Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-06-15

e In the far east, Morse was workin
hard to make the electric telegraph
success; the railway was In its infancy
Martin Van Buren had been but fey
mopths in the presidential chair, whe
on the foreign soil Of distant Ney
Mexico, the tragic struggle occurre'
which eliminated where we stand ant
of which you will hear from the gen
tlemen who are to speak to us this at
ternoon.
We are happy in having with us the
son, a granddaughter, and a great.
granddaughter of Governor Perez, al
of whom will participate in the exer.
cises of this occasion.
a few rods northeast of us, pious
I hands have erected over the spot where
the assassinated governor drew his fin
al breath, thA symbol Of oug religion II
seemed fittt,lg t.at we should mark
the spot where the attack was made
we have therefore placed the stone
where you see it today.
Hon. Demetrio Perez of Las Vegas,
was the next speaker and had just
closed his address when a driving hail
storm dispersed the audience, everyone
running for shelter or turning home
ward. Mr.. Perez spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: In response
to your courteous invitation to me and
my family to be present today on this
spot of sad remembrance to us for the
! nf fol orti IN ha
sive ceremony of the dedication of the
monument erected by you to the men,
ory of my deceased father, Don Albino
Perez, who was the governor of this
territory under the regime of the Re-
public of Mexico from the year 1885 up
9th day of August, 1887, on this same
spot, we appear here as the living rep
resentative descendants of him.
| Nearly sixty-four years have passed
since the most brutal and bloody trag-
edy of his assassination was enacted
on this identical place by the infuriated
mob who had revolted against his au-
thorty, and I thank God for having
spared my life to witness, in my old
age, the erection of a monument mark
ing this spot to perpetuate the memory
of my illustrious father, and 1t seems
that Providence had left to you, my no.
Bile and patriotic ladies', the accomplish
ment of this deed
This monument, while perpetuating
| the memory of my illustrious father,
will also transmit to posterity the
name of your noble and patriotic So
ciety, to be blessed and cherished by
future generations for your benevo-
lence and true patriotism in honoring
| those heroes who have surrendered
| their lives defending their country, and
in the cause of liberty and humanity.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I ask
your forgiveness for not speaking any
longer, and for purposely refraining
| from telling you the historical facts
connected with t. life and public SER
vices of my noble and illustrious faith
er; the story, with it's heartrending
termination, has been told time and
again, and I can add nothing new. Ev-
en- should l attempt to go over the in
cidents of his career, the sad emotions
| of my heart at this solemn and i'm
pressive moment forbid me from at
tempting such narration. Add to this
my impaired health, and know that
you will readily forgive the brevity of
my remarks. I therefore close by ex-
pressing to you, my noble and patriotic
ladies, in the name of myself and my
beloved family now present with me
here, the sincere gratitude of our hearts
for your noble deed.
The following is the address which
was to have been delivered by Jose D.
Sena, clerk of the supreme court of New
Mexico, when the storm cut short the
exercises:
Ladies and Gentlemen As you can
see from the printed program of this oc-
casion, am not the one who had been
previously selected to narrate to you on
this occasion the history of the event
commemorated today. Others fully more
capable and better posted, had been Sc
lected, but owing to their unavoidable
absence, was asked to take their place,
and l could not and it did not behoove
me, son of patriotic man, to refuse to
aid in my humble way, such patriotic
women as are the Daughters of the
American Revolution. Therefore, | ask
your indulgence, and will at the begin
ming ask also your pardon for any mis-
takes which might occur in my short ad-
dress, and also that you will pardon the
brevity of the same, being as have said
that l did not have the sufficient time
fnr in.x ,.,b tai, 4 i
manded.
1t was in the year 1885 or thereabouts
that the supreme government of the
Republic of Mexico under which flag
this territory was governed, appointed as
the military and civil governor of this
our beloved territory, Hon. Alvino Pc
rez, and he held his Office until the time
of his assassination on the 9th of Aug.
ust 1887, when he was assassinated on
this spot by the revolutionists against
his authority.
Upon his arrival at this place which
has always been the seat of government,
he was awarded very cordial reception
by the people assembled at the capital
when he made his entry in order to as
sumo the reins OF government. His ad-
ministraton was the most successful
and brilliant that the territory had
known or enjoyed under any of the gov
ernments to which this territory had
belonged since her conquest by the brave
Sraniards. He endeared himself to the
people by his liberal ideas and for the
reforms he made in the conduct of the
affairs of the government. His most
important reform, which was misinter-
preted by the people, was the necessity
of the levy of a very small tax in some
of the products of the soil for the estab-
lishment of public schools for the edu-
cation of youth, which the general gov