Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-09-02
PHOENIX. ARIZONA. SEPT. >, 1905
A Patriotic commemOratIon.

When the average graduate of the
little red schoolhouse says patriot
ism" he's almost always thinking Of
his own sort-the sort that hourishes
under the stars and stripes. Almost
always he is conscious of certain jar
of surprise when. on crossing the
country'S northern frontier or southern
frontier, he finds the people neXt-door
periodically cherishing the memory Of
men who fell in battle against invad-
ing soldiers OF the United States. It's
an educating experience, though, and
does him good. It's one of the things
that makes visit to Canada or to
Mexico worth while.
Sunday before last was the fifty
eighth anniversary Of the battle Of
Churubusco-the second and big bat
tie The first occurred on August 2,
1S47. when a little force of 500 Mexi-
cans under General Anaya held the old
convent of Churubusco against 5000
of our men under Generals Twiggs,
Smith and Worth until their ammuni-
ton gave out. In the second and big
battle. eleven days later, General Scott
with about 5000 OF our men defeated
a Mexican army OF over 10000 under
General Santa Anna. The Worth mon
ument in Madison Square, New York
City. with its Honor the Brave in
scription, is very familiar with to our
people; the Scott statue in Washing
ton also. Perhaps it may be news 20
a battle monument at Churubusco,
perpetuating the memory OF the seven
thousand men who fell there on Au-
gust and August 20. 1S47. in defense
of their invaded country.
Sunday before last the members of
the Society of National Gratitude and
the other citizens gathered around the
battle monument. The police band OF
Churubusco was there to play patriot
ic airs. Pedro Padre. Fernando Ce-
Iada and Antonio de P. Escarccga
were there to deliver patriotic address
es Little Miss Ana Cora and little
Master Mirasu (of the Xicontecau So
ciety) recited poems. Next. crowns OF
laurel were reverently placed on the
monument; and then came the most
striking incident of the day. The
Mexican Herald thus reports it:
Three little girls. dressed in white.
green and red, the Mexican national
coIors, placed crowns of laurel upon
the heads of the few survivors of the
battle who happened to be present.
This was the most impressive part of
the ceremony; the veterans. remem-
bering the scenes Of fifty-eight years
ago, now being crowned by their chill
dren's children in the national cOlors,
could not refrain from showing their
emotion and shed tears OF joy. All
present were also highly touched and
enthusiastically applauded the corona
ton of the veterans of that memorable
war"
This country has pretty well forgot
ten the war in question; the Mexican
memory is, naturally. more tenacious.
We are glad and thankful that Mex
ico's remembrances have nothing like
the sharp bitterness in them nova
days that they had before the French
invasion and the successful campaigns
of Juarez and Diaz. That war of
nearly sixty years ago was not war
for us to be very proud of. It was
summed up pretty accurately in Low
ellis paraphrase of the Springfield
conventions resolutions:
"Thet the war is a war for the spread
in o slavery;
Thet our army deserves our best
thanks fer their bravery"
The American soldiers fought in
Mexico as American soldiers always
dc: but their splendid valor was not
a whit more splendid than that of the
men who held the Churubusco con-
vent against eight times their own
until they had fired their last |
shot, or that of the young Mexican |
cadet color bearer at CIlapultepec who |
leaped from the precipice to certain |
death rather than let his flag become |
an American trophy.