Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-08

had been arranged to outline the towers
of the cathedral and the great national
pa1ace that extends across one end of the
plaza Buildings were Illuminated, and
flags bunting and garlands of flowers
decked every object that presented sur
face for decorating.
They do things on big scale In
country where labor is cheap and time no
object. A grand music pavilion capable
of seating three hundred musicians faced
the right front of the plaza, and here
from to ii was rendered such a concert
as New York audience would call cheap
at $40 ticket.
Tiers of seats were for rent at moderate
prices (two shillings each) In the space
within hearing distance of the band
stand, and special reservation OF chairs
was surrounded by Gordon or soldlers
to protect from the crowd the invited
guests of "The Friends of General Diaz."
In four of these favored seats our party
of two couples sat from o'clock to IL,
enjoying the music, watching the fire
works and gazing at the long line or pal-
comics along the palace, where were
grouped in gorgeous evening dress all OF
Mexico's aristocracy and the various for
eign diplomatic corps, all waiting for the
president and the hour of the Critic.
Mexican Hymn
How we watched the center balcony as
the minute hands of our watches passed
the hour hand at IL! The great CLOCK IN
the cathedral tower commenced to strlKe
and all her bells to ring; from three nun
dred musical instruments pealed forth the
Mexican hymn; and there, in the center
balcony, stood President Diaz waving
with his right hand the torn nag OF
Eidalgo, and ringing with his ieft tne
| bell suspended over his head-the little
church bell of Dolores that the goou
priest, Hidalgo. had made the liberty peii
| of a nation BY magic, 1t seemed, large
painting of Hidalgo suspended over tne
presidents balcony was at the instant Oh
| ii o'clock brilliantly lighted up, appear
ling like a. beneffcent spirit hovering over
the convufsed multitude. 1t was stage
| effect on a grand scale; and what a tu-
multi it all evoked! Clear above the
changing bells, louder than the din OF the
reveille and national anthem played by
many bands, rose, clear and strong, the
Critic from two hundred thousand
throats: viva Mexico!'' Viva la Re-
publican Hats were waved, thrown In
| the air seats abandoned; the music grew
louder and faster, the multitude shouteo
more wildly, until even Americans causns
| the contagion and sWelleo inc choi 70 "
'Viva Mexico"
over all this tumult of people, of music
| and of Mexican gritos, looked down the
gentle. soulful face of the Spanish priest,
| IIidalgo Was 1t due to his pure, klnoly
face that, for the time, no one crieo'
"Oue mueran los Espanoles? Los rs
| panoles were all within the saie sneiter
| Of their homes, for past experience nad
taught them that on the night OF the
Mexican grito "Que mueran los Es-
panoles" meant more than continent
erudae Against Foreigners
" f1x org
regarded very tenderly on the night OF
Sentember 15 for Mexico could be par
doned If she had a little grudge laid up
| against more than Spain, when sne re-
members that France and the United
states TO say nothing of Austria have
Maid her. in the past, visits more piratlcal
| than courteous. The American news
papers had advised foreigners TO pc
absent from the celebration on the, nignt
Of the 18th owing to the danger OF ac-
cidental injury in such a crowd as
| throngs the streets on this occasion, two
| thirds of which are peones full Oh pulque
and patriotism, and willing to spend the
night in shouting for their country ana
| fighting gringoes Qoreigners).
| Our party was quickly separated py tne
pushing, surging mass of people, and we
were an hour in working our way out of
the plaza, and another half hour IN
| dodging professions of noisy students,
drunken, happy peones and pools of water
along San Francisco street and out to
Bucareli. Coaches could not enter the
crowded streets and the street cars had
gone under cover, like the Spaniards. IL.
was raining in torrents and we were wet
to the bones" the Mexicans say put
when we had crept to bed at 2 a. m.
under three warm Mexican blankets we
still heard the shout from the streets,
"Viva la Republica," and could still see
in memory the never-to-be-forgotten pic
ture on the balcony of Cortez palace;
the inscrutable Indian face of President
Diaz as he rang the liberty bell, While
the martyred Spanish priest looked kinoiy
down on his beloved children, from
halo of red, white and green Mexican
lights.
Who that loves his fellow men does
not say with Hidalgo, Viva la ibertad?D