Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-04-26
A "Mexican washInston.o

oOAs
At the time Of the birth OF Benito
radio Juarez, which took place March
Fl, 1906, there was little in the political
conditions in Mexico or in the ideals Of
her people to indicate that at the end
of a century the United States would
nave a republican neighbor on the
south of her at ono peaceful, pros
porous and sufficiently enlightened to
hold in grateful memory a leader who
In some respects was entitled to COM
parison with Washington. A hundred
years ago Mexico was in the plight Of
Cuba at her worst. She was a Spanish
colony, ruled from Madrid. Society
consisted of four classes Of opposite
temper, tendency and interest. Gov
eminent was exclusively in the hands
of Spaniards Of European birth. The
Indians We're lowest in the social scale,
being held in peonage, all but the no
bles. Mexican Spaniards We're held in
contempt by their foreign born rulers,
and the people Of mixed Spanish and
Indian blood We're but little better off
than the mass of Indians.
Napoleon Bonaparte's usurpation of
the Spanish throne upset the whole
realm of Spain, and the excitement
which followed the upheaval did not
subside in Mexico until the land of the
A1OntnvIn1oS tnni- hn,. r1o1n IN fhN f,,,
lily Of nations as a republic. Juarez
sprung from the better class of In
dams II waS given a fair education.
At the age Of thirty he was Of suffi-
Gent Importance to be thrown into
prison as Il rebel against the cover
ment Of Santa Anna. He continued to
fight Santa Anna and even acted indie
pendently for the defense of his state,
Oajaca, during the war with the United
States. Being finally driven out of
Mexico by the dictator, Juarez lived in
New Orleans from 1858 to 1855, when
he returned to Mexico and Joined Santa
Annals opponent, Alvarez. After a
stormy career in the cabinet and as a
leader of parties, now With and now
against the ruling power, sometimes
issuing manifestoes from a prison cell,
his government vas recognized by the
United States in 1859, and from that
time until his death, in 1872, he was
the head of the social and political re-
form forces Of Mexico. The United
States saved Juarez, and Juarez saved
Mexico from reaction and chaos.
Juarez's administration led to for
eign interference in the affairs of the
republic. Driven from the City of
Mexico by the French in 1868, he was
hunted from place to place by foreign
arms or the %uprisings Of his own peo-
pie, but in 1867 he recovered his CAPT
tai and was reelected president. In
ed States frontier, having With him but
twenty-five faithful followers, after
ward known as the "im~maculates."
Notwithstanding the complete eX-
nauStlOn or the national treasury,
Juarez suppressed by military power
numerous revolutionary attempts to
overthrow him. He died suddenly after
q short illness. Judged differently by
admirers and enemies, this eXtraordi-
nary man had at least the quality Of
honesty Of purpose and perhaps for
this alone deserves the name of "the
Mexican Washington" which some of
his people have bestowed upon him. He
reconciled the Mexican people to the
rule of Il civilian, and if not the
founder of modern Mexico he was at
least the road breaker for her political
progress.