The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-16

cession.
All good hombres and pure patriots
of the yEstades Unidos Mexicanos-
the United Mexican States-will join
to-day in celebrating the anniversary
of the birth of Mexican freedom. The
sixteenth of Septen Der is the national
patriotic fiesta of. the southern repub-
lie, when love of country and devo-
ton to liberty is fostered by military
demonstrations, oratory, band con-
certs, fireworks, revolutions, and a lib
eraI consumption of mescal, aguar-
diente and other inspirational bever-
ages.
Many statesmen and politicians who
were prominent in the celebration of
Independence day a year ago are now
in their graves, while others are being
driven to madness, despair and death
in the island prison of San Juan de
UIua, where political prisoners are
confined in underground cells, small
that the inmates can neither stand nor
lie down at full length. To these
stone collins of the living death the
light of the sun never penetrates, and
the air is unspeakab1y foul. Sharks
infest the waters around the grim
castillo, ready to tear and rend any
unfortunate who seeks to escape. In
to this terrible hole-worSe even than
Sing Sing-Diaz used to throw his
DOi1C1ca1 enemies. Inc overthrow OIL
old Porfirio resulted in the release of
those who had outlived his vengeance,
and the foes Of Madero took their
place. These in turn have been freed,
and MadeFists now occupy the subter-
ranean cells of the old castle.
Mexico's long and blood-spattered
history began early in the sixteenth
century when Cortes established New
Spain on the ruins of the great Aztec
Empire Of Montezuma. The country
was governed successfully by sixty
two Spanish viceroys.
Mexican liberty was born on Sept.
16, 1910, when a native priest, Don
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued that
gIoriosa 1"EI grito de Dolores" which
was the Mexican declaration of indie
pendence. After gaining several vic
tories over the royalists, the priest
was captured and executed. The rev.
olution broke out afresh in 1913, just
a century ago this year, when a con-
gress of patriots, at Chilpancingo, de-
c1ared Mexico free and Independent.
They failed, and in 1915 another
priest, Don Jose Maria Morelos, took
up the cause of independence, but was
defeated and executed. General 1tur-
bide then took up the cause, and in
September, 1921, entered the city of
Mexico at the head of the patriot ar
my. He was elected emperor, as
Augustin L, but was soon overthrown,
and was executed. General Santa Ana
proclaimed Mexico a republic. Since
then Mexico has had one political
CONFUSION after another, and the peo-
pie have stopped fighting among
themselves only long enough to resist
in vain, the expansion movement of
the United States, and to oppose sue
cessfu11y the attempt of Macmillan to
found a New World empire. Diaz
ruling with an iron hand, gave Mex
leo an era of comparative peace, and
it remains for another Diaz to bring
order out of the chaos.
Scottish scientific organizations will
celebrate to-day the centenary of the
birth of Robert Fortune, the great
Scottish botanist. lie spent many
years in China and Japan, studying
the fruits, flowers, plants, vegetables
and other natural products of the
Orient, and his many books treating
of these subjects are still accepted as
auth critics.
NEIGHBORS' SPITE, NOT
NUISANCE, SAYS INSPECTOR