Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-03-07
PORFIRIO DIAZ
MAY COME BACK.
Strong Movement in Sister Republic Across
The Rio 6Tande for Recall Of The
"Man On Horseback"

General Porfirio Diaz, ex-President of
Mexico, who sailed into exile from Vera
Cruz on May 3lst of last year, after the
revolution of Francisco Madero had
brought his many years of dictatorship
to an end, is willing to come back to
Mexico and lead the people out of their
present difficulties if "a strong call'' is
sent to him. Such is the statement
made by HIM in letter of recent date
which he sent to a former trusted lieu
tenant and official under his govern
ment, who is now in New York.
General Diaz is now living in retire
jr., at Cape Dali, near Toulon, in the
south OF France. He settled there aft
er spending many months of exile in
Switzerland and northern Spain.
The ex-President of Mexico expressed
his willingness to return to the land
over which he ruled as dictator for
-thirty-seven years, in these words, cop
led from the original letter, with the
translation made by the recipient of the
letter:
Il said in my farewell that If the
Mexican people needed me l would
come again. Should the people involved
in present difficulties send strong call
to me would fulfill my promise"
In his reference to his farewell, Cen
eral Diaz has evidently had in mind the
words which he addressed to the loyal
remnant of his army which guarded the
house in which he lived in Vera Cruz
for three days before his departure. On
the morning of his leaving the fugitive
ex-President expressed q wish TO say
farewell to the soldiers and detachment
of sailors constituting his guard, and
they were drawn up before the steps.
Diaz then addressed them:
Il will go from Mexico, but give my
word of honor that if at any time this
republic be involved in any great crisis,
1 will come back and under the shadow
of this flag, for which / have fought
much, and with the help of this army,
so loyal, will know how to conquer as
l once conquered in the past"
The army to which General Diaz re-
ferred at that time comprised less than
500 men, but they were for the most
part Oazaca Indians from Diaz's own
state and intensely loyal. They had
slaughtered a detachment of insurrec-
tos who attempted to hold up the ex-
Presidents train when he was fleeing
from Mexico City to the Gulf port.
Three days after sailing from Vera
Cruz, General Diaz said to a reporter
who was on the steamship:
II will never return to Mexico unless
my country should be threatened by a
foreign power. Such should have been
the Interpretation of my. farewell ad-
dress. will not return because of in
ternal danger"
When the recipient of the recent let
ter from General Diaz was asked if he
believed the former President had mod
ified his determination not to return to
Mexico to intervene in domestic troubles
or if he took Diaz's present declaration
to indicate that he believed that Mexico
was being threatened by foreign pow
er, and that he would fulfill the letter of
his promise, that individual said that
the existence of both conditions might
be thought to haYe had an influence up
on General Diaz's mind.
He said very positively that there
was still large following of the former
President in Mexico, particularly among
the business men and financiers of the
capital and the simple people of the
state of Oazaca and adjoining states in
the west. These men, who were mem
bers of the old Cientifico party, as the
group in power the latter years of Di-
az q presidency was called, had never
accepted the domination of President
Madero, he said, and would be glad to
see the old ruler who had preserved
order in Mexico for more than a quar-
ter of q century, return to power.
The informant would not specify how
strong a call he thought would be neces-
sary 20 bring General Diaz back to Mex
leo. He gave strong intimation, how
ever, that in the event of continued dis
order and the multiplication of candi-
dates for the presidency the demand for
the return of the old ruler, already
strong enough to worry President Ma
dero, would become almost unanimous.
By implication he allowed it to be un-
derstood that Dlaz organization was
already in existence, and that the ex-
lied ex-President had not taken the ini-
tiative in making the promise to return
at the behest of "a strong call"