Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-08

over the figures again and make sure there
is no mistake. 1t seems incredible that this
fateful figure should be on the verge of
three score and ten. Yet he was born in
1S30-approprately enough on the eve of
the birthday of Mexican independence (Sep-
tember 16)-and this is generally taken to
be 1899.
man of 55, with speech as compelling,
capillaries as free, eyes as eagle clear, is
envied; and l have never known a man Of
any age whose step was younger.
The expectation that this undimmed vet
eran-the greatest soldier and the greatest
statesman that Spanish America has ever
produced, and one of the large names in
both rosters for all history-is to revisit the
United States (he was here in 1888 on a
supplemental bridal tour), g,ves the inter-
est OF the day to a brief summary of one of
the most astounding careers of record.
Like Hero of Romance.
strangely romantic mixture, surely, is
this soldierly figure who has wrought such
miracles in Mexico. The chief drawback to
him as a subject for literature is that no
fctionist would dare invent anything so
Improbable" as his established theory. An
orphan nobody in a backwoods corner of
Mexico; a callow theologue; a green law
student, earning his way through little
Mexican institute CIVIL a boy mayor Of an
Indian hamlet, wheedling his aboriginal con-
stituents into drilling for fun-and then
drilling them for business enough to capture
the capital of the state when usurper held
1t; a guerrilla chief in the wasting wars OF
the Reforma, when stolid, stubborn sound
but taotless Juarez was trying to put the
church between fences and keep 1t there;
the Sheridan and Grant in one through that
unequal war in which Mexico protected
against the usurpation Of the little Napoleon;
political opponent, at last, of his friend and
patron, the great Indian president, and for
nineteen years himself president of the
country he first gave fair title to call itself
q republic; a field officer as dashing as our
Funston, and of as phenomenal exploits, but
in half a hundred battles; a commanding
general whose grasp OF a whole campaign
has never been surpassed on this side of
the world; man as selfmade as our rail-
splitter, and fortuned to wreak a far more
vital change in his native land than even
the extingushment of slavery was in ours
here Is certainly enough material for hero.
And I deeply believe that IL there Is such a
thing at ALL II mankind has call to be
proud of any special flower of manhood, for
its own sake and not for racial vanity,
Portrlo Diaz Is entitled to whatever love
and esteem manhood can give to manhood
and from whatever point OF view.
A Man Among Men.
With a good deal of the Napoleonic in
sight and inevitableness, there is no suspi-
cion Of the selfishness, the coldness, or that
certain atrophy of humanity which marked
the greatest soldier of all time. Diaz is al
ways human. always Of that untranslata able
quality his people call simpatico, for which
we have no nearer approach than winning
and magnetic" cool egoist might have
whipped the armies of MaXimilian, but he
never could have fused Mexico into the ma
tton II ds today-and 1t is doubtful II ne
could even have made the same record in
war. 1t is always to be remembered as a