The evening times., 1901-10-02

ing the French Intervention and which
was communicated 60 them by that man
Of iron by whom Mexico. like the Jews
under Moses, was guided as by a pillar Of
fire during our dark passage through the
desert, that man whose name WAS Benito
juarcz, he who incarnated the fatherIsnd,
for at least in his day there was a father
land to inCarnate. Santa Anna was the
Incarnation of cur past strife. of the con
fused and incOherent condition Of our
ideas as to the course We ought 10 pursue.
Just when the bonds that had united Us
10 Spain were uuIOosed. We were as yet
mere children. we did not even understand
our own character, We stumbled along
In haphaZard sort of way and our his
tory was a series Of anarchy mistakes.
and lack Of foresight Underneath every
Sedan there is a NapoleOnic debaUch and
beneath our defeats law our chronic state
Of political, financial, and social disorder.
At present all this has changed. The
country has entered, resolutely and firmly,
on the path Of progress and order"
The orator concluded with an eloquent
description Of the solid position now at
tanned 10y Mexico.
After a salvo of musketry by the cadets
poem recited by a. G. Carrasco and an
other musical selection, Cadet Pedro r.
ZavaIa occupied the rostrum, saying in
part:
4 will not stihe the latent sob in my
speech with the soncrous articles Of
rhythm. 1 will not try to disguise my
tC~pidity or bashfulness with the SNOWY
ornaments OF rhetoric. l will not seek to
elaborate my phrases as the lapidary pol
ishes the facets Of the diamond. No, gem
tlcmen. my words will reach your ears
just as they spring from my hearc-sim-
pie, ingenious and sincere. Afterward
they will mingle with the solemn dlrge,
formed by the mufIled drum, with the
groans Of our country, who like stricN-
en- mother. weeps and refuses to be com
forted with the hymns Of the poet, breath
ing, with sadness, consolation, like the
melancholy notes of a bird which. in the
gathering twilight, fills the listener with
dreamy emotions Of hope and rehabiIita-
tion.
20, radiant day Of epic memories, From
the far North, as from the tabled cave of
the winds came that cyclone which swept
over the land, with thunder for its voice,
with lightning for its scCurSe and with
the bolt Of Jove for its fame bearing and
terrible dart.
Then came the first Of that cruel series
Of battles, indecisive or lost; then were
captured those sacred banners which
form the glory Of the museums Of Wash
ington; then were lost TO us those heavy
cannon, which now, like dead TItans. lie
( I'm the spacious courtyards Of West Point;
then were inflicted those wounds that still
glOr1fy the breasts Of our Oldest and most
reyered soldiers.
And here It was the last stand was
sustained, that the latest offerings were
made on the altar Of the fatherland. Here
hCTOiSm and sacrifice reached their high
est pitch. Here persisted the youthful he
roesi here they met their end tragic. and
sublime. biting hard like the dying lion
to the last; here they sank 70 earth in
the pure regions of air and sunlight. like
the condor dying IN defence Of its eyrie
on the summit OF the Andes.
old Sol. adored by the primitive races
Of Anahuac. witnessed from his seat in
the lmplacable heavens, the eagles Of the
north soaring through the azure fields Of
our sky, while the eagles hOming I'm this
valley beat themselves to death on the
rocky and inVlOlare peaks Of the sierra.
without hatred. without ranCOr. let us
turn our gaze TO the past. which teaches
us that in order that the sacred tree IF
| liberty may thrive and flourish il must be
| WAteTed with the blood Of heroes and
martyrs.
Calm. seIf-possessed and firm let Us
Nlctlon that no violent CatastrOpne can
ever again shake the foundations Of our
country 3 greatness, resting for "A fOunda-
tiUn on the broad shoulders Of Cuauhtc-
moe and with the noble figure Of JuaIez
crOwning its inaccessible summit"
At the conclusion Of the official pro
Rramme the President proceeded 70 de-
| post wreath at the foot Of the mont
ment 70 the cadets Of A. and, at the same
time, the military students fired another
saiNo and the cannon doomed their parting
| honors 70 the President Of the Republic
as ne returned 20 the rehabilitation
Herald