The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-27
..The Awakening of n Nation"

Mr.. Charles +. Lummis is very well
known in the Southwest as a writer of
books Of travel and editor of a bright
little periodical called THE Land of Sun
shine" IN The Awakening of a Ma
ton" he has done what is thus far not
only his most ambitious work, but prob
ably his best. The book originally ap-
| peared in serial form in Harper's Maya
zine. II is, in brief, the story Of the de-
velopment Of Mexico under Diaz; that is,
the history Of the silver Republic for the
! last twenty years. Mr.. Lummis spent
some ten years in the study Of his sub
| ject and brought TO the work a thorough
/ knowledge Of Spanish, considerable ex-
| perience Of Spanish-American character
! and customs, gained in Southern Califor-
! MIA and = remarkable liking for the peo-
pie and things with which he had to deal.
Ills view Of Mexico is very much like
| I.afcadio Hearns view Of Japan. What
J ever faults II may have, lack of apprecia-
/ ton is not one Of them. And, after all.
! the man who really likes a country is
! much more likely to get a fair view of
! it than the man who does not. Mr. Lum-
! mis- says some very pungent things about
] the reports which other travellers have
/ brought back from Mexico. On his very
/ first page we find this:
u 4 rather particular friend Of mine shall ever
! come 10 bc Gar land have. after all one or two
reasons 20 hope he may not his first concern viii
/ be- 10 issue these cdicts:
/ % 4 course of travel shall be compulsory for
{ al aLe-bodi,d adult citizens.
! 81 No traveller shall print anything about any
country whose language he cannot speak.
/ By this iwo-edrod ukase my iricBd-who is much
a. hgoJ IN some matters-Would bring public
( enlightenment 20 bloom by ottiu" off the twin
sit still IN that birthright prejudice whereby We
despisc everything We know nothing about noi
I anybody again disseminate the uniusIiTcd gucSsa.
Of Travelled bat, why, then, declares my friend
II viii be impossible for the world 10 keep on Sc
stupid and intolerant now.
And again he says:
The nineteenth century's end may be too early
Tor uS 10 allow thar Providence personally creatct
anything outside the United States; but. at an,
rate, the apprentices who did some other portion,
ri mankind were fairly competent.
And he has some lively remarks t.
make about the Americans vino are TO 10
found in Mexico.
II Is not pleasant for the Saxon traveller in
land OF infinite good breeding 10 confess the fac
that such Of the mother tongue as Details his cal
upon the street comes very largely under tn,
! .bIgot' classification. There are fine types O
American and English manhood in Mexico, type
from and creditable to metropolis and frontier
but the wayiarer Is sometimes given to wondc
where they are. The truth is Of course, thai
they are about their business, leaving the queen
and our English 10 be carried in the stree
10y ah7lher sort Outside Of the indiyid
uals Of decenCy, two broad classes Of American
invade these countries and make it a wonder O
iofbear3ncc that their next countr1man is no
shown The door. One class (now, perforce dwind
4 llBgl proceeds upon the pickhandle policy: If on
ct these BANKED dagos does not comprehend. 0
IS tribe slow-why, fetch him one over the hea,
with the nearest club. This IS the way to ge
respect among the bloody heather. The other elias
has for fetch not the bull. but the fox 1t is self
evident that people who do not talk English mus
be dishonest. Therefore. if you would sue