07-21
NEUTRALITY" THE SCApE GOAT

In Q late issue of the ''Revista Inter
nacionsl," published in Ciudad Juarez
appears q remarkable article, which /,
reprinted in another part of today's
HERALD. 1t Is strictly anonymous
being signed "Vsrious Mexicans." At.
tempts to discover its authorship have
been unsuccessful.
We propose to show that the posi-
tions assumed by the writer's of the
article in question are entirely unten-
able. The celebration of Independ-
ence Day in this city was arranged by
American citizens for the purpose of
demonstrating to the world that Ell
Paso is not lacking in real pa
triotism. When the preparations
were well under way and the Fourth
drew near it did look very much as if
the nation was going to be able to ce-
lebrate the fall Of Santiago. But the
movement dragged along, and the peo-
BILE began to make up their minds that
q long and tedious siege would be ne
oesssry in order to reduce the city.
Saturday and Sunday before the Fourth
the news came In of the terrible loss
90 the Americans had sustained in the
attack without having q great deal to
show for them. So serious did the situs-
ton look on the morning OF the Fourth
that IL was actually suggested by those
having the affair in charge that the
flag, after being raised to the top of
the pole In the plaza, should be low
cred to half mast, in memory of the
heroic dead on the field of battle.
That was the prevailing spirit,
then, at the dawn of that day.
After the ceremonies had begun in
the plaza the telegraphic dispatches
began to come in which told of the
great and glorious victory of Schley
over Cervers at Santiago. OF course
there was rejoicing. OF course the
celebration wssstransformed.into q glo-
riicstion of our army and navy mot a
vilifcation of SPAIN. But who, we
ask, could have foreseen this contin-
genoy? So 1t seems that this plea of
our Mexican friends is specious one
Independence Day has been a ma
tional holiday for one hundred and
twenty-five years. 1t has been cell
ebrated every year in some fashion.
or course it is not to be denied for an |
instant that the celebration this year |
took on somewhat different charac-
ter because of our being engaged in |
war at the time. 1t reused all our
highest and best patriotic spirit and |
fervsnt love Of country. But it is non
sense to say that q foreigner by his |
mere presence on such an occasion as |
our Independence Day celebration
gives sanction to all the sentiments
there expressed or commits himself to
any expression Of local or national
opinion.
The men who are responsible for
the letter give the whole case away in
heir reference to President Diaz.
They apparently approve of the course
Of the president, but, they say, he
would have done the same at the re-
quest OF q Spanish colony under the
same circumstances" Grant this.
Grant that the president was exercis-
ing the strictest neutrality in acting
As he did (which we firmly believe),
shen 1t looks rs II the Jusrez "neu-
trails" standing sloof, must have been
animated by some other impulse than
merely desire to preserve strict neu-
trality. II this is not SO, then these
men took IL upon themselves to ad
minister q severe rebuke to their chief
executive.
Some Of the leading Mexican citi-
zens of Jusrez, be 1t said to their ere
lit, accepted with good grace the invi-
Iation of the committee to honor the
occasion by their presence. The
good fellowship shown on that occasion
between the citizens of the two coun-
iries was so marked that it became the {