The National tribune., 1902-10-23
PRESIDENr DlAz.
His High opin,oh of'1 the G. AR. and the Amer
lean People

UAC4H feoplo-
To the Post Command and Comrades of
u. =. Grantt Pest. No. %, Department
of Illinois, q. A. T., Chicago, ILL.,, L. s.
While in Chicago on business / had the
honor of visiting your Post on the even
ing of Thanksgiving Day. 1901. During
the evening was requested to make n few
remarks. i'll the e0uIse of which l related
the circumstances and events OF the Me
mortal Services Us conducted in the City
of Mexico. SeAt. 10. 1901. the date Of the
burial of our Rte Teomrnde. President Will
| liam Mckinley, at Canton, Ohio. These
| services were presided over by Gen. Pow
| ell Clayton, United States Ambassador to
Mexico, in the presence of the American
colony. Gen. POrfiriO Diaz, President of
| the Republic of Mexico. attended these
services. accompanied by his entire Cab
met. Generals of the Army, the Diplo-
matte Corps of the foreign countries sta
toned at Mexico's Capital. all in full uni
| form, as well as the leading citizens and
ladies OF Mexico, Madam Diaz being pres
| ent also. The services were Of very
impressive character. The earnestness
and appreciativeness of President Diaz s
manner was especially marked.
At the conclusion of my remarks to the
Post, resolutions were unanimously pass
ed by u. S. Grant Post. of highly eulo-
CYSTIC character, thanking President Diaz
and the Government of Mexico, in the
name of the Post and comrades of the
G. A. r., for the expressions of sorrow
and sympathy so kindly shown the Ameri-
can people in their bereavement and loss
OF C0mrade President, William Mckinley.
The resolutions directed that they be
presented by me in person on my return
home to the City of Mexico. The oppor-
tunity to present the resolutions did not
occur until the 22d of July. 1902. (The
anniversary of the death of Gen. McPher-
son at Atlanta, Ga) Through the cour-
tesy of Gen. Powell Clayton, was grant
ed n special private interview with Presi-
dent Diaz on this date, when the resOlu-
tions were presented and Spanish trans
laton read to him. The President listen
ed to the reading of the resolutions with
the utmost attention and courtesy and
with every evidence of pleasure.
In reply President Diaz begged me to
convey to the Post Commander and com
rades of U. s. Grant Post his high ap-
probation and thanks for the kind words
spoken on his behalf Then followed a
general conversation in which President
Diaz expressed the greatest sorrow for the
untimely demise of our comrade, President
William Mckinley, whom he said he re-
garded as n warm personal friend. He
spoke of the high compliment President
Mckinley had paid him in his speech
made at El Paso Texas, and of the high
regard he felt for the American people
whose Government he considered was the
best in the entire world, and after whose
model he was trying to pattern the Mexi-
can Government President Diaz spoke
in the most feeling terms of his admiration
for the comrades of the G. A. R., whose
valor and devotion to Flag and Country
had saved and perpetuated the best Gov
ernment on earth, and i'm so doing were en-
abled at the close of the rebellion to en-
force the Monroe Doctrine, and drive the
French out of Mexico. thus saving the
Government of Mexico to the Mexican
people, placiBg Mexico in the position of
owing debt, of gratitude to the American
soldier and People which the Government
and people Of. Mexico will repay if the
emergency or hour of danger ever arrives
to the American Government. President
Diaz also spoke as a soldier, Of the ties
that bind soldiers one to another, and es-
pecially of The ties of comradeship felt
by the comrades of the G. A. r., whose
valor and bravery had saved his Govern
ment and people. Republic among the
Governments OF the world. With express
G. A. r., I,,took pleasant farewell of
President P6rfrio Diaz, of Mexico, to my
comrades Of your Post and the comrades
Of the G.. A, r, generally.
With many thanks to the comrades of
u. s. Grant. Post, No. %, for the honor
of being the bearer OF these resolutions of
respect to the President of the Republic
of Mexico, l am,
Yours in F., G. and L.
J. J. FITZGERRELL,
Past Department Commander of New
Mexico, G. A. r., la San Francisco No.
Z, City of Mexico, Republic of Mexico.